Messages

31

*****VIDEOS***** / EmcoTurn140 test cut

« on: January 23, 2010, 08:34:14 PM »

Here is a video of the EmcoTurn140 making the first test cut.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYYkp1wkSBY

Sorry about the unstable camera. I had to switch hands to make sure the Estop was covered.

It still have a momentary panic whenever the turret takes off for the spindle. I'll get some better quality video after I have a good program worked out with the tool changer in action.

Monty

32

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: My new project

« on: January 21, 2010, 01:00:37 PM »

I have yet to make a single chip in anger with the lathe. First the video card went south. Got that fixed. Then I discovered that the turret wasn't square to the headstock. Then I found out the turret was moving around about 4 thou. I have mostly resolved the turret problem.

Found out that a USB hub causes problems with things. Mostly the shuttle Pro pendant. I had had the same kind of problem on my Mill and just live with it. I had thought it was due to the Grex. When I moved the Shuttle pro plug from the back of the computer to the HUB mounted in the control panel, I started getting the same kind of latency problems.

I also fought with the video camera drivers. Got the official ones from Arnie and it works much better. There is a problem however when the video window is open. It interferes with the tool change macro. It's really strange. When the home command is given one of the axis will fault out about half way home. It sounds like the motors are skipping steps. At first I though the added weight of tooling on the turret was causing the problem. After a lot of testing I discovered that it was actually the video window causing the problem. The Gecko drives actually fault out when this happens. Really strange. The work around is to just close the video window before giving any tool change commands.

Monty

33

Show"N"Tell ( What you have made with your CNC machine.) / Re: Milling Stop

« on: January 10, 2010, 09:34:02 PM »

I wouldn't call using the band saw "cheating". It works and it's a lot faster for a one off than writing a program and setting up the machine.

Nice work.

Monty

34

Show"N"Tell ( What you have made with your CNC machine.) / Re: Engine Mounts

« on: January 04, 2010, 04:27:46 PM »

Russ,

Former EAA.  Why is a bit involved and off topic and you probably already know why.

This is going to go in something about the same as a Starlite. Or if I find a decent airframe....a Starlite.

Right now I'm just getting the firewall forward worked out. The engine in the pics is about the same wt as a 503 rotax.

It should produce about 45 hp, 35 continuous at MSL. Also burns about half the fuel a Rotax 440 does.

Monty

35

Show"N"Tell ( What you have made with your CNC machine.) / Re: Engine Mounts

« on: January 04, 2010, 01:38:04 PM »

Daniel,

No plans to plate them. I may have them anodized. Most likely just satin finish and a clear coat.

Sam,

There will eventually be a propeller on the front of it.

Here is what the engine looks like.

You'll just have to wait to see the rest because I haven't built it yet.

Monty

36

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: My new project

« on: January 03, 2010, 10:45:20 PM »

Sam,

You just haven't seen the other half of the shop. I took that picture so I can shame myself into trying to keep it that clean. I've been trying to clean and organize since before Christmas. Half the shop looks pretty good. The other half......not so good. 

Barry,

thanks. It just depends on how high you set the bar. I used to work for Lockheed building rocket engine test stands. The guys who did the wiring there would have laughed me out of the building . Those guys set the bar REALLY high. I still don't know how they could keep such a big bundle of wires neat. I didn't use any panduit on this machine. I didn't really have the best setup since the cabinet was sort of thrown together twice out of leftover parts I had setting around. I had to just try my best to keep the AC on one side of the cabinet and keep the control and signal lines separated. Anyway, it works.

Is anybody else freezing their A$$ off? I'm burning wood like a locomotive climbing over the Sierra Nevada Mountains with Casey Jones on Crack at the helm. It is unseasonably, and unreasonably cold here.

Monty

37

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: My new project

« on: January 03, 2010, 06:25:17 PM »

Some more pics of the lathe, and my favorite corner of the shop in a rare state of cleanliness.

Monty

38

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: My new project

« on: January 03, 2010, 06:22:30 PM »

Here are the last of the pics for the lathe project.

This is the inside of the cabinet. I have to admit that I did not go overboard with neatness on this wiring job. I had a severe case of git er done syndrome.

Monty

39

Show"N"Tell ( What you have made with your CNC machine.) / Re: Engine Mounts

« on: January 03, 2010, 06:15:30 PM »

Here is the new mount along with the bottom mount

40

Show"N"Tell ( What you have made with your CNC machine.) / Engine Mounts

« on: January 03, 2010, 06:13:34 PM »

Here are some parts that I made with my mill. They are engine mounts for a 990cc engine. This is a work in progress. The bottom mount is made from 6061 T6 angle. The top mount is made from 7075 plate. The top mount replaces the crankcase breather so I put a PCV valve in it.

I used Alibre to model the parts and Alibre CAM to write the toolpaths. The first top mount I made was just a simple plate, and I wasn't satisfied with the weight. It was also a little too close to the top of the engine casting. I know there is gratuitous pocketing here......but hey what good is all this cad and CNC stuff if you don't use it.
It was really nice to just go in and tweak the part a little bit and update the tool paths and add the pockets.

I will have to make some parts with the lathe to finish these. I'll post the parts as I make them and put the project together.

Here is a pic of the first top mount.