18 ft router

Hi Folks,
Well I have reluctantly given up on the idea of using oak to build my
cnc router. I had really gotten caught up in the idea probably as much as
anything because everyone thought it the wrong thing to do.
A local machine shop came to my rescue by giving me a 24 ft metal
working plainer. The table is way to heavy to use. It weighs, I would guess
3000 lbs. It would take a motor as big as a water bucket to start it and
stop it. I am thinking that I will build a table out of 1 inch Aluminum jig
plate as they have enough left over from a job and will let me have it
really cheap.
The plainer frame is really heavy and has a very rigid gantry with cross
ways to mount a router on. I plan to throw away the compound that the
cutting tool is usually mounted on and mill some rectangular lightning holes
in the cross slide. Hopefully I can get it light enough so that there will
not be so much inertia involved.
The bed has "v" ways. I think I can make some kind of roller devices to
fit down in them and provide roller ways for the table.
Now I am scratching my head trying to figure out were the money is
coming from to buy the bigger motors and electronics to move all this
around. I have a sinking feeling I'm in over my head but I guess I'll take
it one step at a time. It most likely will just take longer to complete due
to having to come up with the money.
Doug