hi all.

just a quick hi to all you like minded souls. Very impressed with this site. Especially keen on the 'show off your work' area.

Software developer by trade, however evening workshop retreater, quite capable in eletronics and am fortunate enought to have a
reasonably equiped workshop the fact I work for an international industrial tool supplier I have no shortage of tooling.

Over the years I have achieved many 'home builds' ive done gas bottle log burners, internal combustion engines, hydraulic log splitters,
go carts, rip saws and no end of classic cars.

I came across the idea of building my own cnc many years ago when I made a plotter.

So in recent months, I have saved / sold begged and borrowed to build up a stash of cash to buy the necessary parts to build a cnc machine.

It seems a common experience that people have an idea in their head, they find this site read some of the existing build threads and then see
how that 'mental image' changes!. Im trying to build something with a workable area of around 1mx1mxabout 300m Id got it all weighed up in my
head and a few sketches on sketchup and I was just about to order. But now im questioning the use of unsupported rails...

What I havent been able to find, is decent recommendations for suppliers for buying this stuff.

I have seen this for example
ebay item:310398333862

from a company called merchant dice

which is like a kit... a kit for three axis.. looks brilliant. but is this good?

I think I can answer my own question. I wish to cut aluminum so therefore, I assume a 1m span of unsupported rail will flex and therefore
this isnt a good idea?

can anybody recommend any places to buy linear kit from? maybe a good place for supported linear rail?

ive got the electronics already... nema 23's

where do you buy aluminum, think its called 'excursion' or 't channel' looks quite a popular material to actually build these machines with
ive looked but with no sucess for a supplier.

Anybody here from Leicester / Rugby / Birmingham way, would be nice to meet up with local like minded souls. none of my mates are / or have
any inclination for this type of thing.

Matt