Former Taig owner here.  I had to sell it during the mortgage crisis, and I've been wanting another machine ever since.

So, I've been parting one together, one piece at a time.

Here's the initial set-up, and cutting of the frame from Series 15 Faztek extrusion.
John Bear Ross: Target Sighted: Work Begins On A CNC Prototyper











Axes were from John at Microcarve.  Excellent workmanship.

Spindle is a Hitachi M12.  2.25 Hp.

Fast forward a year, and here's the set-up, so far.
John Bear Ross: My New CNC Machine

I tilted the whole arrangement back because I was having Z binding issues, due to the cantilevered load of the spindle.  I took inspiration from slant-bed lathes, and put a pair of risers beneath the frame.

I call it "Lawn-Chair Style."  ;)

Now, the Z doesn't bind, the chips and sawdust fall through the gap, and things are peachy.  Plus, it's different.








My Mach3 Computer and Deepgroove G540 box.


A more conventional angle.

I just need to save up for some Rhino/STL compatible CAM software, and I'll be cutting chips soon.

My thanks to John at Microcarve, again, for his patience and excellent craftsmanship.
And Amazon Prime and Faztek, for enabling me to order 97" sticks of aluminum extrusion to my doorstep with free shipping.

And yes, I plan on trying to machine lowers on it.  Delrin, to start.  Maybe aluminum later.

You Can't Stop The Signal



Best,
JBR

This is relevant to my interests.

Perhaps out of wood?  

How do you feel about a cross-bolt safety on an AR?

I've got a MicroProto mill in the garage, it was my Brother's.  I've dabbled with it and even upgraded the control box and computer, but I'm not a machinist and really don't know how to use it.

Pretty cool, I been rebuilding my control cabinet.


I have a spare power supply and g540 drive thought i would put them all in a computer case for more room than the case that came with the drive and motor set up.





I eventually want to build a 4x4 table router.





My first build







 

Slightly better pics.







Best,
JBR

That's cool...I wish I had the ability to build stuff like that...I can't.  I have no skills.  

If I can do it, anyone can do it, trust me.  

If you can build an Ikea bookshelf, plug the wires together of an HD TV/BluRay player/Cable entertainment center, or set up a PC computer from the box, it's in the same arena.

Best,
JBR

Pretty cool OP!

Very nice Hellion.

I built a big sign-making type years ago.  Need to get back into that stuff some more.

Mine was mostly MDF, tho.   those extrusions really are the way to go.   It's fantastic how rigid those things are.

Could you make a wooden lower with that?  Duped myself, lol.  PLEASE make a lower out of wood?

I could built those no sweat.

Trying to put something in a computer that wouldn't come out on the machine looking like impressionist art... aye, there's the rub.

Backbencher, have you seen this one?

Wooden AR Lower

Ar15.com thread with other suggestions

Best,

JBR

Yep.  Orion's Hammer is quite the experimenter.  The difficulty when making a Cav Arms style lower out of wood is the long large diameter buffer tube well.  I can't even find a stock reproducer who will copy an AR-15 thumbhole stock out of wood for that reason.  O's H got around it by chopping the back off, screwing in a regular buffer tube, and reinforcing the receiver extension boss with wire or staples, I believe.  If you used a side charging upper, you could make that boss much more substantial.

Our router at work