ScopeRoller Busy

I have been working on adding a new product to the casters line for Dobsonian telescopes.  These are not mounted on tripods.

There is a groundboatd at the base, to which I need to attach my new design without any permanent changes to the customer's product.  I think I have a solution that doesn't way too much and I think I have it.  But I have to mill a slot so that bolts can pass through to a threaded hole.  Millie is not back from hospital yet, but I could simulate a mill by putting an end mill in the drill press, drilling the first hole, raising the end mill, moving it over a fraction of an inch and down again.  Repeat several times.  (You can't move the workpiece while the mill is turning; drill presses will not tolerate the side load like a vertical mill.)

Anyway, I had two orders come in today, so that takes precedence over new development.  One of the orders was for the tripod that originally caused me to order Millie.  Although I ended up coming up with a sleeve design for that tripod, I ended up writing code to pilot all the holes in the sleeves.  At the time I was enjoying myself too much, and had Millie drill about eight sets of three.  So I was able to grab three mostly complete sleeves out, and tap eight holes on each, file the rough edges and I am most of the way there.  Nicely, the precision of the pilot holes positioning made the tapping process astonishingly quick.  Push each part up to the edge of the mill vise on the drill press, down with the tap, and everything was in exactly the right position; no minor adjustments for positioning.

UPDATE: Trying to cut a slot by using an endmill really did not produce attractive results.  The  drill press vise kept moving, producing irregular holes.