I'm not sure which site (but one I found through the minilathe.com) has a mod using a cheap surplus gear motor to drive the leadscrew. He used bamboo skewers as the shear pin, too. Showed how to mount it, and several suppliers. I'll try to remember to dig up the site and post it.
The finishes he got on aluminum look as though they've been polished, just from the super-fine feed.