Manual machining with smaller benchtop machines or used old iron should suffice for most or all of a hobbyists needs. For custom flashlight work this equipment can be ideal.
The Makerspace I frequent has a Bridgeport knee mill in good running condition that I've taken my first fumbling steps with. Metalworking where
mils matter is an entirely different thing than woodworking where
tens of mils would be exceptional precision
(nothing like bumping a rotary vice while it's loose to kick off another session of "let's find the tool center"). I expect I'll be able to do almost everything I'd want to do with a mill on the Bridgeport without having to learn CAM on their HAAS VF-1.
