Comments sought on new build: A CNC Router for RC Gliders and Planes

[njhussey]

Picked up a 2200 x 950 x 10 sheet of second hand (holes in the edges) Aluminium from flebay for the princely sum of £52 the other week.



Finally got round to taking it to a local sheet metalwork shop to get guillotined into smaller peices.



I've now got 5 pieces:

2 off 1000 x 5000 (going to be bolted together and then bolted to the steel base to make the router base, holes don't matter as they'll be out of the cutting area)

2 off 1000 x 450 and 1 off 950 x 205, pieces to get the gantry sides, brackets etc. out of.

Now going to do 2 routers. One is purely for cutting 1000 x 100 balsa sheet and will be a combination of MDF and aluminium. All the items I have so far purchased will be used on this. I will then be able to cut my teeth on this to get used to using the CNC and whilst the machine is hopefully generating some money cutting balsa plane kits I'll be building my other router.

Balsa Router.



The "proper" router will have 3Nm steppers, 80V drivers, 20mm supported rails, 1610 ballscrews belt driven etc. etc. Rough picture below, the 12mm Trapezoidal screws and smaller steppers are still shown here as I've not re-drawn it yet.



If anyone feels so inclined to do so I'd appreciate any feedback, comments etc...