Help choosing a machine and customising it please.

[EllwoodJT]

I'm looking at buying this machine, this is the description...

C-Beam bought from Ooznest. The Dewalt Router D26200(GB) comes included and the stepper motors are 2.8A rated to 175oz. It's a shame to say but sadly it didn't get the use it deserved, especially seeing how its such a nifty machine! Cutting area X&Y 305x280mm and the Z axis has up wards of 160mm travel.

I'm hoping the spec is good enough to work with wood for guitars and turntable plinths etc.
It's up at £400
But I'd need to extend the working area considerably to 1000 x 500. I could maybe compromise a little but if it's possible I'd go slightly bigger.
Many thanks

[bluesking]

I was initially thinking along similar lines for guitar building but I have since decided to build my own: http://www.mycncuk.com/threads/12727-Luthier-CNC?p=108359#post108359

As you already know the C-beam is too small of a working area for guitar necks. The biggest problem with the C-beam for me was that, because it is a fixed gantry, you don't have the option to tile the work (e.g. cut the lower half of the neck, move the stock, then cut the rest). If you want to make a full neck you're going to have to make the machine big enough to do everything in one go.

To make the C-beam bigger you're basically going to have to redesign the whole thing - you're going to have to put a lot extra of money and time into it to do that.

Another option in a similar price range is something like this used OX frame:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/OX-openbuilds-CNC-Router-with-4x-Nema-23-4Nm-Stepper-Motors/192880636458

That will just about cut a whole guitar neck, and you can tile with it, so you could do a bass neck in 2 parts.

If you want something more rigid and ready out the box something like this might be better, if you can up the budget:

https://www.omiocnc.com/products/x8-2200l-usb.html

Or you can obviously build you own, but as I'm finding, that will chip away on your time and money much more.

[AndyUK]

To make the C-beam bigger you're basically going to have to redesign the whole thing - you're going to have to put a lot extra of money and time into it to do that.

Have to agree with this - at the very least you're going to need a new ballscrews on both axis, and new profiles, by which point you've already spent the same again on the machine. Thats not even starting on what you need to do in order to do this job properly - I'd argue your money and time is better spent on a second-hand machine already of the right size and capability.