ABOUT THE ORIGINAL WORKBEE CNC MACHINE
The WorkBee is our flagship CNC Machine and a culmination of all our experience, feedback, and suggestions from designing CNC Machines over the past 5+ years. The WorkBee is capable of accurately cutting foams, woods, plastics or aluminium at depths greater than 25mm and to a 0.1mm accuracy or greater. With a WorkBee CNC Kit you can manufacture engineering parts, toys and signs. In fact, you can make anything you can imagine without leaving the workshop.
The WorkBee makes full use of the V-Slot Extrusion system. On the X and Y Axis, C-Beam extrusions are used. C-Beam allows the drive systems to be concealed from debris. The screws on the WorkBee CNC Kit are inside the ‘C’ channel and therefore shielded from the cutting area.
The WorkBee CNC Machine uses Xtreme Solid V Wheels which are manufactured from super hard polycarbonate. This reduces wheel compression, and keeps wear to a minimum. The plates are manufactured from 6mm aluminium and have a protective anodised coating.
SCREW DRIVE SYSTEM
The WorkBee CNC Machine is a screw drive system, the first of it’s kind in this price range. One issue with a screw drive system is that it could be limited in size to 1000x1000mm. This size limitation was not acceptable. Therefore we have designed a screw tensioning system for the WorkBee. This tensioning system is used on sizes above 1000x1000mm and allows us to provide a screw drive system for WorkBee sizes up to and including 1500x1500mm.
THE FULL KIT
The WorkBee is a self build kit. It includes everything you need to build a working CNC Machine apart from the spoiler board.
The CNC Kit makes use of the extremely powerful Duet 32bit controller. The Duet is a fully featured motion controller, it comes equipped with 5 TMC2660 stepper drivers which have enough power to run the 175oz NEMA23 Stepper motors included with the CNC Machine. For easy repositioning, three homing switches are included (one for each axis) and their corresponding mounts and wires.
The WorkBee CNC Machine comes with a complete cable carrier system on the X and Y-Axis. For safety and good cable management.
HELP IS AT HAND
We like to think we have made a name for ourselves by creating excellent assembly manuals for our machines. All the manuals for the WorkBee can be found on the Ooznest Learning Portal. These are continuously monitored and updated by our technical team, showing the most up to date guides for all your WorkBee needs. This includes the latest firmware updates, post processors and comments where you can discuss everything WorkBee with other owners.
We also have a Youtube Channel where we are constantly posting tutorials, updates and inspiration for the machine. Our friends at Vectric also have a Youtube Channel, which offers guides on how to make the most out of their CAM software.
If you have any problems along the way, we are only a quick live chat or email away to provide you with the help you need.
There is a large friendly community around the WorkBee with over 4500 members in the Facebook user group. Members of the community openly share tips, tricks and projects, if you need advice the WorkBee group is a great place to get it. At Ooznest we like to take an active role in the community with many of our staff also a part of the group.
The WorkBee comes with a 1-year warranty on all the parts, so if anything is damaged or stops working, we will resolve your issue quickly. The Katsu Router has a 1-Year warranty with Ooznest and the Dewalt/Makita routers come with their own separate 1-Year manufacturer warranties.
MADE IN BRITAIN
Ooznest and the Original WorkBee CNC Machine are a proud member of the Made In Britain Directory. The WorkBee CNC Machine is designed and assembled in our UK Offices. Currently all the extrusions, wires, plastic parts and controller are manufactured in Britain, and we are continually looking to get more individual parts manufactured here as well. When you contact us you can be 100% sure you will be speaking to someone in our UK Office.
WHAT IS IN THE KIT
By default the WorkBee full kit includes everything needed to build a moving CNC Machine. To make it a fully functional cutting machine it needs additional items. These are as follows: Router, Cutting Bits, CAM Software, and a Spoilerboard + Mounting Hardware. Some of these can be included as additional extras.
The software to control the machine is included. The CAM software is not included, but can be bought as an extra or sourced elsewhere. Free options like Fusion360 or SketchuCam can be used with the WorkBee CNC Kit. See the ‘Software’ tab above to get a full overview of the software used to run the machine.
All the preliminary work is done for you. This includes cutting/tapping the extrusions, cutting the ACME screws and soldering/crimping wires. Only basic tools like allen keys, spanners and screwdrivers are needed to complete the assembly.
Neither the Seller’s liability for defective products nor the quality warranty applies to machines, components or parts damaged by handling or misuse, which is in conflict with the instructions and recommendations in the official manuals and guides, or improper handling caused by unofficial modifications, such as modifications to hardware or software.
Please note we cannot offer technical support if any modifications to any part of the product have been made.
All WorkBee CNC kits are sold under the presumption that the customer and/or end-user is competent to assemble and operate the machine in a safe manner. Ooznest ltd cannot be held responsible for any training requirements or misuse of the machine.
By purchasing this item you have read this disclaimer and assume all liabilities.
Mr David Sanderson (verified owner) –
Build is fun task on it’s own. all went smooth apart from a small mistake by me. ooznest support team identified problem. after fix all built and running.
John Clothier (verified owner) –
Outstanding product manufactured in the uk. great value for money especially when you consider the support around it!
Dragan Pavlovic (verified owner) –
I like it
M Stenning (verified owner) –
Having grown up with the invent of technical lego, this is great to be putting together. have had to hold back on working through the night to get finished!!
Sami (verified owner) –
So far im very please to quality of the machine
david stanbrook (verified owner) –
Excellent
Richard Orton (verified owner) –
Self build but with very good instructions and all parts well marked. encountered a couple of problems one my own fault the other software but this was promptly rectified by ooznest.
Michael Darlow (verified owner) –
Excellent quality and finish on all parts – online tutorials to aid assembly. – very pleased, i am now enjoying cncing 🙂
Alexander Wardle (verified owner) –
Overall a very good experience. just a shame they take so long but you can’t rush quality
Prof BP (verified owner) –
Impressive
Prof BP (verified owner) –
Ecellent
R. Zeigler (verified owner) –
Great workmanship
simon whitaker (verified owner) –
Awesome piece of kit
Bach Wood Works (verified owner) –
Its early days for me with this but overall i am totally impressed by the quality of parts and components, the packaging and the documentation provided.
Andrew Peerless (verified owner) –
Awesome product and service
Mark B (verified owner) –
We particularly wanted a machine with screw operation (rather than belt) for increased accuracy. the assembly instructions online were very clear for the step-by-step build process and we have already secured orders where part of the order will run on the machine and cover the initial purchase cost. thanks ooznest.
Mark B (verified owner) –
The black looks very smart and all the pieces arrived clearly labelled and in excellent condition. the assembly instructions online were very clear for the step-by-step build process.
Mark B (verified owner) –
Self-explanatory really… pretty useful for our uk based operation.
Graphite Signs (verified owner) –
Super happy with this kit, very well labeled and manual is informative.
Graphite Signs (verified owner) –
Extremely well made kit, very well packaged and labeled, made building very relaxing and enjoyable. this for the money is a great piece of kit.
Dave Gooding (verified owner) –
Really pleased with the machine – it was straightforward to assemble by methodically following the clear instructions. all the component parts were clearly packed and marked so there was no ambiguity. seems to be very high quality, but i⊙ve not used it much yet.
Andreh Khachatourian (verified owner) –
Worth to have it!
Robert Peissl (verified owner) –
Bin begeistert!
Mr Thomas Mercer (verified owner) –
Very good company to deal with will use again
A Mellor (verified owner) –
Excellent bit of kit, great fun putting it together.
Bruno Anastacio (verified owner) –
Great quality, all came packaged very well, fairly easy to build, sturdy equipment but not unnecessarily heavy or clunky
Bruno Anastacio (verified owner) –
Great quality piece of machinery, robust and looks nice. not clunky but also not thin and ‘cheap’ feeling
Marco (verified owner) –
Great entry level CNC. This will work for your hobby needs or till you are ready to spend 10-20k on a professional machine
OLIVIMAGES (verified owner) –
Every part is documented and built from quality materials. You won’t be wrong if investing in the whole package to do good job !
Marco (verified owner) –
Great startup CNC. Very sturdy and well made.
David (verified owner) –
Great and well thought machine. good and robust alu structure and I love the 3D printed plastic parts. it doesn’t always need to be injection molded parts 😉
DR Orest MULKA (verified owner) –
Having read about the kit, I was a bit nervous and expected I would be ringing the helpline. As it happened the build was reasonably straightforward and took 5 afternoons following the online instructions. Connecting to the Duet controller via wifi was a bit hit and miss initially, but I wasn’t using the recommended Chrome browser and I suspect if I had there would have been no problem. The machine worked first time. After using it to drill holes in the wasteboard it started to randomly misbehave. Contact with the helpline was successful in working out that I hadn’t sufficiently tightened the flexible coupling on the z axis and the router assembly was intermittently slipping down. I was impressed by the diagnostics at Ooznest not least because the boss Ryan was giving me advice at 7pm in the evening during the pandemic. An unexpected but welcome benefit of buying British.
The coupling is tricky to tighten because unlike all the other bolts this one is in an eccentric position, so beware.
It works beautifully now
Roberto Boggian (verified owner) –
All parts were available and clearly labelled. With the online instructions the assembly is relatively simple.
Jonathan Pearce (verified owner) –
A fantastic piece of kit.
Craig Knowles – Phoenix Craft Creations (verified owner) –
Love it. Don’t think about it, just get one they’re brilliant. But get the biggest one you can accommodate.
Craig Knowles – Phoenix Craft Creations (verified owner) –
Black just looks so much better than the plain aluminium & doesn’t cost extra so not a choice I had to make
Valentin Berthom√© –
Perfect for me
oscar d. –
Good quality
mark Mazza –
Great quality parts and hardware
simon –
Good quality of equipment, detailed instructions, it all worked seamlessly once assembled. some specific skills are needed to programme up the initial software so the instructions need to be followed to the letter. very pleased with this purchase which will suit a competent diy or a small machine shop.
Robert Landsman –
Pretty well made. there are always thing that one can nitpick, but on the whole a very good setup. i wouldn’t want to build it without the incredible after care help from ooznest.
Stewart Butcher –
A premium product!
Dave –
Well cut, and brilliantly packed.
Adrian Lawrence –
A weekend and a bit from flat pack to working, cracking product.
Adrian Lawrence –
Great product, a full complete kit.
Satisfied customer, Staffordshire –
Excellent machine and well designed.
joanne hudson –
The guys at oozenest we⊚Öôre so helpful and helped me chose the correct program for my workbee
Scott Morton –
I’m very pleased overall with this purchase for the price i paid and the amount of effort and work put into the whole machine is excellent. its also great to actually build it yourself rather than it being pre built!
Scott Morton –
A few scratches on the the framework which i found annoying but nothing a permanent marker would sort out! overall though high quality.
Avraham Czeisler –
I’m in the middle of the assembly process untill now…till now i’m impressed with the mechanical parts quality, they look good, have a very nice finish and a robust structure. the instructions are clear, logical and easy to understand and the parts are well packed. well done!
ron parker –
Superb kit, works a treat
Oliver Plaado –
Really nice machine
Felix –
Awesome product and best customer service.
Tom Helgesen –
Very good. instructions was clear. one component in the kit was wrong, but all in all very good. the machine is not finished yet…
Stuart Winstanley –
Not fully built it yet, but all the parts and well made and fit together perfectly. it looks a really solid machine and i look forward to finishing it and getting stuck in routing.
Sanjaya Sharma –
I looked all the places to find me a good cnc and this was the best machine i could find for this price with large work place, machine is very good solid built with 32 bit duet controller makes it far better than its class cnc machine. also customer support is the best i seen anywhere. thank you ryan and josh.
giraud nicolas –
Very fast shipping, perfectly packaged!
Romeo –
Very well packed and instructions were very clear. the machine does its job perfectly.
Mike NZ –
Early days, but seems sturdy and well made, as it should be for the price. good videos, build manuals and ongoing development & support. i have makita, as dewalt was out of stock at the time of order. hope your business thrives.
Alan Morris –
Superb quality kit with all items perfectly packed and labelled, and, believe me, there are a lot of them! a comprehensive construction manual, of good quality, meant that the build was completed in good time and was a pleasurable exercise. all the components were top quality and beautifully prepared. make no mistake. the build demands concentration and care if the expected results are to be achieved but given the wealth of on-line support, youtube videos and, if required, telephone support, you will be rewarded with a great machine at a very competitive price. if you can put together a typical ikea product you will have no problems with the workbee and be left wondering why multinationals cannot achieve similar results!
cs –
Good capabilities for the price
A. Necker –
It is my frist cnc machine.
it looks roubust and reliable. and the fact, that it is made mostly out of v-slot rails, is great.
makes it much easier to upgrade and mod something on!
the assembling was not so hard and cause less problems. only one screw was deformed (no hex hole).
a option for a 43mm euro spindle mount would be great.
but in my opinion is it a great machine that performs really well!
Mr Andy Gilchrist –
Excellent materials, well packed and delivered ‚àö‚â§n schedule. the individual items were all well bagged, labelled with a reasonable number of extras to cover the inevitable losses during construction.
the instructions were the most comprehensive i have seen and were in english not chinglish.
Geert Ceulemans –
Service! and that’s what the team delivers!
John –
Excellent pice of kit
John –
Excellent piece of kit
Rich –
Great product, very robust.
Brian Woolford –
Brilliant product great help on phone
Jason M –
Good design, good quality parts
Robert_Sims –
Great machine at a great price
Ashley Kitchen –
A well thought out product which is competing with the other open source brands
Arsen Sostar –
Really perfect cnc and easy to operate.