Beginner MYCNCDIY Mill Build questions

[suraj1793]

So do you guys think that a lathe conversion is the way to got for me with my current budget? Is the round bed/old lathe setup I added a link to in my previous post (similar to the one I currently have) suitable for such a conversion?

[irving2008]

In a word, no. That's not to say it can't be done as a purely intellectual exercise, just that the results will be disappointing, plus the cost of conversion will far exceed what the lathe is worth. And it won't be a quick exercise either.

As the owner of several pre-1930 British lathes I can tell you that the backlash in the lead-screws and the lack of rigidity in the bed/headstock/bearings/etc make it pointless. Manually operated, I know the machine's limits so know how far I can push it and leave some slack for the final finishing passes. They were very much a seat-of-the-pants exercise, feeling the tool/bed/headstock/bearing/workpiece deflections to creep up on the desired end diameter. A CNC machine simply cannot come close, it needs the rigidity and precision in the basic machine to start with.

[suraj1793]

Thanks irving, do you know of any other CNC projects I could work on which are within my budget? Been looking at plasma cutters which look interesting but I am guessing they are also expensive. If not, I guess I will have to just hold off until I can put atleast £1000 forward as per JAZZ's advice.