Here I am, in common with many, starting retirement and able to continue making and doing with more time. I've started to connect my microprocessor design experience with machine tools, and I've just added a Denford Triac to the Novamill to the tool retinue. On that is a Harrison mill with a Bridgeport head, Which I wouldn't mind making a whole bridgeport, along with some sooo lovely Swiss machines. retirement will be busy!

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Brian – 'Getting into CNC' – Hmmm. I once asked a well respected cave diver if you need to be a diver first, or a caver. As a potholer I was interested in this method of shortening my life, but he said – Diver. And I think with CNC, my other life as electronics & software placed me well for CNC. Notwithstanding, the two parts of CNC – making the thing work, and making something with it – are not impossible from just the mechanical end, but there will be many mysteries on the way. My Novamill has Denford VR s/w which is basic, but very good. The Triac and the toy C5 have Mach3, where the M stands for Minefield for the unprepared. Gettting the spindle up and running today for the Triac, then there will be a seperate processor, probably on Modbus for the ATC.