Four options for an unwilling builder

[Doddy]

Just to pick up on some points...

Hardword or Aluminium.... journal bearings? are you sure?

Journal bearings at the accuracy that you're looking at (3 micron) is a job for a rigid lathe and toolpost grinder, not to mention the surface finish. You'd blow your budget just buying a ball screw that supports that accuracy for a mill/router.

Keytop engraving?, that's a completely different use case, and you now need a bed of 17x17?, and with 0.2mm dia end mill you're looking at a 30k-100k spindle - sounds like a very different machine.

Option 3 - you're not going to get a mill with 400x300 that fits in a small work surface with bed travel of this size.


Question if you're looking at the right machine for your use case. And whether you're really looking at one machine.