Messages

251

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: Prima Lathe conversion

« on: September 18, 2013, 09:06:16 AM »

Over the course of one month we are going to install AC servos, ball screws, limit/home switches, VFD, Spindle Encoder, Smooth Stepper, and of course Mach3.

You folks have 78 hour days over there?

Just kiddiing; I'm sure you'll "git 'er done" as planned.  I do hope you find time to document the build as I have really enjoyed your previous threads.

252

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: Denford ORAC lathe retrofit.

« on: September 11, 2013, 11:19:55 AM »

Made a gang toolholder for the ORAC.  I whittled the AXA dovetail out of a stick of CRS and added a bracket at the far end to lock it in solid.  After drilling the 3, 23/32” holes on the mill, I bored them to final size in-situ with a ¾” endmill chucked in the spindle.





I made up some ¾” straight shank ER16 chucks from 1144 steel.  The shanks and 8 degree tapers came out perfect using Mach wizards but cutting the 22 x 1.5mm threads failed miserably.  Not Mach’s fault though.  I just need to build a 3 or 4:1 reduction system to increase the torque at low spindle speeds for threading jobs in steel.  Most of the passes were perfect but the deeper cuts at the end got things out of synch and snapped an insert.  I switched over to my manual lathe and got them done using a HSS tool & hand-cranking the spindle.

253

General Mach Discussion / Re: Does the "Angle Slot Cutter Rev. 2.4" work?

« on: August 19, 2013, 01:03:59 PM »

Silly me.

I clicked the "Ramp" button and the wiz & worked flawlessly.  Dunno why it won't when "Plunge" is selected but I'm happy any way.

254

General Mach Discussion / Re: Does the "Angle Slot Cutter Rev. 2.4" work?

« on: August 18, 2013, 11:24:23 AM »

Thanks BR; did you input the same numbers I used?  If so, it must be something in my mill config or ??

I know nothing yet about cutter compensation.  Could it be something I need to config to make it work...or does that wiz even use it.

255

General Mach Discussion / Does the "Angle Slot Cutter Rev. 2.4" work?

« on: August 18, 2013, 10:36:56 AM »

Haven't used Mill much so it's probably my ignorance but I can't get this wiz to work.  I just need a couple angled slots but the generated code just plunges the Z axis a few times with no X-Y moves at all.

Here's the code & I attached a shot of the wiz screen.

Thanks for lookin'
Milton

G20
G17 G40 G80
G00 Z0.2
G90 G54
S3000 M03
(insure IJ mode is incremental)
G91.1
G00 Z0.2
G00 X-1.8 Y-0.85
M9
G00 Z0.1
G01 Z0 F10
(plunge - center cut)
G20
G17 G40 G80
G00 Z0.2
G90 G54
S3000 M03
(insure IJ mode is incremental)
G91.1
G00 Z0.2
G00 X-1.8 Y-0.85
M9
G00 Z0.1
G01 Z0 F10
(plunge - center cut)

256

General Mach Discussion / Re: Drilling 3 holes on a lathe

« on: August 16, 2013, 09:18:14 PM »

Thanks for the info.  I'm going to whittle mine from a solid chunk of steel including the dovetail to match the AXA tool post.  T'other end will have a sturdy bracket bolted down to the carriage plate with a 5/16-24 SHCS.  This will support the end of it in 2 directions.

Once it's set up, I should be able to quickly lock the gang tool on the QCTP, tighten the bolt at the other end and be ready to go.  That's my plan anyway.  We'll see what really happens in a couple weeks.   (I'm slow.)

257

General Mach Discussion / Re: Drilling 3 holes on a lathe

« on: August 16, 2013, 03:04:06 PM »

Sorry for the thread exhumation but....mc, I'm in the process of making a QC gang tool holder for my ORAC and was wondering if you had it to do over, would you change anything?  I'm using ER16's on mine and will have the room (I think) for 4 holders but haven't decided whether to go with 3 or 4 yet.

My plan is to drill the holes close to the final size as you did but make the final cut with an endmill held in a collet in the lathe and then turn the collet chuck shanks to a close fit.

Do you find it difficult avoiding crashes with 3 tools sticking out or do things flow pretty smoothly?

258

General Mach Discussion / Re: Varying the chip load when threading?

« on: August 08, 2013, 08:56:01 AM »

Awesome Rich, thanks.  Go ahead, say it: "RTFM."

Actually I did read it a while back but didn't clearly understand the implications of the details on pg. 44.  More study needed!

259

General Mach Discussion / Varying the chip load when threading?

« on: August 06, 2013, 10:53:00 AM »

Is there a way to "lighten the load" during the last 1/3 (approx) of threading  passes?  I'm using the simple threading wizard and find that if I choose a D.O.C. that works OK during the last portion of the run, the number of passes is excessive.  If I increase the D.O.C. the later passes get messy.

I have plans to add a spindle belt reduction system later to increase the available torque when threading but was curious if there's another G-code or other software solution to progressively reduce the D.O.C. as the depth increases.  If so, I'd like an egg in my beer as well please.

260

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: Made a new center setting gauge for the lathe today

« on: August 05, 2013, 09:29:57 AM »

...and rerun the finish pass to get it perfect.

How do you set up to run just the finish pass Hood?  I tried "Run from here" and had some trouble.  May just be my inexperience since it was the 1st time I've tried to use it.