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View Poll Results: What materials would you prefer?

Voters
107. You may not vote on this poll
  • Build it out of aluminum.

    56 52.34%
  • Build it out of low-carbon steel.

    26 24.30%
  • Use the cheapest materials possible!

    12 11.21%
  • It's out of my price range!

    13 12.15%
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Results 41 to 45 of 45
  1. #41
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Posts
    151
    You mentioned Castings - since you already can create your own templates, you ought to look around your immediate surrounds for a casting job shop here in the 1st world. From my back door alone, I can access 3 different limited run casters within 3 miles.

    Key is to make models of critical parts you want casted, bring em to them as find out what they can produce them for. Many of these job shops also have machining centers as well and can finish the casting to your spec. The price will certainly be higher than CHina but I bet you can beat the shipping cost and turnaround time.

    Within my county, I know of casting shops that work in every metal from scrap aluminum to freshly minted billets of all metals.

    Don't discount castings until you look around first. You might be surprised.


    BMG

  2. #42

    24"x24" Steel router, BIG Bucks!

    I guess I'm still toying with the idea of building a big, all steel unit.



    Low Carbon Blanchard Ground Flat Stock
    Width: 24"
    Thickness: 1/2"
    Length: 24"
    Material: Steel - AISI Type C1018
    MSC # 86057247 | Big Book Page 1759
    Price: $621.83 ea
    Mfr: Made in USA




    After spending all that cash, I would still need to mill the edges square, mill the T-Slots, and drill & c-bore several holes on the perimeter!

    This is a lot of work as a plate like this does tend to get heavy! Ouch!

    Then I need to order the plates to frame our the base, allowing for the mounting of linear slide blocks. Next, order two more plates which will become the sides, along with a plate to connect them. Then I need to make the Y & Z-axis.

    I still don't think people will buy such a machine!
    How would I ship something like that, not cheap I'm sure!

    Widgit
    www.widgitmaster.com
    It's not what you take away, it's what you are left with that counts!

  3. #43
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Posts
    215
    Why not make the base from a small granite surface plate. You can buy them really cheap on eBay. I have done some experiments with them and it is easy to drill them with masonary bits and epoxy in stepped steel inserts from the underside. Flatness shouldn't be a problem! and they will damp vibrations nicely.

  4. #44
    Well, majority Rules!
    So I started another router out of aluminum, its top plate is 24x24 and has a work area of 19x19x9 !
    Here is the post address:
    http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=52420
    www.widgitmaster.com
    It's not what you take away, it's what you are left with that counts!

  5. #45
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Posts
    31
    I can't stand Chinese products they are such poor quality, worryingly though Japan and Taiwan were similar in their early days but now they turn out good stuff especially Japan.
    Is that going to happen with China and they rule the world?

    Taiwan is quite good these days with an affordable price tag. Hiwin and ABBA rails are good both Taiwan.

    I cant think of any Japanese industrial company now that manufactures poor quality, they would sooner jump in front of a train than sell rubbish, there honour and reputation is to be admired.

    I really think England has to get its act together there is no support for industry, we used to have great engineers and our machine tools were very good, we got nothing now (commercially I mean, there are some knowledgeable chaps on the forum and people working in their sheds) but look on ebay at the CNC machines made by English companies, its just a bunch of poorly assembled crap, made of cheap Chinese parts, by lame pen pushers.

    Sorry for the negativeness but I have this on my mind a lot. Maybe the world is just changing.

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