re: Next Wave CNC Shark and Other Models

Thanks.  I have been thinking about reviewing Next Wave's proprietary setup for a while because I get asked about the machine and I hesitate to recommend it because  it is so expensive to stay in their ecosystem and impossible to step outside it for even minor upgrades or additions.  Their recent shut down of the only dedicated forums for their products triggered me to act (and react).   Rockler's forum is still online a day or two after the deadline and I have posted both humorous and scathing promises post on other venues my opinions (above is the first).  I (mostly) jokingly posted this morning (probably just screaming into the wind) on the dying Sharktalk forum about creating a SharkTalk anonymous forum for disgruntled Shark owners who want to decouple from Next Wave's proprietary setup and share ideas on how to do that.  I actually think that could become a thing, if I was interested in managing a forum and the costs associated with hosting and managing it.  The easiest approach might be to create a Facebook group. 

When I started looking into upgrading to a spindle, I did a couple of quick local Craigslist and FB Marketplace searches to see if it would just be easier to sell my machine and buy something more robust and expandable (but probably much more expensive).  The 2nd hand market for these things seemed to be pretty low so if you keep your eyes open, you may find a 2nd hand machine cheap enough that you can justify some significant upgrades should you decide to evolve the machine.  You may even stumble upon one that already has the specs you want to start with for half or less than buying a new one.   That approach could be little frustrating if you are  not the type to dig into the details and fix or upgrade things as you go but for a hobby, that can sometimes actually be part  of the fun.