ShopBot Desktop router up for the challenge?

[Monochron]

Originally Posted by asid61

That Charter oak mill looks interesting, although I've never seen one before (maybe somebody else could chime in?). It advertises AC servos, P3 ball screws, and and an NT30 spindle upgrade.

Yeah, that's why I am considering it, it seems to be made with great parts and has a much larger cutting area than the other new machines in our budget. Can't find too much online about it though.

Originally Posted by sanddrag

You could do a Tormach Mill with a little bit of tooling for right around the $10k mark (barely).

Tormach definitely looks great, but the small cutting area and floor mount are tough. IFF a smaller router can get us accurate gearbox plates in 1/4" aluminum, then that may be all we need. Let me ask this, what would make you buy a mill over a router?

I cannot recommend the other two mills you linked. They are oddball Chinese machines, and I doubt you would be happy with them.

What makes you say that about the Charter Oak one? What would it's downsides be?

Oh and THANKS for the info about a router being louder, good to know that I had it backwards