Quote Originally Posted by Joe View Post
In your experience do you think that a budget of £1000 is realistic for roughly a 800mm x 500mm x 200mm machine?? I understand this is a hard question as it all depends on the quality off the parts you buy, but for arguments sake say somewhere in the middle.
Ermmm without seeing design or intended components it's hard to say but £1500 would be a more realistic figure but with some carefull buying/scrounging/stealing. for a steel frame based machine using supported round rail and chinese ballscrews then it's just about do-able but you'll have absolutely no room for error in the design.!!

Quote Originally Posted by Joe View Post
With regards to the spindle I have seen the water cooled type and I am considering buying one, do you think that something like this would be ok for cutting aluminum? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WATER-COOL...item20c0103824
Yes thats exactly the same type of spindle I use and recommend. For the money they simply can't be beat.
They eat aluminium for breakfast and will happly cut it for days none stop with just a simple cooling setup(sub Pump in 25ltr drum), I've had mine cut non stop for 34hrs and still only be mildly above warm and no where near hot.
They are very quite compared to a router and power wise they blind even the highest powered routers which can't really hold a candle to them. They are flexible regards tool size with collets from 1mm to 13mm with far superior runout to routers. If you look on the forum you'll see pics of the aztec calender I cut and here is a vid showing the detail and thats just using a 90deg spot drill.!! . . . Far finer detail is possible with proper engraving bits.!!. . http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjDvimSdH8M&feature=plcp

They do have a one draw back and that is the minimum 5000rpm speed, go below this and the torque drops away very quick and not really usable so they don't lend them selfs to drilling using large drill bits.!! . . . I get round this by simply pocketing large holes.!