Is there a market.
Hi Ray,
I would say there is a market for such an item. I for one would have looked real hard if it was available. I would think that there are a lot of manual machines just waiting for a bolt on kit to make them CNC.
For those of us who want to make some money with our machines instead of making a project of our machines, I think it would be a great option.
In my opinion, if you have a machine in good condition and can bolt on the parts and have a fully functional CNC mill for $3K it would be worth while. Especially important for people who have the machine setup in their basements.
The biggest drawback when contemplating my j-head Bridgeport was the cost of the ball screws. Good screws would have cost more than the CNC machine I purchased.
At this point, since the resale value of a used Bridgeport has dropped so much, I am reconsidering converting the old gal so I could have a second machine. Let me know if you need some dimensions. Mine is a 9"x 42" machine. You will probably need to find someone with a 9" x 36" to get some dimensions from.
One other item to consider is that series one machines have an 18" X axis travel where my 9x42 has like 24-25.
Mike
Warning: DIY CNC may cause extreme hair loss due to you pulling your hair out.