Hi Gents, guess it's time to show what I have been up to. But first, a little history...
I started into the machinist trade back in 1995. I was never involved in any CNC work however, all manual. Lathe, mill, drill, brake. Did that for a few years, and then switched over to mechanical repair work (Heavy duty mech). I always hated standing in front of a machine and building 300 of something. I didn't mind making one or two of something, just the multiple part machining bothered me. Working at a sawmill, they paid by the hour, and they had the machines, so my employer would get me to make the parts. Back then I had no idea that CNC equipment could be possible to make in your own workshop. Hell, I didnt even know it was possible until October 2011.
Anyways, fast forward a few years. After getting out of a service truck working in the natural gas industy, and into a product support role (more free time at home), I found this site and was floored. Some of you guys (and gals) have been tinkering for years!! Anyways, I started building a JGRO back in October 2011. Bought some good parts, some bad parts, and some parts still yet to be used :nono: But in the end, I had a functioning piece of equipment that DID respond to computer inputs.
I know I havent been very active in posting on the board, and spent most of my time lurking, but hopefully that will change now that the new machine is built. I want to thank everyone that provided answers to my questions, and will try helping those that need advice.
The second machine that I have built is made from 1/8" steel tubing, the rails are 2"x4" and sit on a bed (4) of 1.5"x1.5" tubing. Cutting area is 48"x26". Most of the parts are from CNC router parts (Ahren), which is a GREAT place to get parts from. I am in Canada, and some of the shipping was slow, but that was to be expected. I built the acrylic dust shoe myself, from a few pics on the board. I had a hard time finding any dust broom, so I cut up 4 paintbrushes (3" wide) and glued them into a 1/8" pocket on the bottom side of the shoe. It didnt take too long to get it all fixed up, and I think it looks good too. It works GREAT! No more dust all over the shop.
Anyways, thanks to everyone on the forum! :banana: