Next I needed to order the parts I would need to do the retrofit. I did consider using geckos but instead decided to support the UK based CNC suppliers.
So I ordered:
Nema 34 8.7Nm x 2No. (I had planned to use steppers with 4.1Nm of torque but I ran across a website which specialized in retrofitting these machines, the offered a 8.9Nm motor as a direct replacement.)
Stepper Drivers 6A x 2No.
600W PSU
Uniport Breakout Board
Spindle V4 board for controlling my spindle speed.
I have a Brook & Crompton 3Phase 2HP AC motor and a Power Commander SE VFD left over from a job that fell thru.
The Power Commander unfortunately is a 3 Phase - 3 Phase unit and not one that can run on either single or 3 Phase, I would ideally like to have the machine able to function from a 240V line but I can live for now with the current VFD and always change out at a later stage.
Here is some more progress on the lathe:
I stripped the paint and blew on a rough coat of primer to stop rust and help me see wheres needs more work. I'm not looking a bodyshop finish but I do want it looking respectable.
(I could take a bath in thinners but nitromors is still definitely nasty stuff)
Here is a pic of the bed and z axis cleaned and put back together without the ballscrews.
Got the rest of the lathe cleaned up, forgot to take some pics.
Received all the parts I had on order, I needed to bore out the axis drive pulleys to fit the stepper motors, so I quickly bored them on the lathe and then cut the start of the keyway on the mill, I then filed the keyway out square with a hand file.
Endmill wasn't ideal for the task but its the only 5mm cutter with enough flute length I had to do the job.
Next is to finish base, build motor mount and bench lathe before re assembling.