Newbie here to ask about what to go for?

[dwarfogre]

Hello all, I'm a newbie to this site. But have surfed around for months.

I love this site, and I'm impressed with all the work here.

Now i made up my mind that i will try to participate in this wonderful hobby!

But I have a lot of questions, even though i have read about nearly all the machines here. It's so much information here, and therefor i have become a bit frustrated trying to decide what kind of machine to build.

I will mostly make wooden things, but also want to make some things out of plastic and aluminum.

My questions is:

What kind of motors to use? Thinkin about Hobbycnc kit, but will it be fast and powerful enough for some bigger projects? It's the cheapest one though?

Should I start with a MDF machine? And after that make another one in aluminum from the first machine? Aluminum is stronger, true?
What should i actually build for best and most accurate performance?

Is the gecko hardware something to get for the first machine or just go for it after i have build the second machine? What will be the most reasonable in price and performance?

I would love some ideas on both Hobbycnc and gecko. Even other products.

I will after i start the production, make a blog or website with the construction, day by day basis.

Sorry for my English, and I will love the posts from u guys, so I can get started...

Sincerely,
T-M, Kåven

[Regnar]

If you pocket book is deep enough I would say go for the geckos. No assembly required and have lots of room to grow. Now if they are not so deep and you want to get started then Hobby or Xylotex are good choices for a small to medium cnc. I started out with the Xylotex board and I am slowly buying Gecko's one at a time and I have to say they are real purdy.

[dwarfogre]

Ty u for the post!
What is the price difference there? can i use the steppers from the Hobbycnc kit on my geckos then later, or should i also buy new steppers?

And also, should my second machine be made of aluminum or steel?

Or should i maybe just start with that on my first machine right away?

TMK

[dwarfogre]

and also, is it better to use belt on the stepper motors?? or just connect them right without belts?

[dwarfogre]

my last post did not come through.
what is the price difference between geckos versus hobbycnc, and can i use the stepper motors from the hobbycnc later on the geckos? or should i buy new bigger and better stepper motors or servos to the geckos??

on more,
is it best to make the machine out of steel or aluminum?

TMK

[LeeWay]

Not all your questions can be answered until you decide what the design of the thing is. That really is the very next step after reading many of the build threads. Decide who's build that you would like to use elements of. Then start the designing. Don't worry about getting a finished design right away. Post the design first and get some feedback on it. Consider what tools you have that will help you to build this. Standard woodworking and some hand tools will allow you to build an MDF version. If you need some tools, include them in your budget. Things can really get out of hand fast if you do not have a design to begin with.

I started with Xylotex, then moved that machine to Gecko 201's. My second machine is a mill. I have 203V's on it now. My third machine is a plasma that is 3/4 built, but I put on hold awhile. It will also have 203V's. Damn fine drives with plenty of power. They are on sale now BTW until the 15th.

If I was just starting out and had a limited budget and tooling, I would get one of the smaller kits. Xylotex can do some nice work with mid size motors. It also allows you to use lower cost power supplies. Then build a small footprint machine. This does two things. Acquaints you both with the machine concept and will help you become familiar with the software learning curves. Then if you find cnc is something you really like, the little machine can help you make parts for the next generation.
Be fair warned though. CNC as a hobby can really eat up the pocket change.

[dwarfogre]

Hehe, thank u very much for the reply.

I was thinkin about maybe start with a machine like Patrick Hood-Daniel made at:
http://buildyourcnc.com
It seems like something i can manage.

I think i will just purchase the hobbycnc kit, and start from there. thank u guys.

TMK