So my initial design for the Z axis was to use .500" aluminum plate, but that all changed when I was given approximately a 4' x 4' x .75 thick sheet of aluminum plate, so I had to go back to the drawing board.

Here's the catch, I had to go find it in a field/woods patch of Kudzu (google it), that's right it had been in the shop "field" for gosh knows how many years under a bed of Kudzu. If you anything about the south, it's a good place for snakes as well . I found it though after about an hour and half! And it had very minimal corrosion spots, a few scratches and it was flat as well, I couldn't believe it!! I got it home and spent a couple of hours cleaning it up and in the photos you can see it turned out very well. I have enough left over that I will be building my rotary axis with it too. The last picture of the routing of oil lines actually isn't what it finally worked out to be as the ball screw was to close for comfort, but you get the idea of the oil lines.