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The Monarch is what I could have gotten if I hadn't wasted that money becoming a teacher. I didn't even teach for a whole 3 years. I'm not a programmer, either. I've hacked other people's programs when they were close to what I needed, but never succeeded in writing a complete complex program. My brain just doesn't work well that way. My current studies are in precision manual machining. I'm doing well at it, according to my teacher. I've been a good mechanic, too. So all my lathes will stay manual for now. I have a Harbor Freight 7x10, an Atlas TH42 10x24, and a restoration project South Bend Heavy 10L toolroom lathe that was built in 1941. It needs a lot of fixing. At $950 it is the most expensive lathe I've actually bought. The modern version has been on sale for several months now for only $7500. It's normally $10,000. The stand is another grand or so. Not in my range, either.? John Dammeyer has done an Electronic lead screw (ELS) controller for a couple of his lathes. It isn't quite CNC, but is designed to automate several of the normal lathe functions, and to be compatible with current CNC hardware so you can convert back and forth easily. He often casts parts to support a project. http://www.backyardmetalcasting.com/ is the link. Search terms is "metal casting" and I'm sorry it didn't make it into the previous email. Bill in OKC William R. Meyers, MSgt, USAF(Ret.) A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects. LAZARUS LONG (Robert A. Heinlein)
On Friday, May 1, 2020, 10:30:10 PM CDT, Tamra <tamrabrogdon@...> wrote:
My most expensive lathe is my Sherline conversion; I had no idea what it was going to cost me when I sent it out, but I already committed, too late now.?? Bill, Is the Monarch 10 EE going to stay a manual lathe?? The 2 - 300 hours is the reason that I sent my Sherline to a pro... because I imagined that it was going to take me the next 10 years to figure out how to get a computer to talk with the steppers, and I wanted to use it before I retire and wouldn't be able to afford to fix it, so I took the painful spend money now route.? Looking back I should have went to the local 'geek' group, but they meet at night time and it gets dark, and the darn thing weighs about 50 lbs, in the steel case and while I can lift it; it is terribly awkward to move it by myself... so I spent the money instead.? ?It must be the motor? that weighs so much as I know the lathe itself is not heavy. But, if it works this weekend I'll be happy with the money spent, otherwise I'll be doing a two sided job on the CNC router. ...>Here's a good website with the basics laid out pretty well. Can I have the link??? Thanks, Tamra |
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Just finished converting the cross slide to accommodate a tapered gib.?
These lathes are originally fitted with a parallel strip to adjust the motion pressure of the dovetail slides. Very crude and not effective especially when the cross slide is under power from a stepper motor. RELS. So I decided to make a tapered gib, where the pre load of the the slides can be adjusted by means of a wedge action. Gib is retained in the dovetail by means of headed screws front and rear of the cross slide. My material of choice was phosphor bronze, but good grade cast iron is OK. There are many videos available for making tapered gibs, much better than I can explain. The taper was drafted out using Master Cam and CNC milled using the DDCSV 2.1? I have attached photos of the actual gib, WIP, the grooves are for oil passages. Soon to follow up with Part 2 , maching the top compound slide dovetail taper. -- John |
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Tamra
Take a look at the DDCSV 3.1 I use the V 2.1 and a MPG Manual pulse Generator. ?and I have had some good results off my mill. Chinese Technical support is excellent? I am almost there on using the same CNC controller for my lathe.? Currently using Mastercam V 8.1, an old program but it's CAD CAM?for Mill , Lathe, Design and Wire erode cutting. I could send this via internet, it contains all the g code post processors needed and will covert to many file extensions including STL Program is no good for Windows 10, as it is a 32,? bit I use Windows 7 without any hang ups. Stay safe -- John |
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Re: Motion Control of Steppers
#CNC
I'm already over my head with all these options.? I need a flow chart! I did watch some YouTube videos - I chose to stay with Mach 3 for the Sherline because my perception is that there are a lot of Mach 3 users and Mach 3 was created in the States, so at least I wouldn't have a language barrier if I needed to pay Mach 3 creators for tech support. The videos on-line make it look so simple...?Knowing what I know now, I would have spent differently...but I am hoping to that I am on the edge of getting these machines to work. While I haven't used my CNC router too frequently, I was using Vectric Software frequently for projects with Laser, and my old drag knife cutter that at least keeping the ability to use Vectric; and I'm sure my skills will improve over time with more usage.? Learning to use Vectric was the easy part of this journey, it's the hardware that is definitely a mystery! Tamra |
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My most expensive lathe is my Sherline conversion; I had no idea what it was going to cost me when I sent it out, but I already committed, too late now.??
Bill, Is the Monarch 10 EE going to stay a manual lathe?? The 2 - 300 hours is the reason that I sent my Sherline to a pro... because I imagined that it was going to take me the next 10 years to figure out how to get a computer to talk with the steppers, and I wanted to use it before I retire and wouldn't be able to afford to fix it, so I took the painful spend money now route.? Looking back I should have went to the local 'geek' group, but they meet at night time and it gets dark, and the darn thing weighs about 50 lbs, in the steel case and while I can lift it; it is terribly awkward to move it by myself... so I spent the money instead.? ?It must be the motor? that weighs so much as I know the lathe itself is not heavy. But, if it works this weekend I'll be happy with the money spent, otherwise I'll be doing a two sided job on the CNC router. ...>Here's a good website with the basics laid out pretty well. Can I have the link??? Thanks, Tamra |
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Motion Control of Steppers
#CNC
What is everyone using for motion control of their CNC Steppers on Mills and Lathes?
I know Sherline was using Linux, and new systems are controlled by Masso. Taig's CNC mill is Mach 3 in their updated website. Realizing prior experience is a large influence in decision making, how did you know what Motion Controller to select? I still have a Taig CNC mill to update... so wondering if I should stay with Mach 3 or look at different operating systems. Thanks -? Tamra |
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Those sound like fun projects! And no, 5 figure prices don't work all that well for me either. Only thing I ever spent that kind of money on was learning to be a school teacher, and that was wasted $$. Could have bought a new Monarch 10 EE.? My most expensive lathe, to date, has so far cost me about $1200 in cash and 50 hours or so. It probably needs another 2-300 hours. The attached photo was taken just after I unloaded it from my truck. Looks pretty much the same, right now. Most of the stuff that came with it has had a bath in EvapoRust, but nothing further so far. Need a dunk tank to strip the rust off the 55" long bed. Sometime in the next few weeks, with some luck. Bill in OKC William R. Meyers, MSgt, USAF(Ret.) A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects. LAZARUS LONG (Robert A. Heinlein)
On Thursday, April 30, 2020, 08:17:10 AM CDT, Tamra <tamrabrogdon@...> wrote:
Bruce & Bill,? 5 figures is not in my world!? So that is not an option for me. As the topic is 3D lathes, I was thinking I would use the rotary feature and put a piece of wax on my lathe for lost wax casting...I've got a mini chair project on the go now and I'm finally going to do my test cuts this weekend to see if I set up my settings properly in Mach 3.? 5/2/2020 is the big day... I'm using vectric software.? There are sooooooo many stl files available for 3d printing and I'm still learning about importing them in a rotary file and converting them to so I can use vectric software.? I'm almost to a proficient beginner level in Vectric.?? I was also thinking of CNC milling graphite for molds for glass. Tamra |
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Richard
Just for interest here is one to suit my Dixon (Dickson) Toolpost. The
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green thumb nut is also printed. Richard On 10/04/2020 06:56, John Dammeyer wrote:
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Bruce & Bill,? 5 figures is not in my world!? So that is not an option for me.
As the topic is 3D lathes, I was thinking I would use the rotary feature and put a piece of wax on my lathe for lost wax casting...I've got a mini chair project on the go now and I'm finally going to do my test cuts this weekend to see if I set up my settings properly in Mach 3.? 5/2/2020 is the big day... I'm using vectric software.? There are sooooooo many stl files available for 3d printing and I'm still learning about importing them in a rotary file and converting them to so I can use vectric software.? I'm almost to a proficient beginner level in Vectric.?? I was also thinking of CNC milling graphite for molds for glass. Tamra |
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I haven't looked lately at the metal 3d printers, but a couple of years ago we were talking between $100K & $1M. Bit out of my reach, probably forever more, as I just retired. You can make mold of "Green Sand" which is fine sand and bentonite clay, with a bit of water, or petrobond green sand, which uses bentone & oil, or delft clay. https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Delft+Clay+Casting+Kit&linkCode=sl2&linkId=7e4b4d0270f506e8f10ee5aeeafb5236&tag=delftclay-20&ref=as_li_ss_tl amazon.com lists some of the alternatives, but you can make your own from scratch, as well. I've got the bentonite and such here, but I wound up using the sand in my garden since I wasn't getting anywhere with building the foundry. I did use a friend's equipment to cast a faceplate, and make a steel crucible, which I still have, and now that I'm retired I may get to play with this stuff some more. You can do lost plastic casting with 3d-printed objects, too. I also have a 3d printer, a Hictop 3dp-25, which is a clone of the JGAurora A5. I paid $500 for mine on Amazon, and that seems to be the current price as well for the newest version of the A5. It will do parts in several kinds of plastic up to 12"x12"x12.5" (305mmx305mmx320mm). The Yahoo casting groups don't seem to have moved to Groups.io, except for Chris Boyer's Castinghobby, and it's not active. I have all the info they had, AFAIK, and can send it to you if you're interested. Here's a good website with the basics laid out pretty well. HTH! Bill in OKC William R. Meyers, MSgt, USAF(Ret.) A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects. LAZARUS LONG (Robert A. Heinlein) On Tuesday, April 28, 2020, 10:43:04 AM CDT, Tamra <tamrabrogdon@...> wrote: I don't own a 3D Printer, I can use the one at the makerspace - but an interesting concept vs. milling your own tool post.? I have only printed one item at the makerspace... Can you cast metal into what looks like MDF?? My husband and I did a casting for letters for a car project, and I used the rubber?? 2 part material for the mold, and then we sent it off to be plated. I don't even know what metal the Sherline tool posts are made of, but it would be great if I could drill a 1/4" hole and tap it, instead of 3/8".? I recently purchased a small Even Heat Kiln on FB marketplace and I believe I can use it up to temperatures of 1650 degrees farenheit.? I just got it a couple of weeks ago, and haven't plugged it in, but would guess I can buy a crucible to melt metal.? I bought to be a general purpose small kiln so I could anneal metals and glass. I wonder how much are the 3D printers that print metal?? The 3D printers for ceramics are $3k to $6k. Tamra |
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I don't own a 3D Printer, I can use the one at the makerspace - but an interesting concept vs. milling your own tool post.? I have only printed one item at the makerspace...
Can you cast metal into what looks like MDF?? My husband and I did a casting for letters for a car project, and I used the rubber?? 2 part material for the mold, and then we sent it off to be plated. I don't even know what metal the Sherline tool posts are made of, but it would be great if I could drill a 1/4" hole and tap it, instead of 3/8".? I recently purchased a small Even Heat Kiln on FB marketplace and I believe I can use it up to temperatures of 1650 degrees farenheit.? I just got it a couple of weeks ago, and haven't plugged it in, but would guess I can buy a crucible to melt metal.? I bought to be a general purpose small kiln so I could anneal metals and glass. I wonder how much are the 3D printers that print metal?? The 3D printers for ceramics are $3k to $6k. Tamra |
Bill in OKC too
John Lindo
Tamra
