Hello all... Thanks for the invite to UK based CNC forum..

I've recently completed a fairly Large Aluminium frame router (Cut area X,Y,Z = 1.8m x 1.4m x 300mm). 3 1/4 HP (2300 Wat) spindle, fastest cuts to date at rate of 3 metres per minute. Machine cost about 25% of what it would cost to buy a turnkey setup of this type. Was my first/only CNC project and ultimate aim is to adapt it into a machining centre. 3 axis at the moment but I have 3 rotary's waiting to go on there at some point to ramp it up to 6 axis. I designed and built the controller myself.. using motion control drives. I designed the mechanical aspects of the machine myself.. but let's face it it's like meccano.. so it's not exactly difficult. Think there are a lot of myths about CNC and what will and will not work. Proof of the pudding is in the cutting IMHO.. so I'm not much of a theory type. I've got a fairly complete build log up at CNCZone.. including full costings.. which might be of interest/use to people here.


I cut my own designs in wood... with a view to selling wholesale at some point.. but selling direct to public at the moment. Work I do ranges from Lapsteel guitars through to furniture and ride-on toys...will look at some work in Expanded PVCU at some point. I got into CNC through 3D modeling. I've used 3D Studio range of software for well over 10 years. I can make practically anything in 3D Studio.. I use Cut 3D or CNCToolkit to generate GCode.

Will be interesting to see if things take off here. Can be hard to make a forum fly... fingers crossed.

TTFN

Yohudi