a bed having a forward container;

a base mounted on the bed;

a cutting tool mounted on a front surface of the base;

an L-shaped arm affixed to an upper portion of the base;

a saddle mounted on an underside of the horizontal part of the arm;

a first motor mounted at an open end of the arm for moving the saddle;

a container disposed at a forward end of the bed;

a slide mounted on an underside of the saddle;

a second motor mounted on a front surface of the cutting tool for moving the slide; and

a chuck assembly mounted on an underside of the slide and including a housing, a release mounted at a forward end of the housing, a third motor mounted at a forward end of the release, the third motor having a driving shaft projecting out of a rearward end of the housing, a chuck mounted at an end of the driving shaft, and a positioning member for positioning the driving shaft when the third motor is in an inoperative position,

wherein a workpiece held by the chuck therein is disposed above the container during a machining operation such that formed chips are adapted to drop into the container without blocking moving paths of the saddle, the workpiece, and the cutting tool.