I have been reading the forums pretty much non stop the past few days trying to sift through all my options, and I think I'm close to a verdict, with just a few loose ends to clear up.
So here is what I want to accomplish, machine small parts in delron, aluminium, and occasionally steel. About the only thing I will be doing in steel is gears, and I have no problem going as slow as the machine/tool needs me to go.
For gears I obviously need a 4th axis, but I have not seen a wealth of information on this topic. Who sells a 4th axis, and what do I need to know about it regarding gear making? Any issues converting it to CNC? Kits available?
About tooling, where does everyone go for tools? I would like to start shopping for tools, and calculating feeds and speeds to make sure everything is within the limits of the machine.
For the main axises, I was thinking of going CNC fusion with ball screws. However I have read some posts about the Z axis screw being in a bad place limiting access to a adjustment screw? Does this issue still exist, is it really a big deal?
And lastly, the fusion kit comes with timing belt style belts, does that take away the ability to change spindle speeds? How many different speeds can you achieve?