Final questions before pulling the plug and ordering!

I will be ordering the 12" i3v, 3mm hexagon head and the Graphics LCD.

From others that have built this kit, is there anything you would upgrade or swap-out from the original parts supplied?

Also, any recommendations for a CAD programme for designing pieces from scratch. I do some metalworking and use Solidworks for that, but was wondering if there was something not as "sophisticated" that is in general use.