Machsupport Forum
Mach Discussion => Mach4 General Discussion => Topic started by: menardmfg on September 28, 2023, 10:14:03 AM
-
I’m working on retrofitting an old Warner & Swasey turret lathe. I have x and z axis working fine. This machine also has a 6 position turret that I currently have running on an A axis motor. In the tool table there is no tool offset for the A axis tools. If I’m using one tool it’s not a problem, however if I’m using more than one turret position (for instance a center drill and then a drill, and possibly a reamer) I would need a place to set tool lengths for each tool. Is this something that can be done? If so can you steer me in the right direction on how to do it.
Thanks
Art
-
You set the tool length/offset for each tool in the tool table and call your m6 macro with T0202 to get tool 2 with tool 2 offset. Do an advanced search here of the Mach4 discussion and search for turret lathe.
HTH
RT
-
Thanks, I know how to do regular tool offsets. However there is no A axis offset in the tool table. If I add it will Mach recognize it and make appropriate adjustments to the A axis. That’s my question
Thanks
Art
-
What are you trying to offset ? The turrets rotation or a tools position ?
-
What I need is tool length offsets. It’s like a tail stock on a regular lathe except it has a turret to hold 6 tools. I index the turret manually. But the tools aren’t the same length.
-
Does the A axis motor rotate the turret or slide a ram that plunges the tool?
-
The A motor only moves the slide toward the spindle (for drilling ect) and then back away from the spindle
-
Trying to visualize this machine. Does it also have a saddle moved by the Z axis motor?
Is the turret slide stacked on the saddle, or is it fixed with respect to the spindle?
-
These babies had a carriage/cross slide and a sliding tailstock with a rotating turret. So X and Z are likely the carriage, and his A is sliding the tailstock (done with a big ol' handle originally, move forward, move back, rotate, slide forward again with the next tool). Not sure how he'd handle rotating the turret to its positions and knowing tool lengths, but I'm sure it can be done:)
These things preceded CNC lathes for production type work back in the day!! Pretty cool in 1945! Right in there with VTL's and gear shapers.
-
Yup, that is exactly what I have. It has a tag on it that says “approved for war production” based on the serial number I found out it was built in 1940. I ran this machine back in 1978 while still in high school. I purchased it in 1982 and ran many jobs manually until about a year and a half ago when I retrofitted it with mach4. If I adjust all the tool lengths the same it works great. I run several jobs that way
-
Here is a picture
-
Are you running Mach4? If so it appears that the tool table edit function allows a built in Y axis offset field to be added, and I assume that the trajectory planner would actually use that offset. Could this work if you redefined your turret feed motor to be the Y axis?
-
Interesting, I never thought about that. I’ll try it when I get a chance. Thanks Steve I think that will work.