Thinking out loud

[kong]

As a follow on to which bearings, I have been thinking a lot today about CNC. obviously the converted drill press "will do", but I'm guessing it's not gonna be long before I need to re-design it. Unfortunately I'm skint, so buying new stuff is out, but in my workshop (read shed) i have a router and a wood lathe. So just wondering if any of their parts could be used to successfully create a stronger spindle for a copper milling machine. I will obviously have to build a full z-axis to house it, but seeing what you guys have done from second hand stuff, and scrap, i feel it can be done cheaply. Any thoughts/suggestions?

[kong]

Well a couple of hours later, i have the head off' the lathe. I'm just hoping someone will tell me it's gonna be ok for metal use without having to alter it much! Have a look:
http://www.btinternet.com/~jasonrsmith/Lathe_Front.jpg

[cbcnc]

Hi Kong,

How large is the spindle on your lathe head?
I purchased a 3-jaw chuck to fit my lathe. I also purchased the cross slide vise that I bolted to my lathe bed. That acts as my tool holder.
My lathe has a 1", 8 threads/inch spindle. That allows me to take light cuts in aluminum. Steel is more of a problem since I have to take even lighter cuts and the vise is hard to adjust in such fine incriments. Also the spindle flexes which leads to vibration.
What are you trying to mill out of copper? Are you trying to engrave it? Or are you trying to cut shapes? How thick?

Chris

[kong]

Spindle size is 1", but I'm not on about using it as a lathe. Since the photo I took, i have removed the motor, leaving a nice solid housing and the spindle. I was hoping to use this as the head on a vertical mill. ie it will go up and down. just wanted to check the bearings are satisfactory on wood mills.
The copper is used to make water blocks for water-cooling computers. The one in the attatched was milled by hand in a drill press with dodgy cross-slide vice!

[balsaman]

Water cooling the CPU?

That would have to be a large home made mill.... You have any ideas for the rest of the mill?

Eric

[kong]

The entire block is 3" x 2", 1" tall, so a large movement is not needed. i already have an 18" x 6" x-y table which i bought last week. It's just the z-axis I need to work on. Opinions on the lathe spindle compared to the drill press?

[balsaman]

IMHO it would have to be a better option, but it's hard to tell without seeing it. It's hard to judge the size based on that picture.

In any case, I would imagine it would work well if the rest of the machine was built robustly.

Eric

[kong]

Ok, heres a better photo, sat on the 18x6 table. I understand the machine will need to be solid, or it's gonna vibrate like hell.

[balsaman]

You going to mount your drill press spindle on your lathe now?...

Eric

[kong]

Sorry, if it was a joke, it is wasted on me!?
Drill spindle? On the lathe?

[balsaman]

It was a joke. I was just funnin ya. Since you were mounting the lathe spindle on a mill, your lathe is now spindleless...

Eric

[kong]

Dear oh dear! Lol, thnks for the help anyway, I guess I better get planning the rest of the setup.