Welcome. There'll be plenty more shortcomings, but that's part of the joy of hobbying - understanding what you have and how to best work around it. Playing with soft/hardwoods you might get more out of the machine than some others - so will be interested to hear how you get on. I'd also be interested in your enclosures - I've been tempted to knock up a nixie clock myself, though I lack a creative side to make a decent enclosure.