I may start a new thread. The machine has experienced extreme design and cost creep. What started out as an exercise in building an inexpensive "good enough" machine, has turned into several thousand dollars.
I saw a Shop Bot on Craig's List the other day for $5000. I think the guy has excessive expectations, but it did serve to provide a baseline for cost verses capability.
The latest machine is 1500 X 1000 X 500. It will include the original concept I mentioned in another thread, to include a 4th Axis. It will be constructed of various types of sheet goods, including Aluminum, FRP, Wood Cores, and Advantech, which is an engineered wood composite with some pretty radical properties.
So far spend an extra 300 or 400 dollars on things I don't need in this build. Maybe will be able to use some in other projects.