maxnc/sherline

HI everyone, I am new to the group and want to thank everyone for
such great posts! I have been reading as much as possible and have
been learning very much! While I am a beginner CNCer I would like to
comment on a few things.

I have a sherline 5410 mill (the metric version) and I bought the
sherline stepper motor mounts. I can say they are of GREAT quality as
everything I have bought from sherline has been. I am very pleased
with there fit and looks. They also include another Z-axis leadscrew
that has the mount already placed. Very nice quality.

I am also trying the MAXNC 3 axis 70 oz/in stepper motors on the
sherline mill (borrowed from my brother) using the Maxnc pro software
and I can say that it does NOT work. I have found no way, as maxnc
says, that the motor has enough power to lift the "9ish" pound head
of the sherline mill. I have spoken with the techs at maxnc about
there "retro-fit kit" and they say it works fine on there sherline. I
have setup the motors as there (terrible!!) manuel suggests and am
using the Maxnc 10 driver board with a 2 amp power supply (they say a
1 amp is enough).

As we tried to figure out why their sherline Z-axis moves up and mine
does not it came down to the leadscrew. They use a 1/4-20 leadscrew
in there retro fit kits (which must be tiny!) and I am using a 10mm-1
leadscrew that came with my sherline stepper kit (the inch machine
would come with a 3/8-20). Does this sound right? Would these two
different leadscrews (mine being metic and differnt pitch) make it so
the two machines handle differently?

I would be interested in speaking with anyone that has made the maxnc
70 oz/in motors work on there sherline 5400 mill, especially the Z-
axis.

ANYHOW,

I am thinking of getting a Camtronics 3 axis 2amp board and getting 3
180 oz/in 2amp bipolar motors...I feel this should fix all of my
concerns. What size motors are other people using on there sherline?
I saw the page where (I am sorry I forgot who) made a counterspring
for the Z-axis and it looked GREAT! I will look into making one
myself!

THANK YOU AGAIN Everyone!

taus
sherline 5410 mill