simonr Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 >Reason for edit: Edited by Moi with smilies for the real effect and more accuate meaning Thank you Nigel! I think my CNC posts have frightened everyone away! Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Team Idris Posted June 18, 2011 Share Posted June 18, 2011 Probably, but I owe the sweet lines of my robot fish to 3 axis cnc Father in law in using Mach3 to make a cnc myford. . What I will say, is that even if you can't afford cnc kits, the digital tracking that clips on is very good. Those wheel dividers might be okay for lathe-jokeys who do it all day. But us mortals prefer a nice easy read display Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LandyManLuke Posted June 18, 2011 Share Posted June 18, 2011 Mach3 is very cool. I'm planning a Mach3 Plasma Table Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonr Posted June 19, 2011 Share Posted June 19, 2011 This is what I did this weekend: When I bought my Lathe, it came with what was previously an auto tool change turret - but missing almost everything but the castings. I re-made the worm & wheel, the locking mechanism and added a stepper motor and encoder to drive it. I've used a GeckoDrive stepper driver (which incidentally is very good!) and have written some scripts to drive the thing. Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CwazyWabbit Posted June 19, 2011 Share Posted June 19, 2011 That is nice Just out of curiosity how do you adjust individual tool heights assuming you may have mismatched tip heights? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonr Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 I've posted a bit of video of it operating here on YouTube There is a bolt which adjusts the rotational position it locks in to for all the tools which sets the height. For any tools where the face of the tool is too high or low, you have to use shims. In my case however, all my tools are the same make and have the same face height which makes this unnecessary. Having seen how well this works, I'm now in the process of converting my indexing head on the mill to a proper 4th axis. You can adjust out most of the backlash in it - and it's easy to add backlash compensation into the driver macro. For ops which require it to be rock solid (circular interpolated pocketing for example) there is a locking screw. I'm going to re-tap this with an Acme thread and drive the screw with a small geared motor. Acme threads do not bind up like regular bolts so you can do them up tight then unscrew them with much less torque than if it were a triangular thread profile - like a vice. I've bought a 2Nm stepper motor, a Geckodrive stepper controller and another inductive pickup for the home position and will machine up some adaptors to bolt the motor on instead of the indexing plate / handle. It should allow me to make things like my lights myself in small quantities (for when the cnc shop lets me down). Bore out the inside on the lathe and face the end and outside (using the tool changer) then mount in the 4th axis chuck, put the longitudinal grooves on the outside then profile the back end of it. It should also allow me to make a couple of things I'd ruled out because of the number of jigs I'd have to make to hold the workpiece at different angles while machining. That should be running in a couple of weeks! Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BogMonster Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 I saw the title of this thread and immediately assumed Nige had lost a finger. Or an arm. Me too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonr Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 OK, it's not technically a 'Lathe' thing - but this evening I built a 4th Axis for my Mill. One of the things that's dead easy using Mach3. Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CwazyWabbit Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 Very nice Si Looks like gear cutting isn't far off now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonr Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 Very nice Si Looks like gear cutting isn't far off now! Just what I was thinking! I was wondering if you can get end-mills with the same profile as involute gear teeth. If so, I could cut helical gears and everything! Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CwazyWabbit Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 Looks like it Unless he ground his own. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fps0OR1eF_s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CwazyWabbit Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 Hmmm apparently it's not practical to sell that type of end mill as every different diameter and different number of teeth would require a different shaped cutter.... There's a discussion here Simon http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php/topic,14478.0.html Looks like you'll be playing with the tool and cutter grinder next Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonr Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 Thanks Mr Wabbit! I think this might be the way to go: At least the tool is pretty easy to grind! Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longlandy Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 Mach 3 seems like a godsend, I remember when fanuc was the easiest retrofit cnc or plc/pc hybrid running dos was the brew for a proto cnc machine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonr Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 Mach 3 seems like a godsend And then some! For those who don't know about Mach3 - it's effectively MegaSquirt for Machine Tools! Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRecklessEngineer Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 Or EMC2 for those of us that have ditched Microsoft and gone Linux... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigwood Posted August 21, 2011 Share Posted August 21, 2011 It should solve the problem. A bit off the Landy subjects but my father had a Rivet lathe for his clock making. Far too big realy but it was so much easier than having too think if he could manage jobs. Origionly bough by the british army for boring out rifle barrels so I belive. I have been down the line of Harison and Colchester lathes and even a very old Myford converted to electric from treadle. Not realy needing a lathe but I have inherited a nearly new Mini Lathe. I realy cant think of things to do with it but wont sell it incase I find an urge to turn things. Apart from the sugested atachements I made a tailstock die holder for tapping threads in the chuck. You are garantee to get the threads straight that way. The sound of swarf falling on the floor is good therapy untill you realise it too much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Team Idris Posted August 21, 2011 Share Posted August 21, 2011 Yeh, the tail stop tapping is really good. Father in law has a miller with auto tapping attachment. That and the lathe take all the missery out of tapping holes Not that I'm bad at tapping, just drilling out studs. I always make a pigs ear of that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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