Hi, sorry i canot help in the same boat myself.
Do you know what spindle motor is in the Boxford 190VCM? and how i can control it with Mach3

Desparate for info
Cheryl

Me too guys,
I have just recently got myself a TCL160 Non homing version with a Mitsibushi inverter. Looks like 1994 era.
All working and in good condition.
I would like to convert to Mach3 also however I'm very concerned about the automatic tool changer.
Seems like this is a tough egg to crack.
Has anyone actually managed to get this to work seamlessly into Mach3, if so I sure could use the help.
Meanwhile I'm reading the manuals (I have the originals) to see what this wee beastie is capable of.

Regards

Georgie

Do you have any info on how the turret works? Is it a stepper or a DC or even an induction motor?

Hood

stepper through a worm with a ratchet mechanism for location.

here's a link to it's bigger brother

http://www.boxford-software.com/spares/250240menu.html

Should be simple enough to do then, just set it up as a rotary axis, have ecah tool position defined as degrees, have the axis overshoot, reverse then reset the coords.

Hood

Sounds all very complex that to me Hood my friend. I can easily wire in some steppers and install driver boards etc etc but programming and understanding it is beyond me.
I have completely upgraded my Chesters bench mill to mach3 and have made my own flat bed CNC running with Mach3 and Aspire but I know my limits. I might leave it for now and concentrate on getting the lathe working as it was originally intended. So I have a problem.

Right now I have the TCL160 running under XP and have all functions bar the DRO update on screen.
The DRO's give garbled or no data at all.
They do not respond to axis movement in any direction.
The Spindle speed DRO also remains at zero. Irrespective of speed or direction.
This lack of positional feedback makes it impossible to do any homing with the tools.
Now this is all very odd because it is clear that the machine knows where to position the facing tool and the parting tool because I programmed a test cut on a rod 25 mm long.
It face, it surfaced and then it parted. Something somewhere is correct.
What I need is someone who is conversant with the machine and it's electronics to give me some pointers.
I do have a spare processor board but sadly it does not work at all. No axis movement no spindle movement.
I'm will to donate that to anyone who would like a dabble.

Regards

George

Firstly, I appologise for the multiple posts I have made on this thread, If any are repeated I,m sorry.


I think I have made my decision to convert the TCL160 for Mach3 operation.
I'm resigned to the fact that I do have problems with the electronics as fitted and that the software is very old.
I would like a little advice on the steppers currently fitted. The are operated in half step mode giving 400 steps per revolution.
Is it worth changing them for more modern steppers ?

Secondly, what Lathe software is available at reasonable cost ? What do others users use that have a converted TCL1160?

Regards

George

I think you may be meaning the stepper drives rather than the steppers themselves?
If so then if the ones you have now work then I would just stick with them for the time being, cyou can always swap out for newer ones at a later date.

If by Lathe software you mean CAD/CAM then there is really not too much about that is free or very cheap.
Fairly cheap is Dolphin which I used to use and I liked a lot, it has a few annoyances but produces good code once you get into the swing of it, the CAD side however I did not like at all, so I never used that side of it.

I now use BobCAD and V27 has really come of age, once you get to grips with it it is very fast and produces excellent code/toolpaths. The CAD side again I am not to keen on, it is very powerful but a bit clunky and slow to use, especially when you have been used to the SolidWorks/Cubify/Alibre way of doing things.
 

Dolphin is probably the cheaper of the two but I think BobCAD can be got for  just a wee bit more.

I have recently signed up for the Beta testing of OnShape CAD and I am really liking it, it is cloud based so you need to be connected to use it but it is very similar to Solidworks. It is well worth a look as it has a free version which is the same as the paid for versions but you are limited to only 5 open files at one time, for most people just using it for designing models for their Lathes/Mills, that would not be a problem.

Hood

Thanks Hood
All 3 stepper drives and motors do work! so as you say I may as well keep them and go for a driver board from CNC4U
That's probably the easiest route so I may do that as a first attempt.

I use Vectric's Aspire Software with Mach 3 and it smashing on my flat Bed CNC and my Bench Mill but it cost me all of my pocket money.
They have just upgraded from V4 to V10! (Some big changes hence the big number jump) and that will set me back another £250.00 :-( 

The point with Boxford's software for the TCL160 was although it's 1990 it did work! A bit Clunky but it did work, it even operates the 8 way tool changer and that's my worry when converting to Mach3.

So for now, I'll buy a driver board and get it running and you can help me with the toolchanger when the time comes, :-)


Thanks

George