Many years experience with a router. Only just enough with a converted lathe. The lathe I installed a 1.5kw VFD driven motor, made a new saddle and added HG rails to the mix with some closed loop steppers. I bought a 4 tool square turret. Very rarely I need to use it for timber turning up decorative house parts that might consist of a 140mm ball so needed a huge amount of X travel for a long tool.

It took a while to get the 4 tool turret to change both with programming and electrical connections. But it works and does the job. The saddle retracts right back to about 10mm before the homing switch before the turret rotates to position.

I am using the tool table offsets and have used a Z tool setter in a jig in my chuck with a G31 move to touch off each tool in the X direction.

Ok. What I didn't setup was any way to drill. And, I now have a part to make in the 100s that needs to be drilled, and a taper honed out. I have a large amount of X saddle and travel. I am going to manufacture a gang tooling setup to sit on the saddle in front of the turret.

I thought I could add some tool-change lines into my tool-change macro which is based on the sensor outputs for the turret. And add in the offsets into the tool table. Was unsure how to set clearances as they will be different to the turret. After reading a bunch of posts I am asking if this is the correct way to set my machine up? I have read people are using G52 offsets, new to me.

With this information in hand. How would I best setup this gang tooling turret lathe to operate? Asking now whilst I am in the machine design stage where to begin in the place of getting it wrong a bunch of times and coming here with a QBL. (quivering bottom lip) because it either does not work or more likely my machine has crashed. Thanks in advance.

Don't you just need to incorporate another tool offset for the drill holder?  You would just put a known diameter rod in the chuck and touch it off in the same way.

Checkout how we set up this lathe: https://www.cnc4pc.com/blog/post/mach4-lathe-using-the-ethernet-smooth-stepper-and-the-c82-breakout-board

Don't you just need to incorporate another tool offset for the drill holder?  You would just put a known diameter rod in the chuck and touch it off in the same way.

Touchoff I can do with a axis setter sitting in a jig I made in the chuck, and a G31 move. Its the offsets and clearances for 0deg and 90deg tools all set on the same saddle.

I was hoping someone here would confirm this. So I now have a 4 tool rotating turret pointing at the chuck in the X. In addition, on the same saddle I now have two holders at 90deg pointing in the Z direction. I expect its a basic tool setup but the clearances is something I will be holding my hand over the estop. Like how on earth am I not going to crash this machine, not once, lots. Hmmm - we all know the feeling its just how long ago we felt it. Me? It will be tomorrow.

In addition. I managed to write a M6 toolchange that works with my machine. But now I need to add in two more lines for these two tools so the tool is changed, and the correct offset is set. No idea how to do that? Below is the portion of my M6 if anyone is keen to take a look? Not sure where to start although ChatGpt helps a lot. And BTW I am using Mach 3 Turn. I do have a copy of Mach 4 on my router, but would prefer to keep the machines with their own controllers.

'If NewTool= 1 Then
           '   ActivateSignal(OUTPUT4) 'Begin rotating turret'
          '    If IsActive(INPUT1) Then 'Turret has rotated until selected tool is in position'
          '    DeActivateSignal(OUTPUT4) 'Stop turret from spinning"
          '    Sleep(1000)
          '    ActivateSignal (OUTPUT8) 'Reverse Turret"
          '    If IsActive(INPUT2) Then 'Tool locked signal'
          '    DeactivateSignal(OUTPUT8)
             
          '    Exit Sub
             
'If NewTool= 2 Then
             ' ActivateSignal(OUTPUT5) 'Begin rotating turret'
             ' If IsActive(INPUT1) Then 'Turret has rotated until selected tool is in position'
             ' DeActivateSignal(OUTPUT5) 'Stop turret from spinning"
            '  Sleep(1000)
            '  ActivateSignal (OUTPUT8) 'Reverse Turret"
            '  If IsActive(INPUT2) Then 'Tool locked signal'
            '  DeactivateSignal(OUTPUT8)
             
            '  Exit Sub
             
'If NewTool= 3 Then
          '    ActivateSignal(OUTPUT6) 'Begin rotating turret'
          '    If IsActive(INPUT1) Then 'Turret has rotated until selected tool is in position'
          '    DeActivateSignal(OUTPUT6) 'Stop turret from spinning"
          '    Sleep(1000)
          '    ActivateSignal (OUTPUT8) 'Reverse Turret"
          '    If IsActive(INPUT2) Then 'Tool locked signal'
            '  DeactivateSignal(OUTPUT8)
             
             ' Exit Sub               

                                       
'If NewTool= 4 Then
            '  ActivateSignal(OUTPUT7) 'Begin rotating turret'
            '  If IsActive(INPUT1) Then 'Turret has rotated until selected tool is in position'
            '  DeActivateSignal(OUTPUT7) 'Stop turret from spinning"
            '  Sleep(1000)
            '  ActivateSignal (OUTPUT8) 'Reverse Turret"
            ' If IsActive(INPUT2) Then 'Tool locked signal'
            '  DeactivateSignal(OUTPUT8)
             
             ' Exit Sub