Almost bought one tonight.
http://auction.repoc...ls.cfm?ID=1113341
Outbid by over $100.
It was $30K when new. This one I got the WHOLE history on it. It was rebuilt in 2010, except for one thing the Z axis... which gets the lest amount of wear anyway.
It was owned by a Tech Center and had exceptionally little usage and hours on it... It run on Redhat Linux v8 (2002).
Personally, getting into kinds of materials you want, they are getting expensive at that point.
The RepRaps (http://www.reprap.org/wiki/Main_Page) or Makerbots (http://www.makerbot.com/). Could probably do the form but not the material.
Getting into Ceramic stuff is some of the expensive stuff.
http://www.shapeways...aterials/ceramics
http://www.lithoz.co...mics-as-material/