[2_many_hobbies]

I have a video of my progress here:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiyHGxpxUlA"]YouTube- Taig Lathe 1/5HP Test 1[/ame]

I have put a 1/5HP 3250RPM 4LB Marathon Motor on a bracket (brown piece is some fiber board to tension the belt)

My goal is to have a stepper as well as the motor connected to only the headstock so that I can easily pull it off the lathe and use it on my mill. Also for people who want a nice lathe/index axis for their mill the Taig spindle and chuck is about $160 and very nicely made. I have run the setup as it looks now and turned some brass and aluminum stock and the 1/5HP motor preforms just as well as the stock one and I can buy these little guys for $30.

I am currently making a VFD for speed control, as this little motor requires only 3.4A max I have a prototype controller built (without the high voltage power supply) for $23 including LCD.

I would like to ask the question of how should I mount the motor permanently? I considered flipping the motor 180deg and running it right beside the spindle with the stepper on the other side of the spindle or having both motors behind the headstock as it looks now. Im worried that leverage will damage the bed ways in the current configuration and with the motors on the sides of the spindle im worried about making it to crowded for manual use.

Anyways, any comments on my idea?

EDIT:
Here is the idea im going for

[TXFred]

Are you saying that you want to be able to remove the spindle from the lathe and put it on the mill as a fourth axis? That's what I got from reading your post. I couldn't watch the video because youtube is blocked at work.

Have you thought about what a pain it's going to be to have to align the spindle again every time you put it back on the lathe? And then adjust the tailstock. And then set up your lathe tool offsets again. Etc. You'll be spending far more time on setup than you need to.

If you want a fourth axis for the mill, buy another spindle and use that. But don't plan on gutting your lathe every time you want to do 4 axis milling.

I apologise if I misunderstood your intent.

[blades]

..... I couldn't watch the video because youtube is blocked at work.

LOL! You don't happen to work at Toyota do you? My youtube is blocked also.