dickeybird; the machine with the linuxcnc conversion is the PC-machine, which have an external conroller (in the PC). I don't know, if the F1 was sold in the same version. With the CNC, I fear the conversion will be much more complex. Eventually you can only use the stepper driver, but I don't...
The compact 6 has not really much in common with the F1. But the machine is nearly identical with the compact5 (electric, motors). Afaik you can change the z-ballspindle from lathe to mill and vice versa. The motors have a unusual resolution of 72 steps, although the machine uses halfstep with...
Although it's a rather old post, I grind for those problems a drill similiar to a wood Drill. I take a normal Drill with the needed Diametre of the large hole and grind it first that the chisel is very short. Sorry, I don't know the correct word for "ausspitzen" in english. After that I grind...