Hello There. Planning for UK MechMate Build

**Desertboy** · 19-09-2017

If it's going to cost $8000 you might as well buy something like this

https://www.sign-in-china.com/produc...CABEgKOHvD_BwE

Looking at freight shipping to felixstowe it'd be £300 which is very reasonable, then you have import tax and cost of transport from felixstowe maybe cost £6k but it looks a very capable 8*4 router.

**Ger21** · 19-09-2017

Originally Posted by Desertboy

If it's going to cost $8000 you might as well buy something like this

But then you have to spend another $3000 and a few months time to get it usable. :)

**charlieuk** · 20-09-2017

Originally Posted by Ger21

But then you have to spend another $3000 and a few months time to get it usable. :)

and then it will still probably have a twist in the frame and nothing will be trammed so you will have to take it apart and try and figure out how to fix it and that's before starting on redoing the electronics. I battled with some ones china cnc for 6mths over in aus, in the end I gave up trying to fix it and just accepted it for what it was and that you couldn't really do any of any size with any accuracy. I mean when you see holes drilled like this on the spindle mount what can you expect.

Click image for larger version.

Name: IMG_20170309_175453.jpg
Views: 725
Size: 84.4 KB
ID: 22826

**cropwell** · 20-09-2017

Originally Posted by charlieuk

I mean when you see holes drilled like this on the spindle mount what can you expect.

They are to stop you assembling it incorrectly

**charlieuk** · 20-09-2017

Originally Posted by cropwell

They are to stop you assembling it incorrectly

look how fare off they are fare they are off from the scribe! I'm supried they even hit the right bit of metal they were trying to dril!

**Macwood** · 20-09-2017

Hi all, thanks for all your input and sorry for not responding sooner, I have been driving back for my holidays.

So a lot of interesting comments. Which has given me a lot more to think about.

Going with square rails is definitely a consideration. I did look at this some time ago the longest I need is about 3500mm. Is there a specific grade/ standard that I should be looking for?

I leaning more towards steppers for the moment purely because I have done a crap load of research into them, cost and the mechmate site has a lot of support. From what I gather servos are better and upgrading the machine later (when the machine is paying for itself) will probably be on the cards.

With regards to purchasing a Chinese cnc. When I decided I was going to build a CNC It was for a number reasons.
1 By building it I will more control over the precision.
2 I would be able to maintain and upgrade the machine myself.
3 The whole building and commissioning process would stand me good steed in understanding how to operate it.
4 Cost, during the build and in maintenance during the life span of the machine
I could be wrong but I don’t see how a Chinese cnc for under £10K could do that.

I forgot to mention before, on the software front I have been using Sketchup pro for many years, more recently I received a seat and started working with solidworks.
Again because I have no experience with parametric cad software and I intend to use the cnc for flat panel cabinet work and true 3d stuff. Am I looking to two separate types of software for this and also what cam programs that work well with them?
I am committed that I will have to spend a lot of time getting up to speed with these programs, I just want to make sure I choose the most applicable. Any thoughts and advice would be great.

Thank again all for your comments and thoughts.