Size vs rigidity

Mostly Printed CNC - MPCNC Advice
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I’m very interested in building a MPCNC and have a few questions I need some help with:

  1. will a 24’ x24’ cut area be ridged enough to cut 3/16 6061 aluminum and hard wood with the standard Z height?
  2. Noise considerations aside Trim router or spindle for above machine?
    My plan is to make tap handles, humidors, signs, and maybe guitar bodies with the ability to cut and or engrave aluminum and other soft metals.
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i am still building my MPCNC so i cant answer your question from experience. but from what i have read on the forums. it should be possible if you really know your CAM. if not then it probably wont mill the aluminum. that said, it is easy to change the size of the machine. and a lot of what it can do seems to be based on how much time, effort, and money you put into building it.

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One of the early aluminum guys cut on a 2x2 conduit burly. It can be done, but you need to be on point. You get some bonus for 1 inch tubing and a big bonus for primo. You can get some more rigidity back by lifting the work closer to the gantry and working in a corner.
I wouldn’t sweat it too much, at least for 2d/2.5d cutting. You won’t go as fast as a smaller machine, but then we are already resigning speed to the back seat by building these in the first place.
Lots of aluminum getting cut with the 660, but I can’t say enough how much an actual speed controller helps me, as well as lower rpms. If you can’t put a speed controller on the 660, think really hard about getting a decent spindle. Again, plenty of 660s doing the job, so maybe let your budget decide.

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