[taharder]

This is really something that you have to discuss with your mentor. If a truck rolled up with a 4000 lb machine in your parking lot tomorrow, there is a good chance that it would sit outside for a couple of months (it does not fit through your doors?!?). Buying this style of machine is not a small undertaking. You need space, electricity, tooling as Lucas mentioned.

I would recommend looking at a CNC Router as your first CNC machine. Paton Group in Los Angeles sells TechnoCNC Routers and you will be able to easily cut any kind of plastic and wood. You don't need much tooling to do so and they sell specifically to the educational market. They can also sell you MasterCAM educationally.

You should look at forming a partnership with a local community college to get training in machining if you intend to do machining. At the CNC mill level, Tormach has advertised here on CD and it seems to be a good starter mill.

Our team has two Haas TM-1's and two TL-1's. Machines of this caliber are useless without training and knowledgeable people around. A mill is more flexible and therefore more useful in the immediate sense. A lathe can do things that a mill cannot and is therefore complementary.

Show this post to your mentor and have them contact Lucas or myself. We are both in the South Bay (Los Angeles) area.