Hello everyone, I’m from China. I learned about the LowRider V4 model through YouTube and downloaded all its design files. Currently, I’m undecided about the thickness choice for the two XZ aluminum plates. After converting the DXF file to a 3D STEP format and obtaining a quote from a local aluminum fabricator, the cost for two 8mm thick plates was about $10, which I consider quite affordable. Increasing the plate thickness wouldn’t significantly raise the cost. However, the documentation specifies that XZ-MAX and XZ-MIN are designed for 6.35mm thick aluminum plates, though custom thickness is allowed. My main question is: Will increasing the thickness enhance the device’s rigidity?
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No, but a fem mm thicker won’t hurt, either.
Note that paying someone else besides Ryan or his distributor to make parts for you is technically a license violation.
If you ask him I suspect he’ll agree to a one-off but you should check with him first.
Edit to add the most important part:
Greetings and welcome to the V1 community forums.
What do you plan to make with your LowRider?
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That’s mainly so you know the screws will fit. You need longer crews for thicker plates. 
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Would using 12/18mm birch ply be better than printing in PLA for the plates?
I’m in UK and probably wouldn’t order the plates from Ryan due to imports duty
@vicious1 has been working on an alternate supplier for the rest of the world, I bet he chimes in.
I doubt it. I printed a set in PLA during the LR4 beta. They’re just good enough that you could mill your own aluminum plates with them. Then stop and replace them.
The first key to LR4 rigidity is the strut plates, then the next most is these XZ plates. You want those to be aluminum.
It’s unlikely there is any duty to pay (other than VAT). Postage is a bit but you add a few more things in (like a controller, few bits etc) to make it worthwhile. Or order from @Tokoloshe which ship from Germany.
As I’ve said before only the endstop tab and the hole spacing are critical, you could make your own plates with a pillar drill and an angle grinder and they’d be every bit as functional.
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@Tokoloshe has the plates in Germany. Not sure if that works out better for shipping or not but wanted to mention it.
Edit: I didn’t read enough first to realize @Dreyfus had already mentioned it
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Untracked and uninsured is 9€ shipping from Germany. Not sure about import duty though because you are not part of the EU any more. 
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Thank you for your responses. My situation is similar to Sam’s, but with even higher international shipping costs and import tariffs. , local procurement appears to be my optimal choice. I believe that for individual users—as long as no unauthorized commercial sales are involved—self-fabrication of all components should be acceptable, especially since the documentation explicitly mentions the option to purchase materials independently.
I’m build this project solely for crafting hardwood home decor items.
Thank you for your explanation. Before learning about LowRider V4, I had planned to design a large-travel CNC for hardwood processing. However, my concerns about structural rigidity kept me stuck in the 3D design phase. At that time, the cost estimate for just the metal frame alone was about $600 - and this didn’t include expenses for control circuits or spindle equipment. The overall cost seemed quite prohibitive for me. What worried me even more was that if design modifications were needed, the aluminum procurement costs would essentially be wasted. 
That’s why discovering LowRider V4 was such a pleasant surprise. While there are many DIY CNC video tutorials online, few projects have such a large user community with ongoing iterative updates. This immediately convinced me to start building one. 
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你好
Ryan supports and encourages you to make your own, this is completely the best way to learn and become proficient with your machine.
The basic rule is: if you are paying someone else to do it for you it’s against the licence.
There are some people (@Jonathjon who sells complete LRs and myself who sells printed parts and alu plates in German) that are licensed, but we obviously pay Ryan a fair (hopefully) share.
If you do it your self or have a friend do it, it’s fine as well.
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If you mean that paying a service to make them for you is acceptable then this is not correct.
The licence does not permit making the parts to sell. So any fabricator you go to is not permitted, by the terms of the licence, to make and sell them to you, except Ryan and his approved distributer.
In practical terms no-one can stop you doing that. But just be clear that you are breaking the only real condition placed by the creator in exchange for sharing all their hard work for free.
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Now I understand what you mean. I apologize for my misunderstanding of these terms.
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Well, your English is better than our Chinese, so I think you are good. 
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Regarding controller options, I currently have two boards available: a replacement STM32 board from my upgraded Voron 2.4 and a Mach3 v3.25 controller.
After reviewing videos about ESTLCNC and FluidNC, I found ESTLCNC’s original author has published a series of tutorial videos, while I couldn’t locate systematic operation guides or detailed feature explanations for FluidNC. Currently, I feel ESTLCNC’s operation logic suits me particularly well. Its ability to pause operations, freely reposition the machine, and resume precisely from the stopping point perfectly matches my workflow of using multiple tools on a single wood piece. This functionality likely relies on the software’s capability to specify G-code execution positions and its power-loss recovery feature.
On the other hand, FluidNC offers 3D printer-like convenience, and I particularly appreciate its electronic handwheel. I’d like to confirm if my understanding is correct:
- ESTLCNC: Primarily functions as host software that connects to compatible controller boards (similar to traditional CNC systems), apparently requiring parallel port communication.
- FluidNC: Requires flashing ESP32-based boards with firmware, turning them into all-in-one units that combine host and control functions.
This distinction makes the decision quite challenging for me.