Comments sought on new build: A CNC Router for RC Gliders and Planes

[njhussey]

Guys, I'm now in a quandary as to which direction to go in my build. I'm going to have to have the router in a shed (10' x 8' it's grown since my previous post as I've been looking at how much "useful stuff" I've recently acquired!!) so space will be at a premium. As I'm mostly going to be cutting balsa, 3mm thick ply, the odd bit of plastic and thin Aluminium (for control horns etc.) do I go for a bigger design I've been working on or stick with the original design? The original design gives me 700mm x 300mm cutting which is ample for what I need it for (not thinking of future expansion though) with 1000mm 20mm rails and 16mm ball screws and the new design gives me 995mm x 500mm with 1300mm 20mm rails and 16mm ball screws. I've been considering also mounting the new design vertically to save space (after remembering Jazz mounting his, almost, vertically.) For the original design I've already fabricated the base but seeing as I have access to getting hold of cheap steel through work, fabricating a new frame will not be that hard or costly.

I'd appreciate your thoughts as I'm in two (possibly more) minds....