Hi W.olly, welcome over here.🙂
Get the 2HP motor. Have you checked the threads on any of the bolts and measured the lead screw pitch (travel per rev) yet?
You won’t break it if you are careful. It is built like the proverbial brick bog.
Ipswich is a bit far for me, but I expect there are some nearer, who could give you some practical on-site advice- sort out your accessories and get that indexer working.
The better VFDs can be programmed for all manner of things.
Edited to add: Check the type of bearing on the headstock. If it is a plain bearing stick to the 1000rpm limit – well not much more. If a taper roller bearing, the main spindle could go much faster but the gearbox may not like it. It would be a shame to push it too hard.
Edited By not done it yet on 17/10/2021 22:04:10