denford easiturn

Cut 'n pasted from mycncuk:

I have one and have it running under Mach. Very nice machine.

First, it is very difficult to do it justice with a single parallel port - there simply aren't enough pins. Hence, the first thing to do is find a PC with an on-board port and buy a second PCI add-in port.

If you can't or won't do this, there are other avenues - POKEYS and MODIO being the most well-supported.

I use Roy's (DIYCNC) breakout boards - if you go the two-port route, one of them needs to be the basic model PCPPS as the better models don't seem to support using what are traditionally output pins as inputs.

Download the manual and wiring diagram from the Denford forum. The wiring diagram is essential. Search the Denford forum for Easiturn as there's useful information there.

You should budget to change the steppers. I'm using ArcEuro's 4.2A driver and the original motors aren't great (old technology). NEMA 34 motors are probably overkill but they bolt straight on (Arc or Rhonmac); you would need an adaptor plate if you go with 23's.

You will need a little conversion board for the home switches as they are proximity sensors - look on the Denford forum, or I can send you a copy. You will need to change the perforated wheel on the back of the spindle for one with a single slit. I have a drawing for this which I can also send you.

You will need an inverter for the spindle (the motor is a good one - runs on 240v three phase). You will also need a speed control card. Again, Roy's one will do, though I prefer Peter Homan's digispeed purely as it has two relays on board.

If you pull the machine to bits, thread some spare wires up the umbilical cord as you reassemble, because one day you will want to put an auto-changer on it.

The electrical connectors used to be available from RS (eg 466-797, 466-826, 466-781, 466-775, 466-747. Extraction tool 466-876), but I think they are now discontinued. I have some spares that we could negotiate over, or if you decide to replace yours, I would be interested in the old ones.

Make sure the limit switches in the topslide work - RS part 317-998 is the replacement.

Make sure the lube system works properly. Mine lubes the bed but not the cross slide as I think the metering points are gunked up. The people who made the original are still around, and Arc sell similar (but metric threads).

Many bolts on mine are BA thread. Try Emkay Supplies for replacements.

You can defeat the door interlock by sticking a magnet over it as it's a reed switch. You can wire this into Mach as a cycle-inhibit if the doors are open.

Mine had no E-stop on it (I think it was on the PNC control). I have added a switch for the light (standard bulb is $$. A cheap 12v LED array works just as well and draws a lot less current) and alimit override button. The low lube warning can be wired into Mach, but you have to dismantle the pump and turn the polystyrene float over for active low working.

Best thing I did with mine was to move the power box from the back to the side.

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The air chuck can quite easily be controlled by Mach with some solenoids.