Seek advice on which small quality router to buy/build ...

[Clive S]

- A likely constraint is price - I hope to find a router/a router build which can be bought/built - I assume most likely built (?) - at no more than GBP 500 ... (may e.g. comprise a just reasonable spindle & controllers for a start - but a router structure that is worth improving upon)

- I can do metal & wood work myself and have/may have access to a metal/wood workshop if needed. However, a constraint is time and I probably have no more than ~ 60 hours to do what is needed e.g. to build a router, if this is the feasible path to take.

I think that you have left a few zero's off here.

[njhussey]

Hmm I'm afraid that for a budget of only £500 all you're looking at are the el-cheapo eBay Chinese 3020 machines which do not fulfill any of your criteria.

The simple answer is to get something that does what you want it to then you're looking at £2000 (minimum) plus for a DIY build doing it yourself, ready built then you can at least treble that.

Sorry for no better answer.

[evalon]

Hi Neil & Steve,

Well, thanks for replying although your reply is not in the direction I was hoping for ... However, wouldn't it be possible to do something like a smaller OX build or Shapeoko at this price-point? Something with an altogether sturdier frame - maybe with steppers & controllers like these:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2819021550...c=1&rmvSB=true

a suitable (not expensive) spindle to start out with, good & solid sliding parts (rails), maybe buying some used parts (the spindle?), and maybe modifying the controllers to be more solid ... Something like this maybe ...

http://www.openbuilds.com/builds/lin...machines.1771/

If you believe it cannot be done with the above thoughts in mind - can you say where am I most off in my thinking about this relative to your experience? Doesn't it help that it's a relatively small router I'm considering ...

Cheers & thanks,

Jesper

[paulus.v]

You already have the motor kit at 150£.
Now search for the rails, at least the supported round rails (or hiwin rails if you want to cut metal with precision). Add 6 rails at your desired length plus 12 linear bearings.
Add 3 screws with nuts, ens support and coupling. If you want precision look at the ballscrews instead of the trapezoidal ones.
Add the cheapest spindle you can find, some sensors or switches, relays and of course all the cables.

If you still are under 500£, which I really doubt, add some aluminium or steel as the other components cannot levitate.

[JAZZCNC]

Hi Jesper,

The guys are not joking and very experienced so listen other wise all your going to do is waste £500.

What you want isn't remotely possibly with £500 and even Neils £2000 is on the low side now for this country with £/$ being messed up. (Hopefully when Mrs Prime minster is finished blowing trump.!. . . .Opp's meant blowing UK trumpet this may change.!! . . .And pigs fly.!!)

So I strongly suggest you start saving and don't even set off down the cheap route because it NEVER works.!

[evalon]

Hi JAZZCNC & paulus.v,

Thank you both for replying ... Some comments below ...

@paulus.v: Honestly I'm a bit unsure of how to reply to your post ... I reckon what you write may be good advice, however, wonder if you are joking or my English is just not good enough to understand what you are saying about levitating .. ?? "If you still are under 500£, which I really doubt, add some aluminium or steel as the other components cannot levitate. ..." Anyway, as I wrote in #1 I am looking either for a "known good" buy or build because I am mainly interested in using the router and I don't have time to design & build one from scratch.

@JAZZCNC: I appreciate your comment, and just for the record I do strive to listen to what people write as a feedback. And (edit) I have no doubt that people here are competent ...

However, mainly coming from the electronics world, I know that components that are not the latest component type may typically be bought at a fraction (can be 1/5th or even lower) of their original price. Often these components are as good, sometimes even better, or not much worse than the latest components. To me buying such components makes sense both from an economical & environmental point of view: They are not just wasted but may be put to good use. I reckon that something similar may be the case with CNC router components: That maybe a close-to-"the new best" machine/components etc. may be bought at a somewhat lower price and isn't just not used/discarded. It may also be a good second hand deal (and to me it's actually important that a buy/sell is fair both ways), a group buy/crowdfunding (where I reckon the individual components gets somewhat lower priced) or the like.

Second, reading a bit into CNC machine design (here I do mean a bit but nevertheless) "precision & accuracy" seem to be key words. I also note that some controllers are considered "good, fine, excellent", e.g. the G540 I think it's called, whereas typically the Chinese controllers are not well regarded. A comment here: I reckon one of the key aspects of a controller is that it is capable of precisely steering (or controlling) the step motor (including all the weight and moving parts) to be at any particular position at any given time. This again may be a consequence of No. of steps (or micro-steps), torque, ability to "stop", the mass of the moving system etc. ... Something which in my experience - again coming from the electronics world - may require a very solid/rigid/boosted power supply so that when mass/weight is really to be moved, or stopped, the controller is actually capable of supplying e.g. the current needed. Something which in some cases can be obtained through modifying a component. No doubt there are other factors as well and a design may of course be subpar - something which modifications cannot really change.

Third, I'm new to CNC, and would like to start up without investing what to me is quite some (£2000), while still being able to learn ... Something which for me is most, most easily done when I have the object of learning close by. This also means that if I start saving to buy a £2000 CNC I may not be able to start learning for some months which I'd rather avoid, if possible.

Thus my reason to write in #1 that what I may be looking for

(may e.g. comprise a just reasonable spindle & controllers for a start - but a router structure that is worth improving upon)

... And with this in mind I'd like to stress that I'm actually not considering this

and don't even set off down the cheap route because it NEVER works.!

... but rather to build/buy a machine at a (i.e. to me) sensible price that allows me to start learning and then subsequently - as I hopefully go along - allows me to upgrade because the basis is fine/upgrade is possible.

If - with the above in mind - a router still is not available at a £500 price point (even with the messed up GBP ) then so be it ... But I'd prefer to keep the option open. And I would appreciate suggestions as to where to look ... To this end I think I'll also post in the WTB section of the forum.

Thanks again for your comments.

Cheers

Jesper

[paulus.v]

Sorry Jesper, it was a joke. As I consider your obstinacy to find a CNC capable of cutting aluminium at £500 + 60h work a joke as well.

Here is a hobby build machine that fits Neils £2000 estimation.