Hardwood CNC from wood on a budget, Possible?

[Hopey]

I'm loving these ideas. I use to look after our water ski racing boat years ago so I can work with epoxy I've even seen boats made from balsa wood, epoxy and glass fibre. I could be tempted to do an interesting build from unusual materials another day. Keep these ideas coming my imaginations going wild here.

Eddy' did you find any drawbacks in rigidity across the y axis with your open ended design? I was thinking it had to be a box type design but you have 100x50 box section on the X axis and nothing at the ends on the Y axis. I like this idea!

[Ger21]

I think it's the same with these wooden machines, most I see are in the US and not subject to UK atmospheric changes.

Here in Michigan, we're surrounded by water, so we can get very high humidity in the summer, and very dry and cold winters. I have a wood machine, and it's 11 years old. It's no different than the day I built it. As Sven said, you just need to seal it properly. The problem with 99% of wood machines, is that they rarely get sealed and finished properly, and are usually poorly engineered to start with.

I'm currently working on a 4x8 dual spindle wooden machine. It's very complex, with lot's of laminated materials, bonded in phenolic for rail mounting surfaces (cnc machined straight and flat), and lots of aluminum for mounting surfaces (motors and drivetrain components) and brackets. And lots of epoxy.
It's a lot more work then building with steel, but I find it easier and far more enjoyable than working with steel. But it definitely takes a lot longer, and requires a lot more thought when designing.
You can easily weld two pieces of steel together at a 90° angle, and get a very strong joint. Try to do the same with wood, and it's much more difficult, and will almost always be a weaker joint.

[JAZZCNC]

Wow slow down lady's no one actually said it wasn't possible to build a good router from wood.!!

I personally said wood and inparticular MDF is not a good material for a CNC machine which it isn't.. . Period.!. . . . . HASS build routers and Mills but they don't make them from MDF or Wood do they.!! . . . I never said it wasn't possible and having worked with wood all my life I know it's possible but I also know it's far from ideal and much much more work than steel.
Also carry's with it a much higher potential for failure and dissapointment even for someone compleltely used to working with wood and tooled up.

Ger is correct that most Wood based routers fail because of poor engineering or design. Often they are also compromised by the type or quality of components used and most that take the Wood route do so for budget reasons so use inferior components which just greatly compounds the issue.!
I've seen many 1000's of good builds from steel/aluminium but I've seen relatively few Good successful Wood builds.!! . . . . . For sure This doesn't mean they are not being built from wood just that they rarely last very long or are successful so don't get seen.!