DIY Build of Aluminium CNC Wood Router without Workshop & Tools

[WandrinAndy]

In my journey so far, you lot... you know who you are... have already warped my thinking to such an extent... thank Thor... that for now I intend using the following components/concepts:

- 20mm supported-rail on X
- 20mm profile-rail on Y,Z
- RM1610 ballscrews on X,Y,Z
- Gear+Belt drive on X and Y, and suppose this may well be used on Z as well... in for a penny.... but this aspect probably worries me more than anything else!

I am now feeling very comfortable with SKP/SketchUp, and how I wish I had used such a tool when designing the odd thing in the past!

I'm starting to make good progress with the design... I think... so have included two SKP pics of my design so far for feedback.

The structure is mostly to be formed out of 6"x2"x3/8" aluminium angle which the Aluminium Warehouse website converts to 152.4x50.8x9.53 mm but let's call it 152x51x9.5 which is what I used in SKP. There are two other materials used so far:

- Blue = 100x50x5 rectangular tube
- Yellow = 45x45 extrusion from KJN

More research is needed before I complete the drive for the X and Y, and do the Y-carriage and the entire Z axis.

Am trying to do the build with standard components, but already need a ballscrew-mounting for Y to be machined and think more will come out of the design of the Y-carriage and Z.

The ballscrew lengths... between bearing blocks... are about 1060 on X and 707 on Y.

When I move on from the touring caravan in the future, this machine will be mounted on a rigid frame with an adjustable bed, so the obviously limited depth below the cutting point is temporary to allow me to get to grips with getting the thing working. Bracing the base of the frame... particularly behind the cutting point is still to be included in my SKP pics.

Please "holler" about the problems... I'm that thickskinned that I cannot recall ever having taken offence at anything!

Thanks,

PS. Is 5mm aluminium sufficiently thick to make a M6/M8 tapped thread reasonably strong?