Hi 308 - If you have an ATC its best to have a tool setter, there are many flow on effects from seemingly simple design wants. KISS says no ATC to me for a training machine.

I used to train people to use welding robots and any machine training needs to be really, really simple in the beginning. This is not only for the single person that can use/train a mill at any point in time but the que of people behind that will get frustrated because someone assumed the tool was set then crashed the machine, not pretty. Future people can develop the ATC if needed. ATC is really only useful for production machines.

Gerry has answered the shopbot Q and here's the excerpt from Bamberg. Its unwise to have rails "facing" each other, can be very difficult to adjust. Better to be on the same plane (and same structural element) for your purposes. Peter

Seems you have access to machinery and skills to fit. So now you need lots of time. You learn more from your failures then your successes so sit tight and buckle up. Your going to get a lot of flack here and from where-ever you are. Be prepared to be scarred for life!!