Originally Posted by
Jester966
Thanks for the tips.
I'll have access to a large machine shop (with both manual and CNC machines) in the summer, so I should be able to machine most, if not all, of the structural components I need. Until then, I want to work out any kinks in the design, and collect all the parts that I can't make so I can put dimensions on everything.
Do you think it would be better to just mount the motor on the front with the spindle head as on other bench mills? That would allow me to have a more solid column, with the braces between the front and back rails going around the column rather than through it. The only concern I had with that idea is can the rails and blocks support all that weight on the front with no counterbalance on the back?
If I can find someone with a welder, I may weld most of the column rather than use bolts for everything, and that should give me a lot more rigidity.