New build, new blog

So I've been reading about the reprap project for a while, and I thought it was time to actually start my build.  I'll be building a combined cncrouter/repstrap.  I've been going over things and I think that I have a good base of knowledge now and a design sketched out to build.  I am building a variant of the Wolfstrap machine.  The Y base and X standards are being built from a re-purposed Ikea Rast nightstand I had in my shop.  I will be using an arduino mega with Pololu stepper drivers for movement.  I will be building the Cartesian robot first then integrating the electronics so that I can hopefully use both reprap software with the arduino, and EMC2 from linuxcnc.org for a cnc router.  I am hoping to accomplish this by decoupling the stepper drivers from the arduino in some manner and connecting the cabling to a parallel port for the Linux cnc control.

I am keeping records of my purchases so that I can calculate my total build cost and also provide a complete BOM after it is completed.  I am working on this in the evenings and hope to finish and have my first print by the end of 2010.  I am being realistic with my goal given my two children take most of my time and I have only 1-2 hours in the evening 2-3 days a week to work on this project.  Progress will likely be slow, but hopefully will be completed by the end of the year, or hopefully sooner.

Items already in hand:
Ikea rast
4x steppers (nema 17 from sparkfun)
5x pololu stepper drivers (from pololu.com)
1/4-20 threaded rod (from home depot, had it in my shop from a previous project, some of it is a bit bent so hopefully can get it to work)
1/4-20 nuts (also from home depot from the previous projects)
10-24 x1.5inch screws, nuts and washers.
Arduino Duemilanove (using it to test out stepper drivers, need to order a mega)
drawer slides for linear motion - 2x 22", 1x 14". 22" for x/y motion, 14" for z motion (home depot)
breadboard for prototyping
miscellaneous passive electronic components (resistors, capacitors, etc)
PC power supply
atx breakout connector (from sparkfun)

Items to buy/make
breakout board/shield for mega to house stepper drivers
Arduino Mega
extruder

I'll post pictures as progress is made.
LJ