Karl Townsend wrote:

I have to disagree with you here, the Sieg X2 mini-mill is a decent
machine and probably one of the best in it's size class. The X3 is
particularly nice.

You have to remember two things:

- Not everyone works on large scale stuff, some people like to only work
on "model" sized parts.

- Not everyone has the room for a larger machine, even the Tormach ones,
much less your Bridgeport. An X2 or X3 based mill can readily be setup
in an apartment extra bedroom for example.

In the not too distant future, I'll be spending most my time in a
small setting with only an extra bedroom for a shop. I've kind of
looked at the syil X6. is this the same as sieg? have you seen this
mill?

Syil's original machine was based on the Seig X3, their newer machines
are apparently their own design / manufacture.


I'd want to toss the steppers and put on a pro quality CNC control. Do
you happen to know of a 1000 lb. class CNC mill that would be older
and thus possible to buy with a dead control?

You need to spend some time with these "junk" CNC controls as you seem
to thing they are, then perhaps you'll understand that they are not at
all "junk".

Steppers are *not* the big drawback you seem to think, as long as they
have been sized properly and you use the machine within it's ratings.

If you really want servos, you can add inexpensive step / dir servos and
get all the functionality that servos have over steppers, basically just
following error detection when you try to overload the machine. Servos
have other advantages over steppers, however they don't really come into
play in this size machine.

On the software end you need to realize that Mach3 and EMC2 are just as
capable as any other CNC control software within their 6 axis limitation
(controls on those zillion axis "Swiss" CNC lathes are a whole 'nother
thing). Please review exactly what features are on your "pro" control
and then look and find the exact same feature is available on both Mach3
and EMC2.

Neither Mach3 nor EMC2 have the I/O limitations you seem to think they
have, if you need 100 I/Os either will readily accommodate that. If you
need control of an ATC, either will readily accommodate that. In any
case you won't likely need 100 I/O or ATC control on this sized machine.
If you really want to be surprised, do a new search and find the ATC
that is produced for the Sieg X2 conversions and is controlled by Mach3.