Thanks for the feedback Sven!
I've been shaping for quite a while. Currently Expanded Polystyrene and Polyethelene. I would also like to be able to shape balsa wood boards.
The machine would need to be able to shape a board up to 12' in length and about 4' in width. This will allow for larger paddleboards and stand up paddleboards.
I would also like to try to incorporate a way to cut my own eps blanks. Possibly with a hotwire. I notice some folks discussing this in other threads.
My main concerns are in the machines accuracy and the softwares ease of use. The machines must finish the board so there is almost no manual work left prior to glassing it. The software has got to be easy enough that I don't have to spend hours programming each board into the computer. Most boards are going to be custom. So, I need to be able to work quick.
This is a really good software on the market.
http://www.shape3d.com/try-buy.htm. But, it's 4,000 Euros. But, building my own machine and using this software might be better than spending 65,000 USD.
The problem is, I don't know where to start. THis would be the first machine I've built.
Your feedback and help is much appreciated.