Thanks.

I did get gear racks for both axis.

The gantry kit was $325. In hindsight, it seems a little steep and I may have gone other directions since I've learned more.

I've had a couple issues with the basic table construction. The first was the inconsistancy of my welds. It took me a while to figure it out, but it turns out that if I'm not sitting or standing upright with a good brace for my hand, my welds suck. But, it's a learning project.

The other problem I've had is that when I put the 2" flat bar on the bottom of the 2" square tube, it cause the tube to bow up (away from the welded side) by 3/4" to and 1" in the middle of the tube. I'm planning on putting a piece of angle on the top of the tube to extend the depth of the water table and to hold the slats. I'm hoping that welding that on will help reduce the bow.