I had a few months off this winter between jobs and I decided to design and build my own CNC router. I have wanted to build one of these machines for the last 6 years but regular work and life in general just kept getting in the way.
I started the design work just before Christmas and had everything fabricated, machined, ordered, delivered and built by the end of February. I have attached various pics showing some of the CAD design as well as pictures of the completed completed machine.
I designed the gantry to give me 49" x 49" x 7" of travel. I figured this would give me the ability to cut around 4' x 4' sheets and to also work with MDF which normally comes in a 49" width anyways.
I sourced my steppers and drives from China. The ballscrews and linear bearings came from China as well. I wasn't happy with the quality of the stepper drives so I ended up sourcing 4 new ones for Geckodrives in California.
I bought one of those 2.2kw water cooled Chinese spindle motors and inverters and I must say that I am very pleased with it. It is so quiet and cool when running.
Anyways, I hope you enjoy the pics and feel free to ask any questions. Thanks!