First time build - Steel Frame CNC Router

[examorph]

Dean - Cheers for the advise. I swapped over the carriages for the narrower ones on the x axis and drew up the frame as per the setup you recommended using 4mm external rads on the section. Only thing I added was the box section running along the back (between the two x rail support sections) to let me mount a bearing for the belt onto (same as yours on post #7 here).

Routercnc - Thanks for the great idea, I updated the design with the following adjustments:

• Extending the plate 20mm short of the full bearing plate to keep standard sizes (200mm width x 300 height)
• Instead of being triangular back to the ball mount, I made rectangular cutouts on each side as any other way caused it to clash with the aluminium x axis ball-screw bearing supports and as a result, reduce working area.

I am going to try get access to a mill for this, but if all else fails are there any other options for cutting the steel plates?

Attachment 17424Attachment 17426Attachment 17425Attachment 17427
Gantry weight (just side plates and box section) is coming out at roughly 17.5kg @3mm wall thickness. When put together with Z axis, spindle and motors, will this handle OK with the one 3.1Nm motor on the x Axis?

Also, I checked the z extension using the 25mm tall bed/spoil board and the below image shows the spindle end going slightly into the bed at full extension. Would it be worth changing the 100 x 50 box section under the x axis rails to 120 x 50 or maybe higher?

Attachment 17428