1. The gearing is all wrong to get a supper smooth finishing cut. |
Not strictly true, my Hardinge HLV-H uses the rack and pinion (driven by an electric motor via a clutch and gears) - super smooth finishes are normal.
The biggest issue for cnc operation is the backlash - It'll be difficult to remove unless you can fit a pair of pinions and have a pair of motors (one driving one way one the other).