I've started to rebuild my lathe with Ajax components and replace the old Crusader IIL on my newly bought Harrison M400 CNC. However I've last night noticed some problems of wear on the cross slide (x) depending on missing lip seals from the Harrison original design. Also I plan to change side of the x-servo drive, from front to rear to create more operator space. I probably need a new ballscrew + nut anyway as the original have too much play for giving confidence. Is there anyone out there who have rebuild a Lathe with an Ajax kit and want to share experiences ?

Best regards
/T :cheers:

As you should be able to see I've decided to change the layout of the servo motors, to get more operator space. I'll increase the crossslide table 12mm in height to create space for an standard Bosch-Rexroth ballscrew with nut. The original nut was an very special made one, very low which passed the z-slide with only a paper between. Also my cross slide table where worn down due no seals, a "not that great" design from the factory.

And a complete Ajax lathe kit are just waiting along with a 7,5kW frequency inverter from ABB.

Left pic is original with x servo in fron and z at rear right. Right pic is redesigned with x servo at rear in swarf bin and z servo under the gearbox. Designed in SolidWorks 2005, but the low definition pictures does not show that much details. It would be nicer to post the CAD files trough eDrawing.

See ya...
/T

...Incredible boring, but necessary. Just waiting for time to finish my new cross slide table and slides, which are 12,5mm higher over the bed as the new ball screw nut from Bosch-Rexroth are larger then original.

Sometime in the next few hours, or maybe days, I’m going to recive a small girl child together with my lovely wife. That’s the most interesting project however… :)

Best regards
/T

...with a Rambaudi Versamill 12 and some help from her master and my friend Anders. I bought a 300kg block of casted iron which about 120 kg are to be used in three components for the cross slide table and slideways. I've ordered a new ball screw for the cross slide from Rexroth in dimension 20x5Rx3-5 which will give about twice as high dynamic and static permitted load as the original one.

A electrical cabinet are at home to be fitted with the Ajax system including a industrial home built PC (Celeron 2,4GHz) with 1Gb LAN and bootable flash card with CNC-software under Linux.(No hard drive) A 10hp frequency inverter from ABB are ready to be fitted as well.

The birth went very well and she's like an angel just like her mom :-)

See ya!
BR
/T

After looking for a mill with 55 degrees angle which took a whole week to find, we finally got this Saturday free from family business to do spend a few more hours milling on the cross slide table assembly. It was time to make the final guiding surfaces and also the fish tail guide. It's a bit frustrating to put the pieces down after just a few hours Saturday work as the machine have to be ready for action on weekdays, to manage fast and sometimes unplanned, work on injection mould tools. But we slowely starting to see the final result and that's uplifting. In the meantime I make the smaller pieces at home with my much smaller machines, whenever I got some spare time.

Best regards
/T

HI Piobaire,

One question: regarding the above photo on the right... is that a sanding pad of some sort that you're running? What exactly are you doing with it (cleaning up corrosion I suspect). Ok that was two questions...

Carlo

HI Piobaire,

One question: regarding the above photo on the right... is that a sanding pad of some sort that you're running? What exactly are you doing with it (cleaning up corrosion I suspect). Ok that was two questions...

Carlo

I Believe its a cutter :)

Yes it's a dia80mm 55degree angle cutter. I make a completely new cross slide table and saddle guide, as the original was worn and I want to make the saddle longer so the cross slide table never leave the saddle guide and put scrapers on both ends. The main reason is also to risen the ballscrew centre from the lathe bed with 12mm so I could use a standard ball screw nut. The original is too small to replace with anything else and a bit too weak (and expencive!).

Here are a pic from SolidWorks with the lathe from behind where the cross slide table are visible (or almost visible)

"It's never too late to give up" - so just try harder.... :-)

Best regards
/T

Hi again!

After having a very slow action on this projet I must give a update hint. My little daughter which was born Feb 2005 have taking alot of my time and still are so the project are running quite slower then I hoped for. The different projects could wait, but not be there when the children grows up.

The new cross slide table is ready and the new, longer table guide also. The old bed slide have been adapted for the new cross table guide and the pieces bolt and nailed toghter.

Now I've to order a new and longer ballscrew with nut for the cross slide (X-axis) and figure out the design for drive of the z-axis.