Well Jazz, if you want to have a beer with me then I'll meet you in Antarctica next year on Feb 11. I'll be on the Antarctic peninsula. Don't worry about the ice box as I think it will be cold enough......and it will be room temperature. Just the way the UK likes it. I don't drink too much now as I'm too old for that but 30 years ago I might have given you a run for your money.

How do you keep the crud out of the ballscrews? It's something I have had a lot of thought on over the years. The leather strap/thong draped over them with a weight seems to get 90% of the stuff away from getting caught up in them.

Thank God for the Chinese and their cheap parts. It makes our hobby just that much more affordable. Ten years ago when I started building CNC stuff there wasn't much second hand stuff around and I wasted a lot of money buying stuff I thought MIGHT do at a pinch. Most of it is still sitting in the tool box and cupboards. There has been no better time to build CNC machines than now and also with the American dollar at an all time low and the market being flooded with new parts for second hand prices. I am jealous. The advent of all these Forums has also helped tremendously.