I think my ideal starting point would have been the Solid Column HiTorque Mini Mill model 3960 from LittleMachineShop that comes with a longer base and a larger table that has a T slot on the front edge at $819.00 (about £525.00), however shipping to the UK would have been a killer.
In the end I bought a Sieg SX2 Mini Mill from Axminster
This is to be my Christmas present from my wife this year (we tend to choose and order our own presents, that way we are not disappointed on the day).
The Axminster Mini Mill was the best compromise for what I wanted to do.
It has less X and Y travel than the SX2P from ArcEuroTrade, and a smaller table. However, it has much more space to add sensible sized ballscrews to the X and Y axes. After drawing up the SX2P, I was really struggling to fit any sensible sized ballscrew, let alone a nut in the 20mm of available space under the X table.
It does not have a fixed column, but that is a relatively simple modification to get around the column flex by bolting a plate to the bottom of the column, but it does have the 500W brushless belt drive motor.
The main selling point was that it was over £100.00 cheaper at £492.77 inclusive of VAT and shipping, compared with £585.00 inc VAT + £40.00 shipping from ArcEuroTrade. It was on sale, down from £679.00, because Axminster are changing their colour scheme from “off-white” to “grey and aqua” adding the term “Engineering Series” to the name and clearing out the old stock.
I ordered the mill late on Wednesday night and it arrived on Friday afternoon.
By Friday Evening there were no more of these mills left at the cheaper price from Axminster, just the new ones at £679.00.
Someone at the courier company was obviously having a laugh with the delivery guy, because he turned up with it in a van, having only a sack truck as a means of moving anything.
I gave him a hand offloading it onto my driveway, fortunately at 71Kg (156lbs) including packaging it was’t too heavy for the two of us to carry.
The “pallet” if you can call it that, had pretty much collapsed, both cross members had snapped and the crate was sagging somewhat, only remaining in place because of the packing straps.
Here it is once the crate has been removed, still bolted to the bottom plate of the crate.
After removing the 2 bolts, I carried it into the garage so it would be safe from theft out on the driveway.
I think I will remove the head before transporting it to the “workshop” as it is just a bit to heavy to carry comfortably on my own, especially over the obstacle course between the front of the garage and the end of the garden, but that can be a job for tomorrow.