Has anyone tried making all of the gantry plates from top quality hardwood/plywood? I am on a strict budget and can't afford the price to buy all the parts needed to build an ox.
I haven't tried this, but I don't see why you can't do it to get up and running. You'll want to adjust the hardware to account for any change in thickness. Also make sure the motor pulleys will line up with the belt in the vslot. You should probably get a hold of the exact material thickness then model it up first. Rick2.0 has worked with the model extensively. Maybe he'll chime in on this. Joe
Plywood shouldn't be a problem but viability comes down to size of the system and the spindle, how the plywood is integrated, and what you intend to cut with the machine, none of which you have provided any information on.
I am not sure what I will be making on it yet, but I am looking for a project and this looks like it would interest me. I enjoy woodworking and have all the tools so I plan on using a Dewalt router for plenty of grunt. I think I would want to be able to have a cut area of 600mm x 900mm and plan on making a vacuum table and the rig be driven by threaded rod. Thanks for your replies guys.