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Just some food for thought, the machine you got makes for a great 2-Axes Cnc conversion that is the best bang for the buck in cutting performance, work envelope and cost.
Easy conversion with few...

You want to configure so all your slides will be able to hold/push at about the same force. Your weakest Axes will set the limit of how fast or hard you can cut.
This will also be true for a 4th...

When I need to reduce a carbide shaft, I grind a kerf around the circumference.
About 90 degree kerf aproximatly 20 percent of the diameter deep.
Then position then kerf cut shaft in a vice with...

Maybe Metric 6mm x 0.03937 = 0.23622 inch ?

Adding a manual tool change would be easy, just position the tool within easy reach of the opperator and program a

M00(Load Tool #25)

The problem is what to do about tool offsets.
You could...

Sometimes it may be adventatious in a Design solution.
The main reason for using a Driven Nut Design is to eliminate Screw wipping wich can happen when a Screw is driven at high RPM's.
The longer...

Possible Yes, Mach3 should have no problem with this.
As you expect finish would suffer a bit.
Problem is the Postprocessor for such a Machine configuration.
I have seen Industrial prototype...

Some components like rolled Ballscrews often have a cyclic runout meaning that they may be off by a certain amount over a certain distance and return back to zero at the beginning of the next cycle....

You are showing the Ways been Milled not Ground.
Milling is probably the most common Way to do this.
You will need thicker Gib strips to make up for the lost Material.
Additionaly the ways could...

Seams you need to recalculate your stepcount to reflect the circumference you are cutting at.
Or maybe apply scaling to the rotary axes to archive the same result.
In any case it seams that the...

The original Toolpost for these Machines is suppost to be used with shims under the Toolbit to make sure the cutting edge of the tool is even with the center line of the turned Part.
The Toolbit...

Actually it dose look bumpy even in your Picture.
Is this a DXF file you are driving your Toolpath with?
I sugest you take a close look, zoom in on the areas in question and check the quality of...

Not sure if that is the problem but the format seams confusing.
Try this

M6 T2
G43 H2 Z3. (Moves to Z3. at H2 offset)

M6 T4
G43 H4 Z3. (Moves to Z3. at H4 offset)

Hope that takes care of...

If you drill it from both sides your only off half as much!:-)
Make sure you start out your hole as perfect as possible.
You only have controll over the first inch or so of depth, make sure it is...

Microstepping for precision has deminishing returns.
For example without microstepping one step may result in 0.001 inch of machine movement.
When microstepping X10 one step would theoreticly be...

To me it would seam that it is much cheaper and better to just get a Transformer to supply the correct current.
Seams like a shame to gut a machine in that condition.

Very nice Drawing, looks to be a very sturdy Frame.
I am not sure what your expectations are in regard to cutting steel, I would not expect much, it still is a router design with some of its...

Same results here, I tested out some optical switches and got them to work but ultimatly decided going with the mechanical one.
The opticals require more wires to route and are working only to pull...

You need the encoder on the spindle, so it is allways 1:1.
else it would be useless.

You will need an encoder on the Spindle to do rigid tapping.
The Spindle speeds given in the manual will only be aproximat anyway.
So your 8.3 : 1 should be close enough.

Just guessing here, Home and home offset are set to 1." on the z-axes.
If your switch is located all the way up, then 1." would be outside of travel?
Did you try diffferent Values here for example...

Moglice works the same way, you would first have to bore out the Quill housing the Moglice needs to be of a minimum Thickness to work proper.

Wohw, you did this with your Hacksaw?
Impressive, you do have a lot of patience.
Good Job

If you have some visual edges to pick up you could Draw them right into your Cad file.
Then use a Wiggler as your first Tool and have the Program position it at the quadrant points of your shape,...

Because of the Parts shape having little length wise constraint I would add a stop to one of the ends to ensure consistent locating.
Other then that it would work just fine.

To calibrate your settings you will have to find the maximum values that can be used with your setup.
Start with a low Startvalue and very slow acceleration then observe the motor by programming a...

You actually only need one limit Switch per Axes.
Just have to make sure something triggers the switch as the travel nears each end.
You will want to design the trigger mechanism in a way that...

I think those hollow Pins are hardend, dont make for good shear Pins.
On mild Steel shafting you should use solid Pins made of Cupper or Brass, may have to increase the dia. a little.
This way...

For Positioning Only this would be easy to implement in a Macro.
When machining 4 axes contours however you may need to rotate the long way, hard to get around this.

Retrofitting a Machine dose not change the kind of Parts you make on it.
I would think if you dont like the machine there is little point to invest further into it.
But one thing seams like a...