advice for newbie

we are a very small cabinet shop but for some reason do a lot of jobs outside our means. I would like to build a cnc to help with the cut out (currently it is all on a powermatic 66 and a minimax slider). Our needs are pretty basic. We cut out panels to edgeband, which receive a 9/32 groove for the back, a line bore of 5mm holes for shelves, a pilot hole for hinges and drawer guides, and dowels or screw holes for assembly. We also cut some curves for reception counter walls.

Let's put us in the minimal category for tech, but many friends that have some knowledge. We have looked at cncrp for kits, but are at a quagmire as to accomplish what we need. I believe the 9/32 grove could be done with the 5 mm boring bit, but then there is the small pilot hole for hinges and guides. Is it not cost effective to add a second head for the pilot holes or is there a better plan.

The other part that baffles me is the vacuum table. The program for cabinet design we use, in the panel optimizer cuts a lot of small parts out (by small rarely smaller than 3/4" x 4" x 9"). I was told the vacuum will suck down right through the mdf and hold a whole sheet down..To me that is crazy. our material size is mostly 49 x 97.

So not wanting to stray to far, do we buy a kit, make our own or go some other direction? Also, not sure it will be helpful but our grandson is on the robotics team at his high school. Sorry if the questions seems rather stupid. Thanks, Don

Hello Don - Being for commercial use you are better off buying a commercial kit or a machine. Designing and building your own is a long journey and it will take time and effort to get things right. You want a job done and you need to buy the tool to get it done. I design and sell kit routers and its months of work to design one, test one then sell them. For someone who has not been through this it could be a year or more to sort. Read some of the build threads. So find a machine that gets your job done and buy it. Peter

How many employees do you have?
How many cabinets do you build in a week?
Any machine that does not have an Automatic Tool Changer is going to be very inefficient, requiring multiple tool changes for each sheet.
At a minimum, I'd recommend a Camaster Panther 4x8 with 5HP ATC spindle. With Vacuum pump, you'd probably be looking at $40,000 or more, depending on options.
https://www.camaster.com/cnc-routers...es-cnc-router/

With a CNC you should be using 5mm holes for hinges and slides.

Will your software do nesting and create CNC code? Or will you need to upgrade your software? Software is key to getting the most out of your machine.

Hello!

I've just acquired a RYE MG2420 router machine with Bosch cc 100 M controller. I am in Ramsgate, Kent, United Kingdom. Where are you located?

I am in Emmett ID USA....