Luke11CNC Build Log ,I'm so naïve

[JAZZCNC]

Luke, What are you using for the bed of your machine?

For mine I was thinking 20mm Aluminium but I'm swaying more towards 10mm or 15mm due to Cost of water cutting

Depending on the frame support centre's on your bed then I wouldn't go less than 15mm.!
If you look at the link below you will see my bed made from 16mm strips with 10mm gaps spaced at 45mm centres and the support beams are spaced approx 400mm centres.
Overall it works great and soon will be upgraded again which hopefully will make it just that bit better. The bed (which is adjustable height) will be removed and a stainless steel box fitted underneath so mild flood coolant can be used and will filter and catch the chips which will be dumped into a collection bin.

If doing again I'd lessen the support beam centres to 300mm and use 20mm strips, that said the 16mm works great just feel 20mm would give it that bit more meat allowing for a longer lasting bed after it as been surfaced a few times. With 16mm the distance from the clamping boltd head to surface determines the amount of usable bed surfacing.
Thou unless some major coding cockup goes on it will be years before that's a problem.!!. . .that said it only took me 2wks before I'd drilled a nice 6 hole ballnut pattern into.
http://www.mycncuk.com/forums/showth...-machine/page8

Edit: The reason I used strips was 2 fold.
1: cost of plate Ali too much wonga
2: Didn't like the thought if a major cock up happened then the whole plate was screwed up, with strips I just replace any that get damaged if I have a brain fart when coding or machine goes on rampage.! It also made slots for T-nuts easy.
( By the way I use the 10mm T-nuts for KJN profile because the drop between the slots and when twisted self lock which means I dont have to have an access point at either end of the bed like you do with STD T-nuts on a mill making clamping anywhere on the bed easy.