I thought I might request some feedback from you guys on something I've been considering. About a year ago I started to purchase components to build a CNC router of my own design, but unfortunately life has been too busy to allow me to build anything. Since that time, I've recently started a business that builds automation for manufacturing companies. I can't help but think how valuable that router would be to me to make some of the custom components I require, which are made almost exclusively from aluminum or Delrin plastic. In fact, the job I'm working on right now has several components that I could easily make myself with a CNC router. That said, I don't think I could build the machine that I have components for in a quick enough timeframe to help me out. However, I've been debating (and even more so seeing there is a little discount this weekend) on purchasing the C-beam Machine kit, and all of the additional components needed to slap this thing together. I just don't know how long it will take me to have chips flying once I put that order in. If you all tell me that I'll have several weeks in it, then that's more than I need to take on at this moment. But if you say it'll be a few days, maybe a week tops, well then I just might pull the trigger. Just wanted to see what the people with more experience might have to say. Thanks in advance!
I think a week to 10 days is very realistic. I ordered my MiniMill on Aug 31 and completed the build (excluding controller) by Sept 6 - and I didn't start right away. I posted a YT video of first cut by Sept 11. It will depend partly on how long your parts take to arrive. I live in northeastern US so my order arrived after 2 business days, and I already had my router in hand. The build itself took me between 6 and 8 hours. It did take awhile to get my controller sorted out, but I went with a non-standard one. I recently converted my MiniMill to a C-beam like machine, and that only took me a couple of days, but I am retired and worked at my pace during daylight hours. If you order all of your parts from OpenBuilds (except router), and you don't have to wait too long for shipping, I'd say you could easily do it in a week. PS. If you order, then you'll have 2 or 3 days at least to watch the C-beam build video a couple of times - that will speed things along when your order arrives.
