First of all thanks for the reply! I would have included some more info on the original post but didn’t want to drone on too long.
In answer to your questions, the z axis would only need to be around 50mm, at least to start with. It would be mainly for hobby purposes, with an eye on expanding if I found it useful. It would also be great if it could fit on a bench top and budget is pretty tight I’m afraid, ideally around £750 - £1500 mark, but able to stretch a bit if the right machine comes along.
I also would necessarily need a new machine as I know that kind of money won’t buy a lot.
Materials would be mainly wood with a bit of aluminium every now and again.
I also understand that I might be asking a little too much from one machine, and if this is the case I would probably say that laser engraving and wood burning would be my priority.
Hope this gives a bit more clarity, and please try not to laugh. 👍🏻