Gweike is lining up a pre-production C1 for me. It’s their new desktop CNC: milling, turning and routing in one enclosed box, with an automatic tool changer.
Search for the C1 right now and you won’t find much. A product page, a waitlist and a launch video. Nobody has shown real cutting on it yet. So this is what I know before it gets here, and what I’m going to do with it.
Why I’m curious about this one
Gweike caught a lot of people off guard with the M3 Ultra. They didn’t invent a new category. Fiber lasers that cut and weld already existed. They just built one that was bigger, heavier and more industrial than the rest, and priced it so the others suddenly looked expensive.
The C1 looks like the same move. A desktop CNC with a tool changer isn’t new either, Makera pretty much created that with the Carvera. Gweike is just coming in heavier.
I run the M3 Ultra in my workshop, so I know how Gweike builds a machine. That’s a big part of why I want to see this one up close. (If you’re curious about that machine, here’s my M3 Ultra vs xTool MetalFab comparison.)
The Gweike C1 on paper
These are Gweike’s own numbers from the product page. None of this is tested yet.
| Spindle | 1500W, air cooled, up to 24,000 rpm (another part of the page says 18,000) |
| Tool changer | 8 tools, automatic tool setter, 1 to 7 mm shanks |
| Milling area | 318 x 212 mm with the tool changer, 318 x 254 mm without |
| Z range | 0 to 150 mm |
| Motion | 5 mm lead ball screws with 50 N preload, dual linear rails, ±0.02 mm repeatability (claimed) |
| Motors | Open-loop NEMA 23 (57 mm) steppers |
| Weight | 95 kg net |
| Footprint | 768 x 520 x 664 mm |
| Power | 220 to 240V for the machine |
| Extras | 16MP camera, laser surface sensor, optional turning module and 4th axis, free Gweike CAM |
95 kg is a lot for something you’d call a desktop machine. In a CNC that’s a good sign. Mass is what keeps chatter down when you cut metal.
The work area is what I’d look at twice. 318 x 212 mm is small for the money. This is a machine for parts, not for signs.
And check the power if you’re in the US. Gweike lists the machine supply as 220 to 240V. I’d ask them about 110V before counting on it.
Standard and Pro
From what I’ve seen, there’s going to be a standard C1 and a Pro. Gweike’s page only shows one version so far, so this part is my own guess.
The standard C1 already lists preloaded ball screws and zero-clearance linear rails. That’s more than most machines in this class give you. What it doesn’t have is closed-loop motors. It runs open-loop steppers, so if a motor loses steps in a heavy cut, the machine doesn’t know about it.
So if there’s a Pro, servo motors are the upgrade I’d expect, and probably even more weight. If that’s how it goes, the Pro is the one I’d want for steel. I’ll update this post when Gweike shares the details.
What I’m going to test
- Steel. The same C45 test I ran on the Makera Z1 Pro. Gweike says the C1 does metal. Steel is where you find out.
- Aluminum. The same chip test as on the Z1, so you can compare the two directly.
- The tool changer. Every tool change is a chance to crash. I want a full job that uses all eight slots.
- Probing. My Z1 probe died mid-job and the machine kept going. I’m going to check what the C1 does when a sensor fails.
- The software. Gweike’s free CAM promises toolpaths in one click. We’ll see.
Pre-production, so expect problems
This is a pre-production machine and it will have issues. Some will be fixed before customers get theirs, some maybe not. I’ll show both, and I’ll ask Gweike what changes on the production units.
Gweike is providing the machine. You’ll get what I find, good and bad, same as with every machine on this channel.
Price and the waitlist
Right now the C1 is on a waitlist with super early bird pricing from $3,199. Gweike lists the MSRP at $5,299. The campaign launches on Kickstarter, and joining the waitlist is how you get the early bird price.
Join the Gweike C1 waitlist for the early bird price →
My advice if you’re on the fence: get on the waitlist, then wait for real cutting footage before you pay for a brand new machine. That’s what I’m going to give you.
The waitlist link is an affiliate link. If you buy through it, I earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
What do you want me to test?
If there’s something you want to see on the C1, a material, a part, a way to break it, tell me in the Discord and I’ll add it to the list.
