First of all. Hello. I'm new here.
Hope I'm in the right forum. After logging in get the advice that I should post in the 'Introductions' forum. But I'm a bit thick and can't find it
I'm looking for a first machine. Happy for it to be kit / bolt together rather than turn-key.
I want to work on a fairly large scale 8x4 or 10x5 and in wood I would mostly be profile cutting, with a bit of grooving, rather than full surface modelling.
However, I'm quite keen to be able to use a plasma cutter with the machine as well.
Now I have an appreciation that the two technologies aren't wholly compatible and that you would compromise one function to facilitate the other. But it would be interesting to get others insight in to the pros and cons of a dual function machine and where the compromises lay. If anything I would bias performance towards the wood, expecting to cut steel maybe 5-10% of the time
In cash flow terms, I would also be looking to buy a machine for routing and and plasma cutting capacity later, so machines that take a modular approach would be ideal.
I'm uk based but have been looking at a lot of US made machines, particularly as the exchange rate is quite favourable at present.
So, what are people's thoughts?