NEW MEMBER: Drag Knife Hobbyist Machine

Hi everybody!

THE PROJECT
My project involves cutting stencils out of painters tape which has been stuck to ply wood. I then paint the plywood and peel the tape revealing a painted design. I have been doing it by hand with a stanley but it is very labour intensive and I have hundreds of boards to do. The max design size is A0 (841 x 1189mm) and min is A4 (210 x 297mm)

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE
I have used adobe illustrator to create vector drawings but have never used a CNC machine or software. I am currently out of my Z depth, so to say. I need score the design out of tape so only need a very minimal cut depth... I have been researching and have decided upon drag knife systems.. perhaps like WorkBee? Looks like the software might be hard to use and expensive... :indecisiveness:

BUDGET
£1000

IMPORTANT FACTORS
I am willing to build a machine but it looks really hard for a hobbyist like myself.
I am working in a loft so I do not want a very heavy machine.
Need software which is easy to translate from Ai files.

George

*UPDATE* After further research, it seems that although this is possible with a CNC, it may be easier to use a flatbed die cutter plotter