Some folks here were kind enough to get me over one major hurdle setting up my old, but new to me, Sherline lathe with a Flashcut 401A. Thanks datac and machinehop5!

Now I am at the next phase of setting this machine up. I am running Flashcut 3. I tried v4, but it required an upgrade. So it's v3 for now. My lathe has 4 of these steppers (https://www.flashcutcnc.com/product/...stepper-motor/). I have noticed that when I try to set up the configuration, I am only able to use two axes when I set it up as a lathe, but all 4 become available when configured as a mill. Is that a typical setup on a lathe, to run it as a mill for a workaround? That seems counterintuitive and complicated. Or am I just setting it up incorrectly?

Also, I have learned that I do not have a spindle encoder, so my spindle is just set up as another axis. I assume that means I will not be able to do any threading, which is a problem I will have to solve. Can anyone make any recommendations on an encoder I can add to my system? I can call Flashcut tomorrow to see if any new equipment will be compatible, but I don't want them to be my only option if there is something better.

I would greatly appreciate any recommendation or advice. It's a big learning curve!