Searching for help, getting a first CNC machine

I am an electrical engineering student from Germany, and I like to build my own devices in my free time. I have only got limited mechanical experience, but I can deal with electronics just fine. I do already own a 3D Printer, but I want to be able to machine other materials in the future as well.
For this purpose I have been looking at mostly entry-grade machines, and have been reading posts here and in other places, but I am effectively stuck. So this is the point where I ask for help.

What I need the machine to do is the following:
- Machine Wooden Parts (For example furniture parts)
- Machine Plastic Parts (Things like Acrylic Plates or plastic enclosures)
- Engrave and cut Aluminium plates (max. 5mm thick, mostly face-plates, for example for keyboards)
- Mill PCBs up to 300mm x 200mm size
- Around 1m x 1m working area

What I would also like it to do:
- Machine Aluminium Blocks, this can be a smaller work area, I would say around about 200mm x 200mm x 200mm

I know that especially for the Aluminium machining and the PCBs, a mill would be better than a router, which would be better suited for the larger wooden parts. The problem is, that my budget for the whole setup caps out at about 2000€.
I have been browsing around the build sections here, trying to take in the information about what beam layout is best, why supported rail are better, etc., but I struggle to come to a conclusion. What would be the best step to take next? As far as I have gathered, a cheap kit, like the eShapeoko, or an MPCNC, is laden with a lot of problems, regarding the belts, rails, and so on. Is my only option to build a machine from scratch? Is it even possible to get a machine that satisfies my needs for the budget I am having? If not, what would I need to spend to get such a machine? Would it be best to get two separate machines, a mill and a router? Would it be an option to convert a mill for the aluminium parts, getting one of the cheaper routers to satisfy my needs with the "softer" materials?
If this is the wrong place to go so in-depth about this questions, I would appreciate if you could point me in the right direction to post this.

Thank you for any help!

Hello and welcome.

If you have the time and the inclination, then definitely build your own..! Have a look at the builds on here and start asking questions / thinking about your own design. Off the top of my head, for what you're wanting to achieve a gantry style router (not dissimilar to mine) using 20mm alu plates and extrusions should serve you well. Go for a twin ball-screw on the axis which drives the gantry (usually the Y) - this introduces a bit of complexity regarding set-up later on, but means that you can dial out any racking/skew. I'll be up-grading mine to a twin-screw on the Y in the not too distant...

Of course, gantry style machines at this size aren't going to be anywhere near as robust as a smaller fixed gantry style machine, but they're OK and will probably be fine for what you're going to be doing (unless you're trying to make hydraulic components for aerospace, which I doubt :) )

Don't buy anything until you're equipped with a grunt approved plan, especially electronics.

It's a great journey, you'll learn a lot (if you listen to the guys on here that know what they're talking about..!) and you'll forever have something to occupy you in your spare time.

Wal.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Wal

Hello and welcome.

If you have the time and the inclination, then definitely build your own..! Have a look at the builds on here and start asking questions / thinking about your own design. Off the top of my head, for what you're wanting to achieve a gantry style router (not dissimilar to mine) using 20mm alu plates and extrusions should serve you well.
[...]

---

Thank you for the tips the kind words!

I had a look at your build, and I must say, that machine looks amazing. By looking through that guide, one of the most basic questions I had, was: how did much it cost in the end (If you don't mind me asking, that is)? I am collecting ideas from various build guides, but what still eludes me, is how to effectively plan and dimension the machine in terms of cost. My budget is the biggest limiting factor for me, after all...
Another question would be, if building a machine like that would be possible without access to a small mill in the first place? From those big plates, to the motor holders and even small brackets for the drag chain, you milled a lot of the pieces. Are there alternatives to that, or would I have to get them made by a third party?
Finally, are there any examples for things you already made on that router?

Of course, there are other questions, like how to drive the dual ballscrew, how to even mount the ballscrew, etc. But for those I will have to take a deeper, more in depth look, on the topics first. I would, however, take any recommendations for which build logs to look at (there are 14 pages after all!).

Cost wise - Hmm... it's difficult to say, as there are probably loads of bits and pieces that I bought and have forgotten about..! But to give you an idea - my HiWin rails and bearing-blocks, ball-screws and bearings/housings came to US$850 including freight (US$200). I paid around UK£200 for my aluminium stock and the aluminium extrusion came to UK£200. The spindle and VFD will cost you somewhere around UK£250. Then you've got pulleys and belts (or direct drive motor mounts), e-chain, power supplies, drivers, motion control boards, a housing to, well, house all the electrics, a PC etc. You're easily looking at £2000...

Yes - having access to metal working equipment and/or someone who can help you with some of that stuff (in my case CliveS - also of this forum) is going to be a massive help. But if you want a bit of inspiration as to what's achievable with some pretty basic gear then check out Joe's build:

http://www.mycncuk.com/threads/4513-3-Axis-CNC-router

Pretty cool. Here's his YT channel:

https://www.youtube.com/user/joerharris/videos

My very first build was a fixed gantry mini-mill type of thing - I had the frame fabricated and got a machine shop to drill the alu plates - in all honesty, with a bit of careful layout I could probably have drilled those myself..! My point is - there's often a clever way of simplifying something (and then getting the machine to make itself a better part once it's up and running..!)

It would be a great help to you if you could find someone local that would show you around their home-built machine - at that moment a lot of stuff falls into place and starts making a bit more sense..!

If you'd like to see some examples of what I've made with my two machines check out my instagram and tumblr links in my signature below.

Wal.