How to build a CNC Router?

Just another off topic Milling machine vs router anecdote.

I bought a 2nd hand "what I thought" was a milling machine. I later was informed "Thats not a milling machine" (Indiana Jones rings a bell?)
So I learned everything below 5 tons is "not a milling machine".
Criteria for milling machine min. BT40 or HSK63, min. 15kW spindle power (continous load) tool changer

Point beeing, as long as it does what we want it does not matter much (all good).
For communication I now call my supposed mill a "tapping center", because then people know what I mean.

Joking aside I think the difference for hobby users is the ratio between z-height and x-y travel. A router is more flat and large a milling machine more a cube with a z-range in the magnitude of the x-y travel.

Thanks filling in my knowledge gap for what Nema is (and yes then it's Nema17).
This small thing is more for me to understand the build and functions in general, not so much as in really doing stuff (maybe some engraving and PCB, which is more engraving than milling, I guess).
That includes to have a setup similar to what I aim for for the bigger router. That's why I tend to spend a bit more money and do a bit of "overkill" for the little toy machine, but can test the basic working for the relevant things.
So I'd still like some more concrete hints for what might be the right stuff to buy controller wise.
The 7192 seems to be the least costly ethernet connected mesa board. Do I use that an kook up 3 of the TB6600 boards to the parport and start experimenting?
(and a power supply obviously)

Haha, post lost, so I re-invent it.
I think for basic experiments a 10 USD parallel port PCIe card and a bottom level parallel port break out board wiill get you up and running for 20USD. (excluding wasted work and life time).IO
The MESA card solved my encoder issues within short time and I (#not sponsored) th think it was a good decision, even if someone informed me that I could have bougtht a "yet again undocumented" device for 5% of the MESA  fee,


 

OK, so
Mesa 7i96s it is (should be worth it, since I can us that one for the big machine later)
3 of the TB6600
Leaves the PSU question. I think I have an old ATX PSU. Those deliver 2-4 lines of 12V and several 5V lines. Could that do for the small steppers?
And my Thinkpad x220.

Will do the tests later, here is what I have available:
TP x200 tablet (the one which turns the screen 180°
TP T43
TP T420s
ThinkCentre M625q

One other thought was perhaps to get one of those used Getac outdoor Notebooks (but that was mainly because of the dust and water protection features)

OK, T43 is i686
screenshot from latency attached for the 2 others.
I did run glxgears and a youtube video. The max. µs Value was half until I resized the glxgears window.

Well there is my favored refurbished dealer, offering T470 with touchscreen and 8GB RAM for 137,- EUR right now. might be the best idea..

Thanks for the reply. So I do the testing with my T420s/x220.
(I'll skip the testing with the T43 as I like to use the complete LinuxCNC Distro instead)
Mesa and TB6600 are ordered. As soon, as I get the material, I'll share my confusion with the wiring
Aan when I have some running setup, I'll post in the laptop topic (that's where I got the idea with the T470 touch)