Quote Originally Posted by Kitwn View Post
How desperate are you to get the machine up and working for you? That's the real buy v build question since the cost of building an equivalent quality machine, including paying for a decent hobby-grade pillar drill and other tools, will be well below the prices quoted above. You'll need some of those tools for additional work on the parts you make with the router anyway.
Yes you are right - at £4.5k for a proven design, I though UKCNC's kit might stand against a self build with £2.5k parts cost, but at nearer £5.5k and lower spec components in some key areas it does not IF you have the ability to successfully pull off a self-build yourself and have the time. I hope their kit is successful and finds a market but I am still here banging on about self-build.

I guess my theme is that for a home workshop machine, 'MAKE' seems still to be a viable cost effective solution IF you have a suitable, 'worked out in detail, proven' design to follow and the understanding of the processes required. I think this forum champions this and has contributors that help others succeed. HOWEVER inferring from the many build logs that peter out and other discussions here, it appears many new builders grossly underestimate the time and expense that their dreams will require, are over ambitious and the majority FAIL to get from aspiration to using their CNC as a tool in their business or hobby.

As Doddy mentioned - perhaps a MYCNCUK reference design would be a good aspiration. It sort of is hiding in the shadows of many a build log and post here (and has JazzCNC's finger prints all over it). As talk is cheap, I want to resolve a design and approach that works for me before committing any money to my own build, and hope others will benefit from the process. meanwhile I hope someone offers a kit or product that compares favorably to my developed spec, so I don't have to waste my time reinventing the cnc router and get on with process and product development using it in my furniture workshop.