Is the milling machine yours and if so are they expensive?
Yeah it's my own machine. Got it second-hand last year for £500 but the tooling/clamps necessary for doing basic jobs was another £150 on top of that. Can easily see those costs spiralling as I get more proficient at it and buy fancier cutters.

Nice work jamie, howa you finding the milling machine? Would you recommend one?
Finding it very handy so far, albeit a slow process, partly due to the time to set up the work piece. The travel in each axis is also quite limited in relation to this size of robot - and Drumroll's a small robot at that. But for what I need/will use it for, it's perfectly adequate. And it'll be ideal for making beetles!
As you can see from the pictures, it does help in making higher quality robots and even though I've had a few blips here and there, in the grand scheme of things, they haven't affected the robot in any way. I'd recommend one if you have the cash and space for it. Mine's in a corner of an 8x6 shed so space is tight but workable, however the coolant system is a bit crude (me spraying coolant out a bottle and it running into a drip tray to re-use) because I don't have space to fit a pumped system or the inclination to clean up the workshop every time the coolant sprays everywhere!

I've been building all sorts for years with a few basic hand tools but am umming and arring about getting a decent drill press.
A drill press is a cracking tool, adds that extra bit of accuracy and downforce required to get through some materials while keeping the drill bit properly aligned. I got my drill press from B&Q for £60 and it's served me well. It's not as precise as some higher-end models but that was never really something I was aware of too much. It feels a bit clunky now in comparison to the mill and I was contemplating selling it, but decided to keep hold of it now as it still has its uses.

Are those side panels sloping inwards slightly towards the drum end or is that my eyes?
Just your eyes
Either that or my machining has gone horribly wrong!