Hey everyone! First of all I wanted to say thanks for the inspiration and information to get this done! I don’t think I could do this without you all.

6 months ago I was fortunate enough to score a like new g0704 with an aftermarket base for all of $600. It had none of the tooling, and was missing anything that might have come from the factory. It had been used to mill plastic based on the chips i found under the ways cover.

My units build date was 2010.

After finishing the remodel on my house, I decided to get after it. I checked that the machine ran OK and other than that didn’t do much inspection or trimming. I figured it was all coming apart anyway.

I did a lot of research on this topic here and elsewhere -

Decisions made already, but always open to input:

-UCCNC control software
-Fusion360 for CAD/CAM
-C76 BOB and UC300ETH control
-Building the control into the bottom flip up panel of a craftsman rolling tool box. Allows me to put my tool holders with tool mounted on a rack in the toolbox, and a PC on top.
-Double ball nut screws
-Moved motor controller to the control box
-TTS tool holders and R8 collet
-Energy chains from Igus on Head and X
-2 3nM hybrid steppers, nema 23, for X and Y. RATTM
-1 8nM Hybrid Steppers, nema 34, for Z. I did this because of the upcoming PDB, sub spindle, and AC motor upgrade.

Things I still need to decide:


-Which CNC kit, Procut, ArizonaVideo, or Automation Tech
-Which coolant mechanism, mist or flood
- How to do the enclosure- I may actually build the unit it’s own room based on a shower stall for chip control and flood coolant recirc


Round two:
-I’ll be machining my own one piece head plate to do a motor mount/belt drive/PDB.
-ATC
-Sliding ways covers
-Head plates for the front and sides