i have started work on handle #2! i know what to do this time around so it's a bit faster.
i'm also getting less afraid to push the machine harder in alu. it's not very rigid, so surface finish ends up poor, but its 0.75 horsepower is plenty for fairly deep cuts if that's not a concern. so i'm setting up to take a lighter finish cut at the end.
another little bit of evening machining! i continued on handle #2 — it's starting to look like something now.
unfortunately i milled down my little fixture too much, so i'll need to fix that (probably by milling deeper into the plastic and making a new nub again). but that's something for tomorrow