Silverrabbit2 published a new build:

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Thanks for your kind words.
I needed portability & storage of tools.
I was going modular until...
I saw an old luthier table carver that tilted 45 deg for storage.
I thought, why not 90 deg with a piano hinge.
It fits thru a doorway. My goal was met.

 

Thanks for your comment. I find that the machine's performance in the horizontal position is only as good as the table is stable. The machine is not operated in the vertical position, but that does propose an intersting concept.

Since my table it is based on an X-torsion wooden frame of plywood & pine, it has reasonable rigidy. I could not afford an aluminum or steel table at this time. There are also thermal expansion issues with the metal types. For now, I'm dealing with the aluminum OX on a wood table -- 2 differently thermal materials!.

The machine is stored & operated inside my shop which has HVAC & is keep at 78F. I have no issues with alignment or repeatability to within +/- .003". I was able to tram the new 2hp router head to .001" in the Y-axis. The X, not so good. I noticed if I touched the OX framework anywhere that I could deflet the reading by .001. More serious force on the gantry pushed it as high as .005". The OX design is very nice but could be stiffened a bit in the gantry.

My overall diagonal set up (the squareness of the OX framework was to .001" using the inside micrometer set that I had. Regardless, most work that I do on this size machine is fine with these tolerances up toan order of magnitude larger (10X), say .010".

 

Thanks for your question. I have not machined any aluminum yet but it should be fine depending on the accuracy that you require in the finished product. If you look at the detailed post to the previous comments, you will see that I expect an overall tolerance about +/- .010, that is 20 mils total.

The performance in any material is a combination of frame stiffness, motor horsepower, motor shaft runout, tooling runout & quality of the cutting tool. Then it is all about finding the sweet spot of feedrate & rpm for that tool. The hold down method & sufficiency is also very important link to the end result. Onsrud has a good info bulletin on this as does precision bits (Think & tinker). Vortex also has info.

As for CAD plans, I did not start this project in CAD. I built the OX/Ooznest from their parts, then a table out of wood, then bolted on the table to the Husky, then the OX to the table.

.Best wishes.