CNC machine for making PCBs:

The machine is constructed using aluminum plate and all metal to metal joints are mortise and tenon  held in place by high tensile counter sunk metal screws. The bearings the X, Y and Z axes run on are cast iron double vee bearings which wear very well and in this form provide low friction. The rods are chromed steel. I have quality lathes and vertical milling equipment and many years of experience that makes this possible.

The Y axis is driven by two stepper motors hence the four drivers shown.

Above the three drawers and below the actual machine is a compartment where the electronics drawer, shown in a separate photo, slides into place from the rear of the cabinet on two dovetail slides. I have made up two sets of connecting cables so that the machine can run with the drawer out on an adjacent bench so that I can work on it.

Constructing the machine was time consuming but presented no problems as  this is my trade but developing the Gerber files was the hardest part, I had not even heard the name before I started this project but thanks to your program then mirroring the files in GerbTool it seems that I have finally got on top of it.

I have just finished cutting out circuit boards for modifications to the machine. The benefit of using your program was shown when my first effort on one board didn't take into account that I needed 1/16" holes and I had used 70mil pads. It was a quick job to modify the file to 100mil pads and reprocess the file. Much quicker than starting again, redrawing. transferring to photo sensitive material, exposing then etching as has been the need in the past.