Thanks Chris,
Speeking of wanting to machine big stuff, I've stalled my spindle a few times and have decided I need more power. I had gotten the electronics to count spindle rpm a while back but never got around to installing them. Now I won't have to. I just bought a fanuc 20s servo to replace my spindle motor. It's a 4.7hp servo with a 2500 pulse coder on it.
Pico makes a converter to pull fanuc's proprietary commutation signals out of their pulse coder signals to give standard hall and encoder signals. I'm getting one of these:
http://pico-systems.com/oscrc4/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=4&products_id=29I also ordered an a-m-c b30a40ac amplifier. It takes AC input so I'm not limited by the dc power supply I have running my positioning axes. I'll be able to scale the gain to get the 2000 rpm max motor speed at 146v and run 15 amps continuous 30 amps peak. The motor's stall current is 20 amps.
This aught to let me take much deaper cuts with big face mills, easily and acurately control spindle start up and rpm with the normal gcode, perform semi-rigid tapping, and since it has spindle orientation I can implement a tool changer if I decide to.