"I'd be interested to see a front view as your design you seems to have a full height side plate on the gantry. Do your x-axis screws stick out a long way?"

Not quite sure what you mean by that?

Here are some options for the gantry..really don't know which route to go down now...Option A would allow an internally mounted motor (without increasing the side plate width). However I am also leaning towards option B. No matter which option I go with I still need to do something about the big gap where swarf could get to the ballscrew.

Click image for larger version. 

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