Where to start ?!?

Looking for some advice, any! Maybe a direction where to look or a particular sub-forum/thread to post on.

My company is expanding and we are looking at getting a Hundegger. Before we make that investment we are looking to get a "table-top" to learn on as well as doing some R&D work.

I have some issues, scale is one. Our timbers are either 8"x8" by 10 ft long or 3"x12" by 12 ft long. I can work with shorter pieces but I want to retain the 8x8 or 3x12 dimensions.

The second issue is always, the cost.

I am a mechanical engineer by degree and haven't done CNC since I graduated 20+ years ago. I haven't done any engineering in a similar time frame.

Advice?

Thanks,
Dave
Shibusa Systems, LLC

I think a lot of the larger table top routers will handle a 3x12, but the 8x8 is going to be an issue without some extensive modification to the Z axis, just not enough travel or clearance on the gantry supports.

I have no experience with the Hundegger machines, but I can see from the pictures and videos that it is nothing like a CNC router and uses proprietary software. Bottom line is I'm not sure how much useful information/experience you would gain with a small CNC router. That Hundegger machine looks to be a 9 or 10 axis machine.

But I have to admit the Hundegger machines are pretty cool. I actually thought about building a machine like that back in my optimizing chop saw days.

I can accept the proprietary software not being the same, we will learn to work around it. I used the term table top because that's what my boss keeps saying... I anticipate this machine being about the size of a dining room table? Just a guess on my end. Whether it teaches us anything or not my boss is pushing me to find one. I'll post a picture of something we would like to do with this machine and regardless of size maybe it will help you help me.

Dave

So we are modeling joints and don't need the full length, but we want to make half laps and the adjoining members to make that Jacks like structure.