Homemade mini-mill

Guys, I'm thinking of building my own mini CNC mill and have had a couple of ideas I'd like to run pass you. I'm a design engineer by trade and I get paid to "invent" stuff on contract for others so I look at things a little different than most others. With that out of the way let's get on to the ideas.

1) The CNC I want to build is going to have an "X-Y" table mounted parallel to the floor with a "Z" axis moving perpendicular to the floor - in other word a VMC. I've been looking a ways to make the frame that would be easy for me to build, stable and relatively inexpensive. Along these lines, I've come tot he conclusion that I could make the base from concrete. As I design engineer, I have the capability of running FEA on the basic structure. The plan is to build a form, provide steel rebar internal to the form, slurry the concrete (more like mortor..little or no aggrate) and vibrating to insure complete filling, I sure have a solid structure. After letting is set a cure for a couple of days, I can keep the concrete wet and allow it to cure for an additional 30 days or so to bring the concrete to full hardness before attempting to mount anything. From a stability stand point, this plan should approach granite. From the easy of build and cost stand point, I can't find anything better. Comments?? 2) The "X - Y" tablet will be configured such that the long "X" axis in running left to right with the short "Y" axis front to back. To avoid drilling in the concrete and mounting hardened steel ways, I was looking at providing channels in the base and using this stuff
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to make the forms required for the table to move on. Anybody have any experience with this and/or have any comments for the general concept?? 3) Fro a spindle, I was on the web searching for a spindle to buy and ran across this MIT thesis power point presentation that offers an interesting concept in a spindle design. pergatory.mit.edu/rcortesi/portf/ minimill/modified_minimill.ppt Anybody care to comment on the design and/or the possibilities of this design?

R. Wink

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R. Wink
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