Messages

5201

General Mach Discussion / Re: Table Squaring Compensation....

« on: January 01, 2010, 01:05:38 PM »

other steps

5202

General Mach Discussion / Re: Table Squaring Compensation....

« on: January 01, 2010, 01:04:32 PM »

Yep, agree with both of ya. so here is another try at it.

If the head assembly is one piece your kind of out of luck. You would need to scrape the head way to adjust if the Z is not correct to the column ways. Not a task for most folks.

Check that when the head assembly is locked that there is not a gap between
the head face and column face as sometimes the head may have a sharp end on the V edge and it will ride up in the way and throw the Z out.  Just try see if a 1/2 thou feeler will enter bettween the faces. Step #1

Then do step #2 to #5

The problem with using an indicator is that some times they don't go back to the same point after passing a crack/ table groove.

If the set screws are long enough you can lock them after all the adjustments and if you wish, with column and base "waxed" you can epoxy in the gap for a permanent as shim.

other steps in next reply
FWIW,
RICH

5203

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

« on: January 01, 2010, 10:31:57 AM »

Monty,
Seems like the adventure was worth the experience. Nice lathe!
Look forward to here is what i made pics,
RICH

5204

LazyCam (Beta) / Re: Sanity check please - LC not posting

« on: January 01, 2010, 09:38:15 AM »

Did you take a look at the LC manual on posting?
RICH

5205

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: Dixie Duke - A machine in the making.

« on: January 01, 2010, 09:32:41 AM »

Sam,
More work than meets the eye, as usual. Now you'll have more of an appreciation of the machines your using. 
Same happens when i do a little model, takes just as long and then some.
At least your having fun,
RICH

5206

General Mach Discussion / Re: Table Squaring Compensation....

« on: December 31, 2009, 06:08:24 PM »

You were able to get it a whole lot better than you started off with. I think you need to just slowly modify the
shimming and you can do better. I will assume that the table is ground flat in the x and Y direction and you can check it easily if you have a straight edge ( just use a feeler gauge and see if it will go under at any point (stone the edge of a piece of .001"  shim stock or see if you can detect any light under the straight edge ) say for 6" circle under the center of the collet.
You need some reference to work to so make sure the table is ok as a reference. Now do one direction at a time
If your out in one direction over 4" by .003", then shim 1/2 of it, test and repeat,etc...get one direction correct, for example the y direction reads the same as the indicator is rotated 180 degrees. Now do the x direction. When you have them as good as you can do, then put a piece of ground rod / drill blank into the collet and check the spindle. A machinist square against the rod will quickly show you how square the spindle is to the table FOR THAT COLLET only.
You can have runout on the spindle or the collet and over say 3 or 4" you may have 1 or 2 thou.
You need to work from a known reference and then check everthing one.... step ..... at a time.

BTW, when shimming place a small piece near the bolt or edge only since a different size shim may be required at each of the four bolts in the column base.
Take your time, be patience, Have  A Happy New Year,
RICH

5207

Show"N"Tell ( What you have made with your CNC machine.) / Re: Experimenting with my rotary axis

« on: December 31, 2009, 02:37:17 PM »

Greg,
If you didn't have Aspire then what would you do? I assume that Aspire generates the Gcode?
I got a rotary indexer setup on the lathe and for modeling will do fluting, flutes wraped around the
cyclinder, cut a profile, who knows what. I will probably start a new thread but if you can shed some light
from your experience on the pitfalls when using the rotary table it would be helpfull.

Just trying to shorten my learning curve.
I need to play some with doing the code manualy.
 
RICH

5208

General Mach Discussion / Re: What needs fixed in Turn?

« on: December 31, 2009, 12:26:36 PM »

Thanks Graham and will have a look to get a flavor of it.
 
RICH

5209

Works in progress / Re: Three Page Lathe Screen

« on: December 31, 2009, 12:18:59 PM »

If they are easy to do then add them.
See page 44 in the Threading On The Lathe Manual ( in Members Docs ). It provides explaination for each of those inputs in configuration ( you will not find anything else about them). Now the code posting one is covered on page 47 of that write up ( i don't know if you can do that one). It would be nice to have them  in the wizard because all the threading options would be in one place. I am going to guess that those settings will default upon
exiting Mach.

Heck while your at it, you can add a button for the G76_threads application ( located in the mach directory ) as that one provides user info  which you would then just use / input on the settings. There is a free program called Threads which Scott included with his threading program and it is very nice to have as a flyout when your doing threading. The two files would just need to be added to the Simple Threading directory. If you want more info on this i will post. Not a necessity to have these but makes for a more complete threading operation without having to go in and out of the threading wizard.

Let me know if you need anything,
RICH

5210

General Mach Discussion / Re: What needs fixed in Turn?

« on: December 31, 2009, 10:31:13 AM »

- Provide G65 code for the lathe

RICH