Modifications to your omni turn

[Delw]

Well I got tired of seeing this section go no where so,

What are some modifications that you have done to your attachment, Attachment meaning an omniturn mounted on a hardinge base?


I converted mine and a few others to run direct drive to the motor with no pullies(org hardinge ones) and only a belt.
took out all the hardinge garbage and ran from spindle to motor.
this quieted the machine 500% and you can barely hear it run. and I have absoluetly NO tourqe issues.

Another one was to use the hydraulic tank as a coolant tank. and use the hydraulic cooler (radiator and fans) to cool the coolant. I use oil so it heats up fast.


Delw

[edferg]

I purchased a used Hardinge DV-59 / OmniTurn. It had only control of the slides; no relay box or VFD for motor control.

I used the published OmniTurn schematics to make a relay box and added a VFD. I removed the stock Hardinge electric panel and re-wired the motor to the VFD.

I replaced the CRT with a color LCD monitor made for a car. It fit behind the display window perfectly. OmniTurn sent me the color version of their program.

I replaced the hard drive with a solid-state drive (SSD) from OmniTurn.

I see a couple of companies make a unit that replaces the floppy drive with a USB adapter. Floppies will be harder to find as time goes on. This would be a neat mod to read programs off a USB stick.

I want to remove the dual motor belts and go direct drive for my next project. The noise is getting pretty bad.

Ed

[mklb]

I just picked up a Feeler lathe with an old Omniturn attachment.

I'd be interested in some of the mods you guys have made.

Do you use any different or special size pulleys for the direct drive? It looks like it would be pretty straight forward. I've not had the headstock of one of these apart, so I'm assuming the cartridge spindle comes out the front in order to get the new belt around the pulley?

Also, I'd like to find the floppy to usb converter. I haven't looked real hard, but haven't stumbled across anything yet.

Royce Bunnell
Pool Cues | Billiards and Pool Cues | OB Cues

[rowbare]

Royce,

Search for "usb floppy disk drive emulator" on eBay

bob

[mklb]

Thanks!

[Linghunt]

Do You guys use any Live tooling on your machines. I got a Gt-75 btw.

I have used a Fordam Drive with a flex cable for drilling side holes in the parts, and also bought a PM DC motor with a gear box for doing a slitting operation. This worked out ok, I just needed more torque, had to turn up my RPM's and was running faster SFM than I really wanted to. Trashed a few blades, but learned a lot.

I bought an Air spindle for using an end-mill to land a flat on the part, but didn't get that quote so I haven't used it. Location and mounting of all this gear is interesting at times.

I struggle with tool locations and how to populate the gang plate the most. I try to keep the tools as close to the holders as much as I can, but have had trouble with getting good coolant flow into a drill hole when the drill is not hanging out to far. I was thinking of a nozzle that is mounted to the gang plate. Flow thru the ER collet holder, was going to see if that would work as well.

I use oil BTW, and have had some oil mist/smoke issues on one part that required lots of material removal. Have you guys added any type of mist collection system? Stuff on the market is spendy, figured I would try and design my own unit.

I'll post a few pictures of what I have done later. The USB upgrade is on my list and also networking the CNC as well.

A part catcher and Air blow off is on my short list of upgrades.

-John Linghunt