Hi folks!

So I have no experience making CNC machines, alas that wasnt a part of mechanical engineering when I went to uni, and I am looking to build myself a CNC wood lathe. But because I have lots of ideas for more complex products, and have a bad habit of biting off more than I can chew, I am intending to make it a 4 axis lathe / carving machine. Preferably with laser engraving to boot. The 4th axis can be indexed - I shouldnt need continuous, and I am semi-confident I can figure out the mechanical aspects of the design, plus I have a lot of experience in wood turning. When I comes to the electronics and programming though, I am... more shaky. I'll be doing mostly thin spindles up to 50cm long but want to be able to come in and do bowls and the like as well. Am intending to use Fusion 360 to spit out the code, and CAD is pretty much second nature to me, but I really am clueless when it comes to the electronics and putting it all together into a working package.

- So, this is a big project, and question is - in my shoes, where would you direct your time for research? I am thinking of doing a small, almost toy sized version with 3d printed parts etc just to test out the concepts and get used to it all first, before creating the final build, does that sound reasonable, and how big a project would you say this really is? Like, big or huge?? Any other advice much appreciated!

As a PS, on the mechanical side, when it comes to hitting 3500rpm, being able to turn bowls and goblets, but also being able to do precise c axis movements, I figure I'm going to need a beefy motor and a strong stepper, with only one connected at a time. So each on its own individual bed, moving in and out to connect up with couplers etc. But that seems... very inelegant. Do you know a better way?

Thanks for your time!