Hey folks. First post here. Been soaking up as much as I can on the forum - in preparation for my first experience with Mach3. I'm in the process of putting together a small(ish) gantry style CNC, based around aluminum extrusion and tooling plate. Looking forward to learning the software - and hoping to be able to get some more great info here.
My previous experience has been with a small CNC router built using open source hardware and software. Fun and rewarding, and a great way to learn the ropes, but very frustrating at times. This next machine will have a larger cutting area, be more rigid, and I'm banking on much more solid in the software department. I currently use Solidworks for CAD with the HSMxpress CAM plugin.
Thanks for all the great info you all provide.
Scott