CNC Routers?

I guess there is two things to think about on this.

1. Do you have the money to afford a CNC machine?

2. Do you want a machine you made yourself.

For me the awnser here is yes building one is worth it. I doubt my machine will match the speed that a pro made one will but I built it. For me half the fun of having a CNC machine will be the fact I built it.

A person might say that you asked this that maybe you should buy one, me it sounds like a person who just needs a little encourgmanet to take the next step.

I hope I might have helped

It really depends on what you want to use the machine for.

Building a CNC machine can be a lot of fun but unless you are prepared to put a lot of time and effort into it you will be lucky to match the performance of a commercial unit.

People tend to focus on the mechanical aspecs of the unit but there are many other things that have to be considered. Control electronics, software, etc.

When you buy something you usually get all that junk in a form that's tested and supported. When you DIY it that's all up to you.

Its totally possible and a lot of fun to do, but if your more intersted in a well functioning CNC then your better off, in my opinion, buying one.

-- Chris

Excatly, I love to tinker so for me building one is a fun idea. It will never work as well as one as you can buy, I have no illusions to that.

The Shopbot *is* a homemade machine - I don't think there's anywhere you could buy a Shopbot and the plans are free too for you to make one yourself I made my own machine and I learned so much in doing so that I think for that alone I suggest making your own - unless you need "production" - for a hobbyist in the garage - I vote for building your own

So Ben has a nice Shopbot and a homemade CNC, but my question is what method he uses to get the Gcode? 

We're going to discuss this more in our upcoming Q&A episode.

It mostly depends on budget, and how much messing around you're willing to do. I chose ShopBot because it was fairly affordable and comes with ALL the software you need. A complete system, which means less for me to think about.

If you plan on building one I suggest buying the plans from this site:  http://www.joescnc.com/kitsplans.php

With the purchase of the plans, you get access to the forum and a complete bill of materials that provides where to buy each part and prices.  For the 4x4 CNC, you can build it as low as $2500 that can perform as well as a new ShopBot.  There are also resources in the forums for machine upgrades if you are willing to spend more money.  I am currently using the plans as a reference to build a 4x8 bed. 

If you're planning on buying a kit to assemble or something, here's something you can look at.

http://www.mydiycnc.com/complete_kit

These guys were funded using Kickstarter about two months back, and now they're ready with their kits. And you know the best part ? The kits are made using a 'mother CNC machine' which was also built by them.

I suggest doing a lot of research before you start.

I'm in the process of building my 2nd CNC router and the first time it worked... but just not as good as I would have liked.

Now, I'm buying the components that made my first attempt less accurate and/or hard to adjust.

You also need to keep in mind that the bigger the size the larger your wallet needs to be.

My first unit was 36"x24"x6" and made of MDF, Aluminum and skate bearings (www.buildyourcnc.com).

The 2nd unit is using 20mm linear bearings for more controled movement and commercial lead screws.

Although this is a more expensive way of doing this, it will pay off in the end if you plan to use it for more than light use.

I'll be posting my SketchUp plans soon so everyone can take a peek.

Um... nope, they are professionaly made.  Try looking at http://www.shopbottools.com/