WebMaka
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As is tradition, let's start at the end...
It all started with a layout, to sorta-kinda suss out where to put what. Wasn't planning on using the big-chonker NEMA23 steppers but they were a suitable stand-in for NEMA17s.
I already had a bunch of 12mm linear rails and bearings, and the leadscrews are actually car parts - they're from the power seats out of a wrecked Lexus, so they're built for some serious force.
First try at building something more-or-less solid. Just a bunch of holes and 1/8"/3.175mm aluminum plates acting as mount points. It works, but it's ugly. (For those that wonder, that's a Bondtech extruder and E3D V6 all-metal hotend. Leaving the wiring out of the hotend for now.)
A little fun with a desktop CNC mill and more aluminum plate resulted in a sturdier assembly. The only downsides are that it's still ugly and it's pretty heavy.
Custom-Built 3D Printer XZ Gantry
More quality time with a desktop CNC mill and more aluminum plate, and now we have something substantially more rigid - I can pick it up by its Z rails and aside from the hotend carriage (which isn't belted in yet as I still need to fab up a belt tensioner) sliding back and forth, nothing moves. It'll be even more rigid once it's bolted to a suitable frame. I also swapped the leadscrews I had for some longer ones so I should have a solid foot (or 330mm) of travel on all axes.
This assembly is about 2/3 the weight of the one above.