Hi,

The MDF idea has been consigned to the dustbin. I've had a chance to read a few of the threads around here (the FAQ's are good) and it's clear that metal is the way forward. The question now really comes down to steel box section or aluminium profile. I can't weld and don't know anyone that can so aluminium profile is tempting but steel box is so much cheaper. Is bolting the frame together a viable route or would it just result in an incredibly inaccurate machine?

In my minds eye see myself machining sheet materials, I can't imagine that I would be working with wood over 50mm in the Z direction. Certainly the machine I had in mind was of a gantry design.

Andy, yes I'm the same Wobblycogs from UKWorkshop. I know what you mean about getting totally consumed by CNC. Now that I've finally decided to actually build a machine I find myself wandering back here every five minutes to read another thread. I'm wishing I'd done an engineering degree though :-).