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To kind of jump into this discussion -- The way I would attack this problem.

From your description, I would suspect that the step size is wrong, or the rack/pinion clearance is too tight, is...

I'd need to know a lot more about your setup to be certain, but the first place I'd look is at the backlash compensation in your controller setup. It looks like maybe you have around a .030 backlash...

The basic general problem here is that on a scale of microseconds, usb is not real time. It will not only have lag, but the lag is not predictible. This is why Mach has to use smoothstepper (or...

A slightly different angle.

If 1-1/2 x 1/4 flat bar is good enough for thickness and finish.

Cut lengths in 2" increments that fit on your machine.
Make a fixture that will hold one or more...

Use a 1/2 ball end mill (for at least the last 1/4 for width.
If the pocket is very big, I'd probaby do it in two stages, take out the middle with a square end mill, leaving just a smidge more than...

I use superglue as a regular thing on one off stuff.
It'll hold two parts together while I drill and tap holes to bolt them together, hold a small thin piece to a sacrifice piece that I can hold......

You want to get well under the surface scale the first pass.

I'd recommend about .025 doc for the first pass, a fairly fast feed, then reduce the load as needed by reducing the stepover.

I...

If all you want is to make holes in bars, a purpose built setup might be the idea.
One would need to know what precision you need in the holes, both the hole and the location.

How many holes...

I would start by clamping a virtual block of aluminum to your virtual table.
Then for that view of the top of the work, figure out what the tool path would need to be.

Then rotate the part to a...

The motor will be fine, they are good motors and will last a long time. So long as you have the stock stepper motors, and aren't trying to run a big flycutter, the spindle motor won't be what limits...

What material? 'Aluminum' is not quite sufficient. Is T6 OK?
What are the tolerances?

Can the piece be made from .25 square stock? It would be a lot cheaper that way. Even .25 wide and ~.20...

First off, you're short at least three critical dimensions.
The angle of the notch for each v, the number of v-notches and whether or not the bottom of the notch is perpendicular to the axis.
...