Damn you guys...LOL Been lurking/learning/drooling on here for a while. finally bit the bullet and ordered an X3 today. I got the HF version only because I had a 15% off coupon, and been reading that the discrepancy in the smaller table than the Grizzly is in error (of course no one at HF could answer the question...ha..ha). Anyway, final cost was less than the current "sale" price of Grizzly, so I can get some tooling and such.

Pretty much decided I'll go with one of the cncfusion kits as well, just need to decide which. Probably the full deluxe kit just to save time. I'll practice on junk pieces not my real conversion parts...LOL. I already have a xylotex kit with 425oz steppers for the router I'm building (yeah...you guys got me good!!!) and am considering gecko G203V's just so i can try different setups on each machine. I'm also considering geckos and servos for the X3. Are the homeshopcnc servos a good fit for the X3? I don't see where they state the CPR of the encoders, and I assume that will relate to the accuracy you can get out of the motors (dependent on backlash ans such of course)?

sooo...you guys got another nooobie to babysit. cant blame anyone but your selves for that:)

Way to go Rube! You'll enjoy your x3 very much. It's a nice hobby mill.

Steve

Thanx Steve...I gotta make some time to get over there to see yours and pick your brain a little:) sent ya a pm.

Got just two more days to decide which Gecko's I'm gonna get, stepper or servo drive, before the sale is over. Heck...I know the budget is going to be blown eventually anyway, so why not just get that part of the project out of the way and buy both...HA...HA.

WOOOOT!!! Its here. Picked up my X3 last night. I'm pretty stoked right now. Too bad the CNCfusion kits are still months from being shipped. I also got a set of 3 each, 203V and 320 Gecko's before the end of the sale last month. Still researching servos, and possibly a G-Rex. Been going thru the MACH3 manual to decide on what other hardware I'll need, and start on a wiring schematic. I'm going to hookup with S_J_H next week to see his conversion, and I'm sure that will kick me in the azz a bit more. Looking forward to learning LOTS more from you guys...thanx for everything so far.

oh, yeah, by the way, the HF X3 does in fact have the larger table, NOT the smaller one that is listed in the spec's.

Good for you. I just finished a tear-down and rebuild of my new Grizzly SX3. The X3 Preparation guild is wonderful!
http://www.arceurotrade.co.uk/prepguides/X3%20Mill%20Preparation%20Guide.pdf

Keep us posted.

OK...decided I'm doing my own conversion rather than a kit. Ordered up ball screws, ball nuts, and angular contact bearings today. The tricky part is going to be taking it apart "just" enough to figure out what I need to do, then put it back together to use it to make the parts. This is perfect timing, as I don't wanna work on my hotrods any more this year. :banana:

Great choice Rube! If can help out in any way give me a hollar.

Steve