So I am already mentally committed (should end the sentence there) to building an

General CNC CNC Routers
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So I am already mentally committed (should end the sentence there) to building an Ox for myself. I am a little confused about the two obvious options I see, which are (1) to order a kit, and (2) build it on my own from self-sourced parts. I see the cut-it-forward concept. I get that people with completed systems are creating brackets to boot-strap someone else, which seems like a great idea … but you still have to get the extrusions from somewhere, right? So is this idea simply to save a little money? Or is it something more, like enabling an upgraded outcome?

Thanks for any clarity you can provide!!

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Hey +Kevin Hauser, good question. +alex7575 and myself started cut-it-forward to bring more people into the DIY CNC community. We figured the theme that the reprap community had used would be a great way to do this.

Unfortunately, the responsibilities I have with the business consume my time and Alex has a tremendous amount of ties that bind as well. Alex kept up with it the best he could and cut forward a set of plates, and I forwarded 3 sets (none where beautiful, but were usable). As of recent though we haven’t seen anyone forwarding a set of plates since these.

My hope was the theory would take on a life of its own.

As far as sourcing yourself or buying a kit, it really depends on your experience level with the building materials. if you are already familiar with everything, a kit is a great idea. It is a simple click of a button and everything is on the way. You will still need to do a large amount of research to truly understand all the components, but typically someone who’s ready to pull the trigger is already informed.

If you have not built anything before with the components and have access to machines to cut and surface aluminum extrusion ends, this is a great learning experience. The gantry plates can be purchased off eBay or through one of the guys on the Openbuilds build page. Anticipate using a few different sources to get everything together.

Glad to see another of the community jumping in the OX train. It is truly a great machine and a lot of fun to use.

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(If you’re in a rush and need them quickly) otherwise cut it forward is a great option

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Thanks. I have a Shapeoko (2) with a 300 Watt spindle. I have yet to try aluminum with it, but in theory if I go slow enough it should be possible. Time to start a list!