Using a CNC mill as a lathe

[Vern Smith]

Six or so months ago there was a thread on this forum featuring a fellow who set up various lathe tools and drill chucks on a plate mounted in vises on his mill table. He put bar stock into the spindle and used the mill to perform limited lathe functions. I have not been successful finding it with the search function, does anyone remember it?

[1ctoolfool]

I haven't seen that thread, but I have done what you describe on several occasions, and Have an old video around somewhere of one of my setups.

[Andre' B]

Here is a YouTube vid of that type of thing being done in a small Taig benchtop.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbfXXeiSHsw

[Geof]

I haven't seen that thread, but I have done what you describe on several occasions, and Have an old video around somewhere of one of my setups.

It is buried somewhere; I think I even posted to it but that would be buried about a year back or more. What was interesting was the person doing it was making bushings or spacers on a production basis very successfully.

[Matt@RFR]

That might have been me. Here's a video of mine running. http://s207.photobucket.com/albums/b...atheonmill.flv

[Donkey Hotey]

Very cool! The last thing I did like that was use a drill press as a lathe to turn a handful of bushings. I clamped a brazed carbide lathe bit in the vise and used the quill stop for length.

That was the last mickey-mouse setup I did before buying a real lathe and mill.

[bones]

Hi Vern,
I remember the one. I'm still looking for it.
I knew hoss did one X2 cnc finished for now maybe
I was thinking of having a block along the front of the table.
Say 3" or more high, cut slots in it to fit all your tooling in.
Then just move along to the next tool to use it.

Rod

[Switcher]

Threading on a mill (video).


.

[Vern Smith]

I think the one I remember was Matt@RFR. Anyhow, this has been a great thread, lots of ideas for my set up. I need a bunch of simple aluminum flange bushings of various IDs, OD's, lengths, and shoulder widths. I think a set up like this will work fine without spending thirty grand on a CNC lathe. I have enough old lathe tooling and drill chucks laying around to make it. I doubt if I'll ever have enough turning work to justify a CNC lathe.

If I get it to work I guess I'll have to invest in a digital movie camera to post pictures of it in action.

[Geof]

If you go and look around the KBCtools website you should be able to find a very nice little three jaw chuck that is small enough to fit on a CAT40 toolholder; they come with a 5C shank but are bolted to a flange so it would be a simple matter to make an adapter. Cost is around $280.00 I think and includes two sets of jaws for ID and OD clamping. For doing semi-production work I think it would be feasible to have two chucks; one with a part in the machine being processed the other being reloaded.

And a thought cam to mind: How would you cut a thread using a mill as a lathe?

[wwendorf]

How does someone program something like this? This looks like an ideal solution to some of my needs, but i'm lost on how to accomplish it with the CAD/CAM software.

Can anyone who has done it give some tips on how to go about doing something like this???

Thanks,
Wade

[Vern Smith]

That's a good idea. I was thinking about using collets and coming up with a way to loosen and tighten the collet nut without using spindle orient to hold it. I'm sure locking the spindle with spindle orient would not go over well with Haas.

Do you think the little chuck would be OK at 2000 RPM from a balance standpoint?

Vern