Newbie buying a mill

[irving2008]

As it says, I'm a newbie thinking about buying a mill to shape putter heads (you know, golf club putters). I've been refurbishing golf clubs and putters for a few years using allsorts of tools (drill press, dremel, grinders, buffing wheels, etc) and would now like to start making some from scratch.

I'd be using 100mm sections of 30mm square bar in 304 stainless and 1017 mild steel and would like some advice on the type of machine that would

a) cope with the size and type of steel I'd be using
b) would be able to be CNC retrofitted at a later date
c) could take an 8" rotary table

Must be single phase and I have a budget of roundabout £1000 for the mill - don't know if that will be enough??

It's for purely personal hobby use, I've no commercial aspirations.

Thanks

AFAIK machining stainless is beynd the capabilities of many small mills unless you take very fine cuts. You need to be thinking something along the lines of a secondhand Bridgeport to have the grunt necessary to do that.