Interesting project. I’m doing something similar using my wood lathe. I found arduino to be too slow so I’m using Teensy 3.2. The goal is to be able to just turn the machine on and not be bothered by a pc and software. Also cutting threads seems easier using a microcomputer.
Regarding your machine; Steppers don’t have enough torque to rough cut wood. You could spin something for sanding. You can cut wood if you add an XZ axis and a router.
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