First steps, advice needed

[Wobblycogs]

Thanks for the heads up on Zapp, I've been compiling a list of suppliers and somehow they hadn't found their way on to it.

I was thinking about sizes last night and I realized that my target size was basically a 1/4 sheet (X-axis would probably be closer to 1500 than 1000mm). I'd like to try building a full sheet machine but I don't have that much space, perhaps one day we'll actually build the workshop we've got plans for!

A Z-axis travel of 200mm would be preferable. I dropped the Z-axis travel right down in order to maintain stiffness so that aluminium machining remains an option. Does this make sense?

Edit: I seem to have given the impression that I was just going to rush out and buy stuff. That isn't me at all :-). Everything will be designed in SketchUp first down to the last nut and bolt. I was looking for some supplier advice before getting started with the design so that I know what pieces to draw. With some ringing endorsements of LMB2008 I think I'll probably base my design around pieces I can get from there. I'm planning on going through the build logs again tonight to get some ideas, I've read a few builds so I have a bit of an idea of what I'm looking to build.

Out of interest how long does stuff from LMB2008 normally take to get here? I've got a lot of time off over Christmas and I'd like to get started on this if possible.

Cheers

[WandrinAndy]

A Z-axis travel of 200mm would be preferable. I dropped the Z-axis travel right down in order to maintain stiffness so that aluminium machining remains an option.

Your thinking is spot on in that having the cutting tool as close as possible to the bottom bearing on the Z-axis gives maximum possible stiffness as would be preferable especially for cutting harder materials, but this can still be achieved in a number of ways whilst still having the potential of longer travel... This includes having an adjustable height bed, or simply using some kind of a "box" to raise the workpiece closer to the cutter. And having the bearing blocks spaced as far apart as is practical naturally improves rigidity.

From other peeps posts I have an idea that delivery from LMB2008 takes 1-2 weeks.

Btw, there are a number of CNC machine components available for Sketchup via links in the following thread - http://www.mycncuk.com/forums/cad-ca...ponents-3.html