PCB Mill < $6,000

[Rhodan]

I'm in the market for a PCB router to do DIP and SOIC boards (low speed digital and analog, no RF stuff) and I'm wondering what might be available out there for $6000 and under for a complete package. Anyone have any suggestions?

I checked www.pcbprototyping.com and t-tech, those machines are out of my price range (I could get the M7 but then no money would be left AT ALL for anything else).

[DennisCNC]

Did you think about building one? With a 6K you can have your self a very very nice machine. Even if you had a local machine shop machine a lot of parts for the router.

[Rhodan]

That was my original intent but between a hand injury and lack of time building my own from scratch with hand-tools just isn't practicle.

I just ordered a K2 2514 (Forum advertising works!) with a few bells and whistles along with Rhino/VisualMill/Mach3 which should arrive in January sometime.

If I find the 2514 just cannot do the PCBs I can always use it to make a smaller machine specifically for that purpose - I still need the bigger one for enclosures and model making - maybe make some money on the side cutting parts etc, though I cannot see why it wouldn't be capable of 10 mil traces and DIP/SOIC pads. I'll be trying a V-bit first and just be real careful in choosing the copper clad boards I mill.