[Originalrob]

Mind dump incoming !

from my limited experience these are the following things I have learned that have made the most difference:

Get a DRO ! - its all about making parts that are repeatable ! this makes it so much easier ( CNC is the next step maybe one day)

Get quality tools if you can - you have probably heard this so many times before and I can attest buying a £20 M2 tap is far better than one that costs £2 ( trust me the cheap one will break on the first few holes whereas the other will just carry on for hundreds)

Be methodical - making repeatable parts means cleaning between parts , resetting dials, taking your time. don't take short cuts.

Design before any fabrication - as I am going along I actually wish I would have drawn everything up in Fusion 360 before I started. you can waste so much time re-centring / setting up parts that could be done in one .

Vinegar cleans all the mill scale and heat (soldering) blackening off metal you could ever need ! ( Bio Carb soda stops the process). I wish I knew tis from the first day. clean stock metal is very helpful when making repeatable parts.

I am still figuring out the rest !

Rob