A stepper motor would make a lousy spindle, the faster it spins the less torque it has. Besides that you can do threading with a regular old spindle motor. You just need to add an index sensor to it (one pulse per revolution). This will let Mach sync its movements to the spindle.

Steppers are not ideal for a spindle motor as they loose torque the faster they spin but some do use them and get good results.
You could fit a stepper as an A Axis but you would  need to programme the axis on each line of code to keep it in motion.
You could also have two profiles and have one of them with the regular spindle and the other for the stepper as the spindle. Then if wanting to use the stepper as the spindle start that profile, if wanting the normal motor then start that profile.
Having said that there is no need to actually use a stepper if you can have an index pulse on your regular spindle motor, that would allow you to do lathe style single point threading.
You can do thread milling with absolutely no feedback of the spindle as all that is required is Mach to move X Y and Z in a helical path so spindle doesnt need any sync at all.
Hood

Hi demenicis

can I ask you what that device is you have attached to the game port of your breakout board?

I have the exact same board and was going to fit a joystic to it, but that looks interesting

Hi Hood,
I didn't get that "...Mach to move X Y and Z in a helical path so spindle doesnt need any sync at all".
As far as I can figure out, the rotation of the work piece has to be controlled.

I also forgot to say that my motor (set to 500-600mm/min) gives me 600rpm and it still seems really powerfull (I can't stop the shaft holding it with my fingers). Therefore I was thinking about connecting it to the spindle with about 1:5 ratio which will give me a powerfull 3000rpm which is more than I can get from my real convetional milling machine.

When you mention the spiral it means that mach3 CAN interpolate 3 axis then. Is that right?

SNOUT, I got that hand control for about 26 pounds (45 dollares) which I think was a great waste of money. Initially I used it to test the control board and motors without connecting the system to any computer. But the max. speed is so low that I'd rather adapting a manual handle in case I need to positon the xy manually somewhere (I'got double shaft motors exactly for that reason).
Also, this hand control has a really dodge looking and I think It was the responsible for "Burnning" my first 3 axis control board (70 dollares more of waste!).
Now the seller disappered, and I can tell you this jostick will never get close to any CNC controllers I have since it is already in the "bin".
I think when you have your mach3 up and running, it is such a plesure to move the motors through the keybord arrows that I don't really think anyone needs a hand control (thats is my opinion now)

PS: does anyone know which keyboard keys I have to press to move the Z, A, B, C, etc (at least the Z please)?

Regards,

Demenicis

cheers for that, I use Page-UP and Page-DOWN to jog my Z axis ATM

Hi Hood,
I didn't get that "...Mach to move X Y and Z in a helical path so spindle doesnt need any sync at all".
As far as I can figure out, the rotation of the work piece has to be controlled.

I am meaning to do thread milling it is not required. Thread milling is where you go in  circular motion whilst at the same time moving the Z axis down by the pitch of the thread. Normally the work is held in the vice or clamped to table and the thread milling cutter is in the spindle but suppose it could be done the other way.

I also forgot to say that my motor (set to 500-600mm/min) gives me 600rpm and it still seems really powerfull (I can't stop the shaft holding it with my fingers). Therefore I was thinking about connecting it to the spindle with about 1:5 ratio which will give me a powerfull 3000rpm which is more than I can get from my real convetional milling machine.

Problem with that is you will decrease the torque by 5 times.

When you mention the spiral it means that mach3 CAN interpolate 3 axis then. Is that right?

Yes Mach can sync up to 6 axis.

PS: does anyone know which keyboard keys I have to press to move the Z, A, B, C, etc (at least the Z please)?

Regards,

Demenicis

You can set them to what you want from Config menu then System Hotkeys, but be careful as the keys you choose may already be used by something else. Default for Z is pg Up, Pg Dn, dont think there is a default for A.

You have given GREAT answers, thanks.

I'm also aware about the reduced torque....


Thanks a lot again.

Demenicis

Hi,

That is a quick one now:

Can I make my stepmotor wires a bit longer welding other wires to the existing ones?
Do I have another way to do that like opening the motors and conneting whole new longer wires to it (I haven't ever opened a step motor so I don't want to take the risk before asking)

Thanks

Demenicis

Soldering and insulating with heat shrink tube  would likely be the best way.
Hood

Thanks again mate,

Regards,

Demenicis