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Author Topic: A-axis rotary lathe question for Mach 3  (Read 26285 times)

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Re: A-axis rotary lathe question for Mach 3
« Reply #30 on: November 06, 2017, 06:06:50 PM »
Yep,
Send me a PM with your shipping address. It's tiny, like 2" square.  Don't remember what I paid for it but it wasn't much, doesn't matter.
Re: A-axis rotary lathe question for Mach 3
« Reply #31 on: November 06, 2017, 07:01:49 PM »
sent to your email... thanks bob

Offline RICH

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Re: A-axis rotary lathe question for Mach 3
« Reply #32 on: November 07, 2017, 05:06:17 AM »
Bob,
Seems like the gift from Gary will provide an option for you.

I echo what Graig and Gary replied about using CAD / Cam. Have not used Fusion 360
for the mill / router but have used it for the lathe. Have used Meshcam and Cambam to generate code for complex objects also. Like everything, there is a learning curve to using
CAD / CAM,  since you will need to create objects in 3D instead of 2D and understand
how to apply the software to generate code for a part. The software is all similar but some integrate the CAD / CAM much better, and also provide for engineering analysis. So it all depends on  the users needs. Make note that some folks are using industrial software and costs of the software alone are expensive. You would be shocked at the software monthly overhead  cost  ( more than what many folks earn ) paid for me when I was working.

As a hobbiest most will never be able to rationalize big bucks for software.
Remember when AutoCad was rather cheap to use? Do you think Fusion will be provided
free or reduced pricing forever!

You will spend a lot of time learning and if free software is no longer available then where are you? All I am saying is put the cost of things into perspective for intended use and spend for what you want to be able to do. Can have anything you want in the store but once you bring it to checkout ya got to pay for it!

For some simple stuff there is nothing wrong with a little hand coding to do a task and doing multiple tasks. Also there is experience gained in fooling around.

So much for my rant, it's just some thoughts FWIW,

RICH

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Re: A-axis rotary lathe question for Mach 3
« Reply #33 on: November 07, 2017, 05:14:29 AM »
Gary,
May want to start a new thread about use of that PLC for a turn / mill combo.
I assume your are aware of Simpson's work on the matter.
Would make for an interesting topic.

RICH

Offline RICH

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Re: A-axis rotary lathe question for Mach 3
« Reply #34 on: November 07, 2017, 06:14:49 AM »
Bob,
 A "loooooooong" time ago I fooled around and used a removable stepper to drive the   spindle on the lathe using  live tooling on the carriage ( high speed manualy driven spindle instead of using a lathe tooling). Intent  was geared towards model making such that I could turn or  mill work without doing another setup on a different machine. So was able to index drill hole patterns on a  face or side of the work post machining  the face and side to size, mill  the  shafts full / partial / circular in or over a partial length or roational over the length, do spiral work, etc.

So the lathe spindle was used in both angular and linear mode with slaving or not slaving
another axis to the spindle. Commands were simple in many cases.
For a lathe / router setup like you show, the routers  Z spindle could be considered  live tooling, use another  axis equivilant to Z on the lathe, or what ever. Note that Mach3 provides for movement of an axis and only knows what you tell it. One just needs to think "out of the box" , code appropriately for some simple individual tasks. One could just create a new profile for when it used and forget about all the VB, Maco's, etc.

Fooling around with this just may satisfy a need,

One could call doing this "The Poor Man's High End CNC"! :) :D ;D

RICH
« Last Edit: November 07, 2017, 06:16:43 AM by RICH »
Re: A-axis rotary lathe question for Mach 3
« Reply #35 on: November 07, 2017, 11:29:29 AM »
Rich... to answer some of your questions to the last couple of your posts.

Bob,
Seems like the gift from Gary will provide an option for you.

I echo what Graig and Gary replied about using CAD / Cam. Have not used Fusion 360
for the mill / router but have used it for the lathe. Have used Meshcam and Cambam to generate code for complex objects also. Like everything, there is a learning curve to using
CAD / CAM,  since you will need to create objects in 3D instead of 2D and understand
how to apply the software to generate code for a part. The software is all similar but some integrate the CAD / CAM much better, and also provide for engineering analysis. So it all depends on  the users needs. Make note that some folks are using industrial software and costs of the software alone are expensive. You would be shocked at the software monthly overhead  cost  ( more than what many folks earn ) paid for me when I was working.

 I am aware that these are very expensive ways to go--the route of software.  Fusion360 is currently free for anyone enrolled in college... and I don't think they are going to change that... so I enrolled in community college and am taking a mill class.  I thought that would speed up my learning curve and it has helped to some degree. However their machines are Haas etc., and I am never going to be able to buy something of that scale, nor would it fit in my small 400 sq ft shop. The problem is that no one has ever heard of Mach3 and they are not as knowledgeable about stepper motors etc. as I thought they would be.  Of course those machines use servo and not steppers and so forth.  So I am stuck with trying to learn from any source I can.

Secondly,  I am older -- 70, and we all know death will come soon enough.  Still there is meaning in life if we continue to stay in "learn mode" and continue to move forward.  In my life my curiosity has only intensified and I am never bored... so I think the cnc route has its psychological uses as well.  Finally if I got smooth enough with making the guitar parts, and there are a limited number, I would have the programs finished in g-code for each part and the need for fusion 360 would not be absolutely essential after that.  Of course it never dovetails that neatly. The fact that I am working the lathe axis issue so early in the learning curve is that this is what was being offered in class and I did not want  to wait another semester before getting started in some formal training.  If I learn enough g-code then mach 3 should handle all or most of my needs.  Right now I am trying to get my mind around the 4th axis lathe concepts and how that fits into my mill situation for making the bridge and later the guitar neck blank... classical necks are very complex compared to say, a fender guitar neck.  Mach3 appears to be very very deep in its use and complexity. He or she who figured all of this out...well they must of had a vast mind.
.  

As a hobbiest most will never be able to rationalize big bucks for software.
Remember when AutoCad was rather cheap to use? Do you think Fusion will be provided
free or reduced pricing forever!

You will spend a lot of time learning and if free software is no longer available then where are you? All I am saying is put the cost of things into perspective for intended use and spend for what you want to be able to do. Can have anything you want in the store but once you bring it to checkout ya got to pay for it!  

I have already paid off the cnc machine, have it up and running, have my guitar shop set up and so forth...so I think I can weather the rest of what I must go through in order to come out producing fine and finer quality instruments...

For some simple stuff there is nothing wrong with a little hand coding to do a task and doing multiple tasks. Also there is experience gained in fooling around.

So much for my rant, it's just some thoughts FWIW, Please continue to rant and bring on more suggestions and ideas... bob

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Re: A-axis rotary lathe question for Mach 3
« Reply #36 on: November 07, 2017, 02:20:00 PM »
It would be good if you did a post on getting the plc up and going halfmill, I wont to be able to do the same thing since fusion does not have 4th axis continuous, If you need help with fusion yell out I am helping a dude the same age as you how to do the cam for the guitar parts
Re: A-axis rotary lathe question for Mach 3
« Reply #37 on: November 07, 2017, 04:59:19 PM »
dude1, oh thank you for your offer... I will definitely take you up on your offer of  help.  Now people are throwing a lot of letters at me like in your case...PLC... where do I find a print out of all the contractions of words or letters so I can brush up on the vernacular.   bob

Offline RICH

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Re: A-axis rotary lathe question for Mach 3
« Reply #38 on: November 07, 2017, 05:25:42 PM »
Bob,
Not sure what they are use for teaching. There is a Haas Programming Workbook in Members Doc's that you can download. One book I recommend is by Peter Smid
called CNC Programming Handbook. The first 100 pages of it will ground you for most any machine.  You can scan through the lathe info to get a flavor of using the lathe and will just say the lathe has more tool geometry to deal with.

One of the nice things about the Golden Years is that one has choice to do what they want to, whenever they want, at the pace they want,  AND, what they do dosen't have  to make sense to anyone except themselves. Still have a note that my trumpet teacher wrote during a lesson  "Nothing stays still, it either moves forward or regresses withers and dies,
that is fact of nature, get used to it!"

Keep moving forward..............................,

RICH

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