Starting out with a CNC mill

Hello, a compulsory introduction. Not keen on talking about myself, so will keep it short. Joined the forum to learn, meet like minded engineers and share knowledge.

I myself have been a mechanical design engineer for the last 12 years. Did some bibs and bobs with manual lathes and mills, but always was leaving anything complicated to machine to the professionals.

I have started working for myself a few years ago. Part of the work is designing new small test machines. I have got to the point, where chasing quotations, then waiting for up to a few months just to receive out of spec parts etc etc just to get a few prototypes made was consuming a lot of my time. So I bit a bullet and bough myself an old VMC (CNC mill). I took the delivery last week and now a daunting task of not crashing the spindle with my first job awaits!

I am reading the machine manual and CNC Handbook by Smid. It is a bit hard going. So decided to join the forum to look more into information and hopefully not to annoy people too much with my rookie questions.

Also, if anybody in midlands, Leicester-Nottingham area, have experience with Fanuc controls, it would be great to meet up, hear advise etc. Beers on me!