My Grizzly G0602 Lathe

I have both drilling options but almost exclusively use the tailstock. But I think that depends on the use case. If you make the same part all the time and that involves driĺing you want a turrent (i dont have one) and the ability to drill

I used printed parts and sensors as encoder. But setting this up to have the right distance was a pain. A pic is here:
forum.zerspanungsbude.net/viewtopic.php?...394&start=10#p453365

thank you MalteS. unfortunately I cant read German. That said the pictures were very informative.
I am trying to figure out if I should go that route or use one of the Omron rotary encoders with a drive belt
off the spindle

Well today is the day my Lathe is set to arrive. I cant wait to do an un-boxing.
I am already working on a computer to run the machine.
The ball screw kit should arrive later this week and the steppers should arrive in
a day or so.

I converted a very similar machine as my first CNC.

For the X axis I used a relatively small pulley and a needle roller to put the drive belt just in front of the saddle, and then put a pair of angular contact bearings on a shaft extension in the feed handle area.
I could then tuck the motor under the leadscrew.

I don't have any good photos (they were on Picasa) but the best of my bad photos are:
photos.app.goo.gl/329ofxNXKxtwDcCy8
photos.app.goo.gl/VeGxmMaT9y4btL2SA

I did this to retain use of the handwheels. A facility I don't recall ever using (as the CNC controller needed to be on for the spindle to work...)

Despite being a very small pulley driving an 8mm ballscrew at a 1:1 ratio it never gave a moment's trouble. (I sold the lathe on, and never heard again from the purchaser, despite offering 12 months tech support as part of the package)

I got rid of it as it was a decent enough lathe, but a terrible milling machine.

Thanks andypugh . Yeah when I first thought about machining I had considered a combo lathe/mill
but couldn't afford one. Later I found out what you had found out that they make terrible mills.
Though not from personal experience .

The irony is I tried to turn a drill press into a mill instead. It worked mostly but was insanely inefficient.
then I got a used GrizzLy G0619 . Not long after that I decided to CNC it with Mach3 and smooth stepper.
it worked well for the most part until I tried including more then just a bare bones setup .

the first of many video's to come. This is an unboxing video.