Jason, I think you'll find there are a lot of mentors here. Please notice that the title of this thread includes "email" - these weren't "dumb questions" asked on the forum; they were demands for information sent in private email. That's an important difference.

None of the questions you have posed have a simple answer on a global forum, and yet we have done our best to answer them many times:

1) The cost depends on where you live, what tools you already have access to, and dozens of little design choices like the size of the table, the types of motors and drivers, and others. So the range is somewhere in the $3000 to $20,000 range, and to determine your budget, you need to read some threads. So we patiently recommend that, because ... it depends.

2) The cut list depends on the design choices, and to complete the cutlist without excessive waste or mistakes requires that you understand the design. So we patiently recommend that you read some threads, because ... it depends.

3) You cannot build a MechMate if you cannot read the plans. You don't need to be an engineer, but you do need to develop this skill - or have somebody at your build site who can. The MM plans are actually remarkably friendly to newbies - if you spend the time to read them over a few times and visualize how it all works. As for your results, well ... it depends.

The goal is to help those that are primarily making an effort for themselves and are motivated to solve problems - we readily and willingly help and do not mock. The goal is NOT to have as many MechMates as possible. The goal is also not to have people get in over their head or waste their money. A good test for these traits is to patiently recommend that people read the forum.

Mentoring is a two way street - both the mentor and the mentee [sic] need to invest. Since we can't look you (or anyone) in the eye, we make assessments based on what we see here. If you ask a question that has been answered many times, or is readily searchable, you might get a response politely recommending that you read on - or more times than not, somebody will actually run the search and place the links in the response as a gentle hint that the information is already available.

I daresay that we do not mock questions, including dumb ones. We do correct misinformation and misstatements, and sometimes we do that with some humor. I've been on both sides of that, and I appreciate it either way.

So, please, ask away - in the appropriate thread, thus showing us you've done some homework - and I think you'll find there are 87 or more mentors available, and we'd love to help you over the little bumps in the process.

Just don't ask us to suffer fools - because no mentor, teacher, or craftsperson ever does for long. This forum is the way it is because it works well for us - we hope it will work well for you, too.

P.S. For the peanut gallery: one of the failings of mentoring personalities is being extra susceptible to flamebait. ;)

P.P.S. I've used "we" above for linguistic convenience. Clearly, I do not speak for everyone here, but merely for myself.

Well said Brad.

Well said, indeed!

Don't worry if your questions seem dumb. They aren't. Just make sure that you are putting effort into finding the answer, either figuring it out yourself, or somewhere on the forums, before posting a new thread. Its also helpful to post your thought process about what you think the answer is, so we get to know how you are approaching things, and sometimes the problem isn't actually where you think it is, and by talking through where you are, we can sometimes get to the real answer of where the problem lies.

So, Jason, what are your questions?

yesterday !!
 

yesterday i was pist off

I was pist off at myself for my laissez-faire whimsical attitude I first presented myself as on these forums

I was pist off at myself for having cross words with someone that obviously deseveres my respect

I was pist off at myself for not being 'able' to compose a cut list and you guys for not giving me one

If you get pist off enough ... you ...

well

today , after successfuly composing a cut list and getting my cut list to the metal shop and my order in this morning

I feel like a whole new man !!

It a new day ... ;)

thanks Jason

See that is the value in this forum. You prove to yourself that you are capable and realize that getting a hand in something is way differenet than a hand out.. That is true in many other areas, not just in our world.

Good job on figuring out what you need. I know it is all here .... somewhere :) !!

Jason,
No worries.... We have all been there. :)

Jason if you can figure out the hurdles in building the MM it becomes so much easier when it is built and you need to fix something on it.:)