Well it's time to get off of my duff after spending many hours of time lurking in the weeds and reading the accounts of many DIY'ers who have preceded me into the realm of the 'home made' CNC router.
I first explored many of the DIY plans available and began thinking this would be a great way to approach the project, however, as I looked closer I noticed aspects that if re-designed would suit my particular needs better. Kudos to the individuals who spent countless hours designing and prototyping their machines, but they just didn't seem quite right for me.
So the first decision to be made was of the fabrication method to used. I explored the T-Slot extrusion bolt together option and concluded that the cost was beyond the scope of this project, after all it's a hobby and not a business venture. So my choice of construction materials will be 3/4" Birch cabinet grade plywood.
The second consideration was just how big the router should be. I wanted it to be larger than many of the turn-key tabletop models available from numerous sources on today's market, but smaller than what I would consider a full out 4x8 production machine. With available floor space and economics in mind I decided that the machine would focus around a 4x4 foot print.
Now the challenge:
1. 4x4 wooden support frame
2. 3/4" plywood 'Y' axis gantry and support
3. 3/4" plywood 'Z' axis
4. NEMA 23 drives
5. 1/2"-10 5 start Acme lead screws
6. 2HP router motor
My design as it stands yields: X-Axis travel of 34"
Y-Axis travel of 44"
Z-Axis travel of 6" This height was chosen to accommodate a future 4th axis rotary.
Simple modifications for both X and Y axis could yield a full 48"x48" work area, however I'm leery of possible rotational 'whip' that could develop with the longer lead screws. A rack & pinion drive would certainly eliminate that potential but at a higher build cost.