CNC Lathe Modification

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	Being able to mount the z-axis anywhere on the aluminum plate adds a lot of flexibility to the types of cuts that can be made. Sherline actually sells a bare plate with mounting holes for such a purpose. Here, I am temporarily mounting the z-axis in this location in order to cut the block of aluminum in half along the horizontal axis.
	From the side, you can see the end mill cutting into the aluminum piece. A lot of material was wasted in making this cut because the diameter of the end mill was so large. It would have been better to use some type of band saw to split this aluminum block in half. However, at this stage I was more interested in experimenting with different type of cuts rather than the absolute practicality.
	Here's a side view of the system configured as a mill. You will see later that I can convert this system into a lathe by repositioning the spindle and motor.

	Here's an angle view of the system still configured as a mill. At the lower left hand corner is the black blocked shaped spindle mount used to hold the spindle and motor during the lathe configuration. This block is actually riser blocks normally used to extend the spindle from the z-axis slide. In this modification, the riser block is actually mounted horizontally to the corner of the base plate.
	Here's a good view showing the spindle and motor mounted horizontally in the lathe configuration. A 3 or 4 jaw chuck is connected to the end of the spindle. A corresponding tailstock is mounted along a slotted plate for holding different length materials. At the end of the x-y table is a block holding the cutting tool. It's that simple!