Is it possible...

[charlieuk]

you can buy ali extrusion cut to length at no extra cost or cut it on a normal wood chop saw with a tct blade. Good quality wood/ply or mdf is not cheap ether and far harder to get accurate or make adjustments. From just completing my first built I could not see the point in trying wood when the aluminum extrusion to makes life so much easier during the build at very little extra cost on a small build and you will end up with a far better product. like said if you choose the right parts you do not need any metal work experience and can probably do it with just a nice set of drills and a drill press and possibly a chop saw with tct blade and get far more acuracey and easier to upgrade when you want to.

[GoBo]

you can buy ali extrusion cut to length at no extra cost

Thanks, defiantly going to have a look at these. ebay best place to start looking?

[charlieuk]

Thanks, defiantly going to have a look at these. ebay best place to start looking?

kjn aluminium was the best place I found and the cuts were very accurate and square.

[JAZZCNC]

kjn aluminium was the best place I found and the cuts were very accurate and square.

Nah too expensive try Motedis. http://www.motedis.co.uk/shop/index.php

Exactly same stuff and cut to same accurecy but much cheaper, esp the T-nuts etc.
Takes slightly longer to arrive due to being in Germany but not much longer and worth the wait for the savings.

[dazza]

Thanks, defiantly going to have a look at these. ebay best place to start looking?

same as Charlie ;) i doubt very much you would find cheaper the kjn if you went in and seen em with them being local to you,get your gear there n then also.

[JAZZCNC]

Perfectly feasible to build a good machine from wood but not cheaply.! Or easily.

For a Good wood based machine the design needs to be very well engineered and the materials of high quality. MDF just doesn't isn't good enough for this country.

Electronics are the same wood or metal so don't scrimp here.

To be honest if you haven't got metal working tools or skills to weld the frame then I'd encourage you to pay someone to weld it up because it will work out cheaper in the end. Metal is relatively cheap and will cost less than high quality ply woods or man made boards which will be required for any decent machine worth the effort.

Regards the costs, wood or metal then unless your prepared to throw minimum £1000 at it then I'd suggest you leave it alone and save your money. Even at £1k it will be a challenge to build a machine worth the considerable effort required for any decent machine.! . . . . To try and build for less only leads to dissapointment in the end.!

[GoBo]

To be honest if you haven't got metal working tools or skills to weld the frame then I'd encourage you to pay someone to weld it up because it will work out cheaper in the end. Metal is relatively cheap and will cost less than high quality ply woods or man made boards which will be required for any decent machine worth the effort.

Regards the costs, wood or metal then unless your prepared to throw minimum £1000 at it then I'd suggest you leave it alone and save your money. Even at £1k it will be a challenge to build a machine worth the considerable effort required for any decent machine.! . . . . To try and build for less only leads to dissapointment in the end.!

Thanks Jazz. I think this will be version 2 of the machine. But who knows it may have to end up being done this way anyway.