This topic will be now used to keep you informed of how the build of our CNC from the book "Build Your Own CNC" is progressing.  we would like to thank everyone who gave us suggestions etc about software and programming and Mark, my son is evaluation all the avenues, which will give us the best solution for what we want to do. He has plans to cut out control panels for Sega Arcade Console, which if bought or have made commercially can be very expensive. These consoles are very big and have a 24" VGA CRT screen, the one Mark picked up also has a touch screen overlay.

My projects as mentioned elsewhere, are cutting parts for scratch building scale model ships.  Most of my ship models are over 1.5m in length and fully radio controlled and built to exacting specifications. Previously they have all been labouriously cut out using  electric and hand fret saws and sanding machines to finalise the shapes, especially the hull lines.

Stage One:  Yesterday we obtained a sheet of 8'X4'X3/4" MDF, a clean undamaged sheet with the supplier accurately cutting it into four 4'x2' as the original sheets were 8X4 fine. we did lose 3mm cutting waste.  This is of no consequence, but will be configured into amended measurements when building the gantry.

Watch this space for updates and appropriate photos.

Cheers Dave & Mark.

Hi Dave & Mark,

I look forward to following your build. 

Tweakie.

First thing to be done is to make a machine to make the machine During the week I used an old B&D 7 1/2" circular saw and a scrap piece of Melamine Board and cut a slot with my router, wide enough for the safety guard to operate. Provided it with a new fine toothed Makita Blade, calibrated and did tests to align the saw both vertically and longitudinal

I had some old aluminium spars from a wrecked Garden Umbrella which were the exact length, which I clamped to the board as timber guides.  Measuring the desired width turned out to be the exact measurement required, plus 1mm, whilst running the blade teeth cut slightly over 2mm

Photos below show the end panels and the gantry side panels and a couple of pieces of scrap to make the alignment jig for drilling the holes for the umpteen "cross dowel" nuts and bolts.

Next Step: Chamfer the base board & fit end plates & guide rails
I have had that set square over 50 years! Made in England.