I've been cooking on this project a little longer than i'd like, but I've just had so many irons in the fire. However, I've just about caught up on making customer parts and making parts for the G0704 (lol). I've been reviewing maxspongebob's 1228 conversion a lot, and I think I have a good handle on where I am going to get started with my conversion. I've also been using the lathe a lot manually, which is giving me a good ideas for the enclosure, stand, chip collection, coolant, and the generally how the frame and enclosure should work. I want to build out the stand, chip tray/collection, and coolant first. I will set the mill on the stand and use it manually for a bit while I work on the control. Finally, I'll build out the enclosure. I'm just not sure how much space I need around the lathe to work it when it is fully enclose. It's seems more simple than the mill, but I don't want to build an enclosure then hate it.
Additionally, I've got my electronics picked out. I am going to go with a UC300eth-5lpt with Mach 3 at first. Risky move, but UCCNC mentioned they will officially do a lathe release and I'd like both my machines on the same control. So eventually the plan is to move off of M3 to UCCNC on the lathe. Also, I own Mach3, so for now this is a nice cheap route. I have an MX3660 with a blown driver, which will get me started with the two needed axis and will provide a BOB. Again, a nice cheap place to start. Obviously I will steppers, which I think I have both of. The lathe control is going to be so much more simple than the mill.
I still haven't ordered ballscrews. I am on the fence about double nuts or single nuts. Everybody seems to struggle getting the backlash out of cheap double nuts, so what's the point?
I am going to add this turret from the get go. I saw a review from CNC4XR7 and he had good things to say. I am one dude and running two machines simultaneously is not of any interest to me. Especially when I rely on my mill to run by itself while I do things machines can't do.
https://www.altaros.cz/en/content/53...ic-turret-head
The final part I am kind of on the fence about is going with a servo or just a BLDC for the drive. I am tempted for a servo, but it's going to be expensive. Not that the BLDC won't, but I can get a lot of BLDC for like 30% less than the servo it seems. The only benefit of the servo is if I set up the spindle as a C axis I could do all sorts of other fun stuff, but I'm not even sure I need it. DIY live tooling would be sweet though.
I'll grab some pictures as I start work, as is the lathe doesn't look too different from the pictures on the website.