Worked full day on the machine. I started by drilling / tapping the Y axis plates followed by the Z backplate. I then installed my saw blade on the table saw and proceeded to bring the plates to their final sizes.
At the end of the evening, I quickly assembled the X axis and Y plates together to confirm the fit and was agreeably surprised by how everything went together. The X carriage is smooth and doesn’t bind. I noticed that the Z axis ball screw is somewhat shorter than the design. (see bottom bearing FF12 on the pictures). I’m hoping to built the wood base tomorrow along with cutting / installing the cross beam of the base, which should allow trial-fit assembly of the whole frame (!!!!)
Going to bed