I've been searching and hoping to find something that met my requirements that would fit in my limited garage space, but have been unable thus far. I need a milling machine for a couple of very different applications. I made estimates of what I would use this for, and came up with a breakdown of the types of work.

50%: Machining cutouts in large plastic boxes. The Boxes are as large as 24x24x18" and get holes / cutouts on every side but the top and back.
30%: Will be flat steel plates 6" x 18" x 1/2" thick that get pockets, square cutouts, slots and through holes as well as 13ga sheet. Also cutoff, flats and snap ring grooves on 1/2" round stock are on the list, so adding a rotary 4th axis down the line would be a bonus.
15%: Aluminum work, no larger than 6"x6"x6" enclosures, and some similarly sized solid block milling, quite a bit of10ga sheet.
5%: Remaining work will continue to be shopped out, as i don't have the room or desire to accomodate it.

So, I'm wanting / considering a machine that, assuming the y axis (if it's a column mill type due to the steel) is the shortest has to be able to mill everywhere on that 24"x24" Face or the z axis if it ends up being a router type, must accomodate that 24" part + tool to do the sides and bottom. I've shopped around and getting a machine that will do steel and accomodate that large of a part is the size of a truck, and that isn't going to work. I need to keep the the footprint as small as possible, I have too much stuff (that I need) as it is. Not sure what the door height is, I can measure that If needed. Since he large parts are normally enclosures, so I don't think I really need more than a 6" of inches of working travel in the z-axis, but accomodating that 24" part while keeping things stiff enough to do the flat steel stuff is leaving me wondering the best way to go. I'm open to any and all suggestions. Thanks for reading.