ShopSabre RC4
Key Specifications
Rapid Traverse
Repeatability
machine dimensions
cutting area
z clearance
z axis travel
How much does the ShopSabre RC4 cost?
Price estimate
We do not have a price for the ShopSabre RC4 that we can stand behind, so we show no number. Configuration, options and installation move the final price a long way: a quote is the reliable figure.
Overview
The ShopSabre RC4 is the smallest floor-standing router in ShopSabre's entry-level RC Series: a welded steel, six-leg machine with a 51 x 49 in (1,295 x 1,245 mm) cut area and a footprint of 79 x 68 x 69 in (2,007 x 1,727 x 1,753 mm). It takes a half sheet, or a 4x4 panel with a little margin on each side, in a space not much bigger than a workbench with walking room.
Unlike the series above it, the RC drives X and Y by rack and pinion, using ShopSabre's inverted Floating Drive arrangement with closed-loop motors and planetary gears. Only Z has a ball screw. Rapid speed is 1,500 ipm (38.1 m/min) and positional repeatability is +/- 0.002 in (0.051 mm), against the +/- 0.001 in that ShopSabre lists for the ball screw PRO 404. ShopSabre says plainly that the RC suits hobby use, lower-accuracy applications and low-production shops.
Z travel is 9 in (229 mm) under an 8 in (203 mm) gantry clearance. That is generous for a machine this size and leaves room for a rotary axis or tall carving blanks. All axes run on 25 mm linear guide rails.
ShopSabre's Well Equipped package for the RC lists a 3 kW (4 hp) HSD spindle with an 18,000 rpm maximum and ER25 collets, on a surfaced MDF tabletop with T-slots. The machine ships fully assembled. If a tool changer is fitted, overall height grows to 78 in (1,981 mm), which matters under a low garage door or mezzanine.
Full Specifications
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Machine Dimensions | 79 x 68 x 69 in (2,007 x 1,727 x 1,753 mm); height with tool changer 78 in (1,981 mm) |
| Cutting Area | 51 x 49 in (1,295 x 1,245 mm) |
| Z Clearance | 8 in (203 mm) |
| Z Axis Travel | 9 in (229 mm) |
| Rapid Traverse Rate | 1,500 ipm (38.1 m/min) standard |
| Repeatability | +/- 0.002 in (0.051 mm) |
| Drive Motors | Closed Loop Motors with Planetary Gears |
| Drive System | Ball screw Z-axis with planetary drives; rack-and-pinion X and Y axes with ShopSabre Floating Drive Technology |
| CNC Control | Ethernet/network-ready machine controller with at-machine PC and Windows OS |
| Linear Guides | 25 mm linear guide rails and bearings on all axes |
| Software | Vectric VCarve PRO CAD/CAM software license |
| Dust Port | 4 in (102 mm) |
| Well Equipped Spindle | 3 kW (4 hp) HSD spindle, 18,000 rpm max, ER25 collet system |
| Well Equipped Tabletop | Surfaced MDF tabletop with T-slots for material clamping |
Specifications sourced from shopsabre.com — verified 2026-10-05
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- Compact footprint of 79 x 68 x 69 in (2,007 x 1,727 x 1,753 mm) with a 51 x 49 in (1,295 x 1,245 mm) cut area
- Welded one-piece steel frame on six legs, with a structural steel tube gantry
- 9 in (229 mm) of Z travel and 8 in (203 mm) of gantry clearance on the smallest RC
- Closed-loop motors with encoders and planetary gear drives, at a 1,500 ipm (38.1 m/min) rapid speed
- Ships fully assembled, with Vectric VCarve PRO software and an at-machine PC
Limitations
- Cannot take a full 4x8 sheet; the long axis is 49 in (1,245 mm)
- X and Y are rack-and-pinion driven, and repeatability is +/- 0.002 in (0.051 mm)
- The standard tabletop is MDF; phenolic and hybrid vacuum tops are options
- ShopSabre's table gives no machine weight or electrical requirement for the RC4
Best For
Frequently Asked Questions
01
The cut area is 51 x 49 in (1,295 x 1,245 mm). A 4x4 panel fits with margin for clamps, and a full sheet has to be cut down first. The RC8 keeps the same 51 in width and extends the long axis to 97 in for whole 4x8 sheets.
02
Only on Z. The X and Y axes use rack and pinion with ShopSabre's Floating Drive Technology, driven by closed-loop motors through planetary gears. ShopSabre directs buyers who need higher accuracy or production duty to its ball screw machines.
03
The Well Equipped package lists a 3 kW (4 hp) HSD spindle with an 18,000 rpm maximum and an ER25 collet system, and says further spindle upgrades are available. ShopSabre's feature list for the series also names a 2.2 hp air-cooled spindle with ER25 collets, so confirm which spindle is on the quote.
04
The machine itself measures 79 x 68 x 69 in (2,007 x 1,727 x 1,753 mm). With a tool changer the height becomes 78 in (1,981 mm). Add room to load material and to reach the machine-mounted control box, and allow for a dust collector on the 4 in (102 mm) dust port.
