New CNC Mill on the horizon

[Jonathan]

but like I said the play in the spindle when extended on the mill is not good so trying to get the workpiece as close to the start point of the mill was important. After that is was surprisingly satisfying :)

Part of your problem with rigidity on the mill will be due to using a drill chuck for milling. Drill chucks are not designed for radial forces, since drills apply a largely axial force. For that reason you shouldn't use a drill chuck for milling as they don't grip very well, in addition to being prone to have higher runout. Get an ER collet chuck and set of collets off eBay and I'm pretty confident you'll see the difference. Just get a suitable size one with the right taper etc...