Thank you Brett,
For anyone who is interested to know I first started dreaming about this project 4-5 years ago. After 2 years of research and being inspired by other diy machines I saw on the net I started saving my pennies. Seemed to me most (but not all) of what I saw was put together by folks who were strong on computers & electronics but mechanical skills,not so much.Yet the work they were getting done with their machines was amazing although the machines themselves looked a little on the crude side to me.
I'm kinda the opposite myself, I've been building & fixing mechanical things since I was a 10 year old with a go-cart. Wrench turning mechanic, welder, fabricator, amateur machinist,electrical work, but computers & electronics,not so much.
I bought my first parts,(the drives & motors) a little over 2 years ago and have been gathering new & used parts from all over the world ever since,(e-bay & the net). Finally had enough pieces collected that about 7-8 months ago I told myself it was time to see if I was up to the task at hand and started building.The aluminum extrusion stock was purchased used & I've done all the machining myself. All the gussets, angles, even the T nuts I machined in my small cluttered backyard shop after work & on weekends. I still have a long way to go & time & energy is limited. I'm hoping if I'm lucky I may have a machine to play with in another 6-8 months. I'm excited to have it done but I make a living working on filthy junk (poor people have poor ways) and this machine is going to be MY machine ,built by ME & I'm going to take as much time as I need to end up with something I can be proud of.
So for the rest of you who might be dreaming about it, JUST DO IT ! Ya ain't gonna get started no younger!
Rick