Fixed Gantry Design Question

[RomanLini]

here is my latest render. Still a work in progress. Thanks for all of the input. This machine will have a cutting area of about 28" square. Should I go with nema 23 or nema 34 motors. I plan on using ball scres on all axii

As a suggestion re the machine in your diagram, the thin diagonal struts on the side plates will do almost nothing to increase the rigidity of the sideplates as they are already large "L" shapes.

However those diagonal struts will mean you cannot put any long jobs sideways on the table. I have a small fixed gantry machine and it's nice to be able to put a long piece of stock across the table and work on it, even though the "throat" width of the machine might only be 6 inches that still gives a lot of options for cutting long pieces of wood or signs etc.

I know that was one of the cool and attractive features of your design (sorry!) but based on that last diagram I would lose those thin struts.

[ynnek]

I think you are right. I am redesigning the side plates as we speak. I thin I will add a rotary axis (http://www.cnczone.com/forums/diy-cn..._8_a.html)that can span across the center of the machine. I would rather have the ability to do rotary milling & indexing more that oversized stock.