Vector vs Bob

>My applications will be in 2 fields.

>1. making wooden ultralight propellers from raws with max. sizes of
>55" x 7" x 3 ". Given that a propeller has 2 symetrical halves, the X
>axis may be reduced to about 32", needing some more handling though.

>2. make some aluminum parts for small 2 and 4 stroke engines.
>Eventually also some made out of steel.

I'd recommend that you consider two or three machines - a router to build your propellers and a mill (and possibly a lathe) to build your metal parts.

>I have downloaded the demo versions of the 2 a.m. softwares. However
>having no experience yet, I am not quiet sure which one is the best
>CAD application in my case. Can someone give me some advise on which
>direction to go.

I bought a full copy of Vector after I'd purchased their cheap CAD only version and am quite happy with it. I've not worked with BobCad at all, so I cannot provide a good comparison. But, if you read through messages on this list and also on the DIY_CNC list, you'll find a lot of good comments about Vector and few, if any about BobCad. You might also want to try a program called Dolphin - which some folks seem to like. In the end, just make sure that what ever program you ultimately purchase is able to generate the G-Code that your DeskCNC will accept. While the basic G-Codes are pretty much standardized, each of the software programs that interpret these codes to provide step and direction signals to the motor drives has its own quirks.

-- Jerry Jankura
Strongsville, Ohio
So many toys.... So little time....