FR 31 column limits - anything bad at the top?
 

Hello all,

I am gradually reaching the point of needing to cut the metal box we
discussed some time ago. One option is to slap it on my mill.
According to documentation, my max spindle/table distance is 18 inches,
which should be enough to do what I have in mind, but I have never
cranked the head nearly that high.

Obviously the cg will be higher than in my normal setups, making it
easier to tip the machine (not a pleasant thought to put it mildly). It
has the typical commercial stand.

It looks as though the head will simply stop at the top. Just in case,
are there any associated horror stories I should know about?

Another option is to make jigs, and I will give than another serious
look before working on the box. Most of the work is hole pattern
drilling. There is one window that could be cut by drilling the corners
and sawing between them; it will be covered by a Al plate with lots of
holes for Sub-D connectors, so it does not need to be pretty inside.

Bill