[Devastator]

I had first designed this router as a 8020 machine, however the $3k+ material cost quickly changed my mind and direction to wood. This will be a hobby and small project machine and I just could not justify the cost of the 8020.
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A properly engineered wood machine can be more rigid than 8020 especially if you attach some structural steel in key areas like the gantry to combat twisting. It also dampens vibration much better than 8020. New router mount looks great, you won't regret it.

[plcamp]

A properly engineered wood machine can be more rigid than 8020 especially if you attach some structural steel in key areas like the gantry to combat twisting. It also dampens vibration much better than 8020. New router mount looks great, you won't regret it.

Thanks, the router mount was an easy change and I was actually thinking of putting a 2" x 2" piece of steel channel on the inside of the gantry.

[Devastator]

Thanks, the router mount was an easy change and I was actually thinking of putting a 2" x 2" piece of steel channel on the inside of the gantry.

That would be a good idea. I'm designing a 48"X 48" machine in my head to replace my 24" X 48" and the machine I end up building will be about three times as bulky as your design. If I were you, I'd double the thickness of the L uprights, center the Y leadscrew on that axis, seriously beef up the motor mounts/bearing mounts on the X. Cantilevering them out there like that will require the use of steel IMO. Otherwise when it changes direction, those mounts will flex. Also, if you could tie them together on the outboard side of each leadscrew that will help, because when you preload the screw to take out backlash, those cantilevered plates will have a tendency to pull inwards. Wood just ain't gonna cut it there without a redesign IMO. If you could change the L uprights to triangles, that would help too.

And making the gantry beam one solid block of wood (laminated beam) or a torsion box.........I'm going with solid on my design. With wood think beefy....Like this:http://www.cnczone.com/forums/cnc-wo...tarted-40.html One of the better "non metal" builds.

[plcamp]

Work schedule has been a bear, but I have been slowly making progress on my router. The base has been primed and the sub-assemblies are completed ready for prime and finish color. I still have a couple of tweaks to make but they are not show stoppers and the attached pics detail my progress to date. BTW the assembly in the picture of the almost finished router now requires my 2-ton floor jack to pick it up for placement on the moving dollies which will be removed when I move it into it's designated space. I will get a final weight when I have the Acme rods, motors and other miscellaneous hardware mounted, it's not a light weight by any means.