FoxAlien CL-4x4

About the Machine

The FoxAlien CL-4x4 is a full-sheet large-format CNC with a 1220 x 1220 x 100 mm (4 ft x 4 ft) cutting area, so standard full-sized sheets fit without cutting them down. It uses 16mm (XY) and 12mm (Z) ball screws with linear rails on all axes and includes a 400W spindle.

Cut Settings on this Machine

Every cut starts with one formula: Feed Rate = Spindle Speed (RPM) x Chip Load x Number of Cutting Edges (flutes). Chip load is the thickness of material each cutting edge removes in one revolution of the bit. This number comes from the manufacturer of the bit, which publishes a chip-load chart for each bit diameter and material. Look up your exact bit and material, start from the middle of the published range, and you have the third number in the formula. The chart below shows the recommended spindle speed for each material and bit type.

The CL-4x4 comes with a 400W DC spindle and also takes 65mm and 69mm trim routers. The stock spindle cannot reach most of the speeds in the chart and loses torque fast below its top speed, so keep it near maximum and let the feed rate control the cut. Keep the RPM up for acrylic too, and speed up the feed if the edge starts to melt. Save aluminum for a single-flute bit and gentle passes. With a trim router installed, use the chart as-is. Depth per pass is where the machine itself matters. A truly rigid machine with a powerful spindle can cut as deep as the bit is wide in a single pass, but that takes real spindle torque, a drive train and clamps that hold firm, a gantry that will not flex, and enough mass to soak up vibration. Few hobby machines check every one of those boxes, and the fix is simple: take shallower passes. Push too deep and the bit deflects and chatters, leaving scalloped edges, or it rubs instead of cutting and burns the material. The fastest way to dial in a cut is to see what has already worked for other people.

Worked example for feed rate: 1/8in (3.175mm) two-flute solid carbide end mill in hard wood. The chart says 16,000 RPM, but the 400W spindle should stay near its own maximum instead; at 10,000 RPM with the bit maker's 0.025mm per tooth (0.0010 in): 10,000 x 0.025 x 2 = 500 mm/min (20 in/min) feed. For depth per pass, start shallow and check Community Cut Settings in Easel for what works on this machine. If the spindle audibly slows in the cut, reduce the depth, not the feed. Slowing the feed below the chip load makes the bit rub instead of cut.

Community Cut Settings shows the spindle speed, feed rate, and depth per pass other makers actually run for your machine, material, and bit.