[hackjob]

hi everyone,
I'm trying to build a new control for an old Hardinge HC Chucker CNC lathe that I have.
The lathe is equipped with an OLD Dana Summit Bandit CNC (NC?) control.
The spindle has an encoder belt driven, just behind the head.
The motors are all mounted nicely and clean so I'd really like to use everything as-is if possible.
I'm looking for suggestions for the best way to approach this control.

What I've been thinking of doing is building a Mach3 PC to BOB and new drivers.
(I am very open to suggestions, if there is a better option out there)

THE PROBLEM i'm up against, is trying to find drivers for these old steppers.
The motors are Superior Electric SLO-SYN Nema 42, motor plate reads 9.2A / 2.1V.
These are 6-wire steppers, unipolar if I'm correct.

The old drives are monsters, with GIANT heatsinks on the ends of them. They are dinosaurs. I want something new, that I will be able to find in the future, should one fail.

I was informed that I will be able to run these motors with a bipolar drive (by wiring the two wires from each coil, and ignoring the center tap wires)

Would I be able to find a drive to power these motors (please chime in with suggestions), and will I lose torque by wiring these as mentioned above.
Anaheim Automation does offer unipolar drives. BUT, would I not then be able to microstep, and be better off with new motors AND drives to match?

[James Newton]

geckodrive.com