Hi, I'm Mike and I've converted a Sieg X3 Mill to 3 axis CNC with ballscrews and stepping motors. The mill's spindle drive was also converted to poly-V belt drive and PWM motor control, in place of the tooth belt, gears and SCR motor control, which makes the mill run very smooth and quiet. Current spindle speed range is 0 to 1750 and 0 to 3500 RPM, by changing the motor pulley and belt, not very convenient to do but it's a small price to pay for the quietness!
I converted the machine over a period of a year and it's working well, and I'm now in the process of learning to use Turbocad Pro to create machine drawings to convert to G code, (using lazyCam). However, I normally I code by hand in G-code, just for simple parts, eg engraving Hand Wheels, but I'm quite surprised how easy it is to create, use and modify G-code with Mach 3. I am doing this for interest not a living. The original idea was use the machine to create parts for hot air engines but I appear to have been diverted more to CNC operation than anything else and it's opened up a whole new world for me. I also have a 4th Axis which is a Vertex BSO dividing head driven with a stepping motor, which makes the whole CNC set up very versatile.
Very pleased to be making some progress in the CNC space, and very pleased to discover how much interest there is for CNC for both amateur and professional use.
Regards to all,
Mike