Thanks for the reply Zeeflyboy.

Some great info, which is much appreciated and also lots to think about there.

I have been considering a DIY machine but the main issue I have there is that I don't have access machinery to produce the parts. A bit of a chicken-and-egg situation. However I do use Solidworks at work so designing parts isn't an issue. Are there any worthwhile, relatively simple DIY builds that you are aware of?