New Machine Build- Seeking advice on motor/electronics package

[endgrainguy]

I'm looking to build a router for wood inlay and joinery. I want to use the spindle mostly in a horizontal configuration for mortise and tenon work, and for both half-blind and through dovetails. I have used a Woodworkers Supply Matchmaker (a poor man's JDS MUltirouter) for these purposes, and it works well, but changeover is slow, and template following a little inaccurate in dovetails, making templates is cumbersome, and x travel is too small. Also, I would like to be able to do monogram inlays in elegant cursive scripts on jewelry boxes I make for my livelihood. (See www.alladd.com). The inlay work would be done with the spindle in a standard CNC configuration. I plan to have two router mounts, so I would change the position by releasing and reclamping the router, probably a 12 or 13 amp router.
I bought a heavily built x-y table made with THK rails and trucks. It has a 40" long axis mounted on an aluminum plate 5/8" thick and 8" wide. The plate that travels on that axis is 1/2" thick, 5" x 11", and the plate riding on its 11" long rails is 5/8 thick, 6" x 16". My plan is to mount this vertically, above a table providing me my Y axis movement (about 15" of travel for that.) The 11" rail would give me about 5 inches of z travel. The xy table included a nice THK ballscrew and nut for the long axis travel. So I need to build my y travel axis and workholding table, and come up with ballscrews for y and z travel. I have some 3/4 " Thompson SPB-12-ADJ and rails for the basis of that.
And then there's the rest of the project, about which I know very little.
So my question, after this long introduction, is what is the best suitable package or supplier of stepper or servo motors and electronics, controller, etc, and software that will minimize my learning curve, and make matching components as close as possible to plug and play. I have no CNC experience, or even CAD experience, though I've worked some in Photoshop, and built my web-site, so I'm comfortable using PC's. I need tolerances for the whole project suitable to producing high quality inlays. I realize this is an ambitious project. No commercial router I can afford seems. to really have the specs I'm looking for. Thanks for your advice on this!

[CarveOne]

Just make sure that the control board has open and short circuit protection for the driver chips. Not many of the lower cost boards have that. Gecko drives G203V are pretty rugged if you are going to use steppers.

Your website has some really interesting things to look at. Extremely nice workmanship and designs. I really like the exotic woods.

CarveOne

[pminmo]

You can't go wrong using Gecko's, especially the G203's. I was at the local "thewoodworkingshows" (http://www.thewoodworkingshows.com/) this weekend and came across a little high speed spindle that might be just what your looking for. When I say high speed I mean 500,000 rpm! Powercrafter at www.powerairtool.com It makes you think in a whole new light about cutting speeds! I was amazed at how by hand you could control it and with fine detail and tiny cutters..... Thought it might be perfect for inlay.

[rodjava]

If you are looking for a complete plug and go system from the "ball screws" out, then check out http://candcnc.com/

They have several packages which include "with and without motors".

I assume that your table has everything except the motors and the electronics.

Rod