New build with recycled parts on a ridiculous budget 120cm*60cm work area

[Desertboy]

I've used and abused my big evolution sliding mitre saw over the last couple of years and it's still trucking, I've been very happy with the value for money. It's a little... agricultural... certainly not a precision tool and despite my best efforts I've never been able to completely square it up but it chomps through everything I throw at it, and I use it a lot for chopping up 20mm alu plate but have cut paving slabs, stone tiles, steel, alu, PVC pipe, copious amounts of wood. it's never complained!

Build is looking good!

The saw bit is great on my evolution it's the table bit that's crap lol, I to cut 20mm aluminium plate on my table saw and the table saw still has it's original blade. The mitre blade is the one I blunted trying to cut SBR but guess that's hardened. Screwfix sell evolution copy blades for ~£10 each they're pretty good.

Never could get my mitre square either lol.

I should chop the end of the Hiwin's to make it flush but it feels a sin to chop 20cm off original Hiwin's and if I swap the gantry round the shortest way and buy new ballscrews I can get another 10cm of travel out of it.

I already know if I keep this for any length of time will change the ballscrews to 2510's and swap the gantry round.

I tried to increase the chances of making a reasonable machine by outsourcing the manufacturing which I think was the best decision I made in my life lol. All I have to do is get the cad right ;)


I've already made 2 mistakes lol, I missed a counterbore but this is a non issue I can sort myself, one of the ballnut recesses is not long enough this is more of an issue but think we might solve it with a hand router and a jig.