Looking the the CNC router parts site I see them using a stand built from aluminum extrusion. I like the idea of doing it that way but am thinking it would be light and would vibrate. I am looking to build a new machine that is 1000mm x 1500mm. The machine I have now is on a heavy wooden. Anyone built a stand with the extrusions that can tell me how it works?
I have one. It is not light at all. Aluminum is light, but add enough aluminum together and it will be heavy. Overall it works very well. Make sure to use 3-hole strip plates (or something similar) to add diagonal cross-braces to it just like a wooden table. There is one gotcha, though. When I built the first version of my table, I left a bunch of T-nuts in various slots so it would be easy to bolt other stuff on later. Big mistake. There was still enough vibration to make them rattle like no tomorrow. So either use post-insertion nuts when adding other stuff later or use set screws to hold any extra T-nuts in the slots in place. Also, as a general strategy, I find that it is better to make your stand a fair amount taller than 'table' height. You can get a lot of extra storage for stock by making it taller and it will also be easier to get pieces off if you don't have to lean over it as much. -Jonathon Duerig
My machine is 1500mm x 1000mm as well. The base is 1000mm x 1000mm. And the top table overhangs it by a few hundred mm on either end.
