DIY Machine to Build?

I am a novice on CNC matters,My hope is to build a CNC Machine for 3D Wood Engraving.The problem is there is so much Info on these matters,it's giving me a sore head ha ha,Seriously ,I want too buy good parts every month,it's the only way I could afford a good spec machine. I am looking a work area of 600x400mm,High precision, Repeatability accurate, Software, probably Aspire pro. Could some Lady or Gentleman, kindly put me in the direction of a good source or links,of 1, What machine to build? 2,What and Where to buy the parts? That is all I want, someone to kindly show me the ropes,because I just seems to be going around in circles, and it's dishearting. I was going to buy a Chinese Machine( because of the cheap price) but could prove costly in the long run? Kindly help me out please.

Yours Kindly Paul

Paul, best thing to do is have a read through the build logs, this will give you a good idea what people are building machines for & give you some ideas about the best way to design your machine. It's hard to point people in the right direction for anything without knowing what the machine is wanted for, ie do you have a specific purpose in mind & what sort of materials do you want to be able to cut.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by martin54

Paul, best thing to do is have a read through the build logs, this will give you a good idea what people are building machines for & give you some ideas about the best way to design your machine. It's hard to point people in the right direction for anything without knowing what the machine is wanted for, ie do you have a specific purpose in mind & what sort of materials do you want to be able to cut.

---

Thanks, The materials I would be using are Soft Woods, Some Hard Woods ,MDF Based Materials etc. I want to do Etchings on wood, ,3 Axis will do, I just want to put the best into the machine,so that there is high accuracy repeatability, Foot Print,for now, 600x400.The Plan of the machine, I would like to be constructed in a manner, that in the further, I could extend its work area? And use the existing main parts,Have you and Model of Machine in mind.

Yours Kindly Paul

People tend to build their own machines from scratch rather than buying a particular machine which is why I suggested having a read through the build logs. If it is designed in the right way then you could add a 4th axis at a latter date if required. Not so sure about using all the other main parts though, motors & drivers shouldn't be a problem but re using the linear rails & ballscrews wouldn't really be an option. If your increased table size were limited to the original length then those rails & ballscrews could be used again but the shorter ones would probably need to be used on another project or sold on.