A lot of homebrew CNC machines end up being glorified plotters with a router attached that are good for little a lot more than milling soft materials like wood and πλαστική ύλη. So if you have a burning need to mill harder materials like aluminum and mild steel swiftly and quietly, set your sights higher and build a large bed CNC maker with off-the-shelf components.

With a budget of 2000 €, [SörenS7] was not as constrained as a lot of the lower end CNC builds we’ve seen, which nearly always rely on 3D-printed parts or even materials sourced from the trash can. and while we certainly applaud every CNC build, this one shows that budget-friendly and easily sourced mechatronics can result in a bolt-up build of considerable capability. [SörenS7]’s BOM for this maker is 100% catalog shopping, from the aluminum extrusion bed and gantry to the linear bearings and recirculating-ball lead screws. The working area is a generous 900 x 400 x 120mm, the steppers are beefy NEMA23s, and the spindle is a 3-kW VFD unit for plenty of power. The video below shows the machine’s excellent performance dry cutting aluminum.

All told, [SörenS7] came in 500 € under budget, which is a tempting price point for a maker this big and capable.