I'm not going to disagree with Jazz (it ain't worth the effort, anyway ) and I would build any day of the week. You might spend 50% more than one of the Chinese machines, but the end quality, accuracy, and general capability will beat the Chinese hands down. I just wanted to point out that there are alternatives to some of the "based on a clever idea" machines, even though you would still spend time fettling, setting up, and replacing bits to make them work adequately.

I would take Jazz up on his offer, and if you would like to see what can be done with relatively simple kit, take a look at JoeHarris's build log where he has done some excellent machining of aluminium components for his machine using a hand-held router, showing what can be done with limited facilities. You won't find this kind of thing in a book, but it shows what can be done with a bit of care. An inadequate machine is a continual frustration - I was talking to someone a couple of weeks ago who was really pleased with the machine he had just built. "I engraved a dial for a clock," he told me, "and when I engraved the circles around the dial, they very nearly joined up at the end!" A combination of lack of rigidity, guide bearing slack, and backlash, probably. None of which can be easily adjusted out, and which could have been avoided with better design and better components at the outset.

"Spend a little too much on a tool, and you'll have forgotten the fact the first time you use it. Spend too little, and you'll remember it every time you use it"