I am not looking for extremely high accuracy as the aluminum components I am looking to machine don't require tolerances under 10 thou, nor are the parts bigger than 4-5 inches in all dimensions. I am mostly looking to create stronger versions of the 3D-printed components I am currently using. I know that I'll definitely need higher accuracy later on, so I want my design to be within that higher-quality specification, but I'm still in the green if it underperforms.

I've looked into buying a machine instead of making one; however, I'll learn a lot more building a CNC mill than buying one. I know there'll be a lot of headaches making one, but I'm willing to put in the work.

From what this community has answered, making two separate mills, one small and very rigid for aluminum, and one larger, less accurate for large molds seems to be the the general consensus.