>Wal, For a machine that size it looks like a much better and easier route than the moving gantry design.

I wanted to keep things as simple as possible, so opted for 3 semi-autonomous linear stages along with off the shelf parts (like the motor mounts) - all I really had to do was buy the rails/ball-screws (as per the specifications recommended here) and then work out where the holes needed to be to mount 'em... The work area comes out at approx 200x200mm - or 200x300 if I re-position the pillows on the machine table. The footprint is a lot bigger than that - about 800x600 - and the weight of the frame/aluminium/plates/hardware is knocking on 100kg... eek.

>Hi Wal, your pics are looking good. Well done and keep those pics coming. G.

Thanks Geoffrey. I'm a long way off yet, but I hope to get a build thread up. It won't be a diary, more of a 'here's what I did' type thread. Heh. That's if it works..!

Irving, I'm having a bit of trouble visualising the squaring process - no sooner than I get an inkling, another thought comes along and de-rails (pardon the pun) it. I'm gonna have to draw some pictures..!

Wal.