Well – 2 things – well 3 actually.

1. Thanks for the reply David

2. How do I subscribe to the archives – couldn't find any link in the MEW menu list?

3. I didn't really want to go down the DIY route – as I'm already spending more time making accessories for my mini lathe/milling machine than I am actually making things with it. And whereas I can adjust my machining approach to take account of backlash, material foilbles, my own amateur failings, etc., CNC appears to need a better approach to precision than I, at present, am capable of.

Neil, as far as digital subscriptions go – what platforms do the digital editions work on -its not mentioned or clear from the MEW subscription site. Are they Android, Apple? or can they be downloaded into general browsers like Firefox, Chromium etc. As I regard Apple Inc and Microsoft as "Devils Incarnate", I avoid their products whenever possible.

Bringing this thread up-to-date: I did buy an Ebay Chinese 3020 CNC router/engraver. Can't fault the CNC machine so far and LinuxCNC does everything that I want it to do. I've also found that the gcodetools extension within the Inkscape graphical package provides an easy route from graphic design to machine gcode – although I still have not found an easy solution in this process for routing out solid areas. It works fine for outline engraving. I'm also in the process of adding a 2W 445nm laser for thin cutting and photographic burnt wood imagery. This unit is attached to the front of the spindle moter. I've attached limit switches to the CNC machine. But my main problem is entirely mine – in trying to get a good relationship between type of material/ type of tool/ spindle speed / feedrate/ and plungespeed – just need more experience and practice.

I've always been an open-source guy ever since I found out about Richard Stallman and the whole open-source philosophy back in the early 1990's. So Linux has been my OS ever since except where employed work was concerned and corporate mindset forced Windows on me. Even then I preferred to use IBM OS/2 or Sun Microsystems Solaris operating systems – they were so much more sophisticated and secure than Windows. And although Linux now powers the Web and the most powerful computers in the world and most of the mobile phone market through Android, it's takeup on personal PCs and laptops is still small – partly because Microsoft still has hardware makers in thrall. But the good side is that even though Linux is highly impervious to malware, the market share means that it is not a profitable target anyway. Microsoft and closed-source software, IMHO, will eventually die out. The increasing Linux adoption by countries and organisations has shown that, despite an apparently stupid commercial roadmap – giving away intellectual property, it works and firms such as Redhat and Ubuntu can make a profit through servicing agreements. The current debacle over Windows 10 and Microsoft's inbuilt security blindness and eternal attempts to control users is just the latest in the death throes of this ugly organisation. PS – I don't like Apple either for nearly the same reasons.