I've been looking at purchasing the beam and increasing it's size to about 20x20 and upping the Z clearance. I'm at a point where I'm wondering if maybe there is a better option build based on price and use. I want a bit more on the Z axis, I'd like to do woodworking, inlay, and signs to begin but have the machine functionality to branch out to other things. I'd eventually like to be able to machine a bit of aluminum but that can come through future upgrades and is not a pressing matter. Any thoughts? I'd really like to stay as close to $1000usd as I can, I'm still convincing my future wife that this is a great idea.
The real question is how large are the work pieces you'd like to be working on. If you are looking to go considerably larger you might consider an OX derivative built from C-beam actuators. You would be able to transfer a fair amount of what you already have over to the new machine.
For what I want to do, a 20x20 bed would be perfect. This would allow for a great array of projects. I have not bought anything yet so this will be a fresh build.
