As you can see in my large CNC, I used a good bit of 80/20 aluminum extrusion as the structure. I did this mainly because it can be cut accurately
with a chop saw and because of the fastening options afforded due to the slotted design. I was able to get all of what I needed from the 80/20 Ebay store (8020inc)
Some of the fastening plates were unfinished but still very usable and much cheaper too. In the 10 series 80/20 extrusion I used, the inside holes can be tapped
to 1/4 20. That was key when I added the 2 inch by 4 inch beam to the rear of the gantry to stiffen it up. The same is true for the 15 series but it's for 5/16 not 1/4.
You can easily fab up your own custom brackets and plates. On the 10 series the slots are 1/2 inch from the edges and then on 1 inch centers if you are using
profile bigger than 1 x 1.
If I had a welder or access to one, I may have gone different path. Use whatever you are most comfortable with but always keep in mind
that your machine should be much more rigid than what you're trying to machine. Meaning that you probably shouldn't make you machine out of
wood if your goal is to cut steel.
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May 17, 2012