LatheMaster 9 X30 CNC Adventure

[Green0]

So i guess for anyone who was following, now that my SYIL mill computor is headed to Washington, even though I don't have a cable for the lathe, I do have a SYIL cable (which is the only part of the system I know works, ironically even though it's damaged visibly...) HAHA

So i plugged it in with that cable and played around a little tonight. I pulled an indicator and found that the X and Z are settup properly and tracking accurately, and I changed the X and Z rapid to 125 IPM, and running at that speed, the lathe wasn't missing steps, and I'm pretty happy with that- it means I should be able to cut an 18 pitch thread at 2000RPM, which is probably about as fast as the lathe spindle will turn...

However, there is a little speedbump- the X axis has .008" of backlash and Ron is trying to explain to me how to fix it- I'm not attune to all these terms so it's going to be a tough one for him... HAHA "oldham coupler? What?"

The Z has .001" of backlash or less, so it's really impressively performing right now. Even at 125 IPM.

So I played around, set all my toolholders heights against the live center, tested my XYZ edgefinder, tightened my toolpost in position, and called it a night.

As it says below, if anyone can help me figure out how to settup my machine not to crash, without limit switches, that would be cool

here are some pics...

Lathe pics:

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/4...108AYtHLdw2cNb

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/4...108AYtHLdw2cNb

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/4...108AYtHLdw2cNb

My toolpost base-

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/4...108AYtHLdw2cNb

I had to indicate this on a Bridgeport, and drill and tap three holes, to install my 5C chuck.

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/4...108AYtHLdw2cNb

My lathe turning tooling so far. Everything is indexable- the dream is to zero everything with a designated tool number, and then zero tool #1 against the XYZ edgefinder at the start of the day and have the machine ready to cut (soft limits set, machine zeroed etc) On the left are some boring bars, then two Kennametal ID threading tools, a Kennemetal micro boring bar, a couple OD threading tools, a parting tool, a grooving tool, OD profiling, and od turning tools.

I designed and cut the two tool-holders for the micro-boring and threading tools, and shaved the threading tools for live center clearance. All the shanks have been milled to fit adaptors with the help of a “magical” 1/2” GARR VRX TALCN coated, solid carbide, .020” radius finisher/rougher. They cut through hardened steel like HSS through 1018. Crazy end-mills. I’m a big fan : )

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/4...108AYtHLdw2cNb

Coolant is a standard Grizzly package coolant system.

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/4...108AYtHLdw2cNb

This is the screen for homing limits. I don’t have homing switches on my lathe and I want the computor to use soft limits, (Ideally I’d like to set it up so I could turn it on, touch off tool #1 on an electronic XYZ edgefinder, set zero, and then be able to turn parts without worrying about crashing the machine.

Could anyone lead me down the right path for what I would want to change for that to workout?

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/4...108AYtHLdw2cNb

It's cool to touch off the tool, in .001 step on the z and then step it back .001 and watch it turn off. It's an accurate edgefinder. I don't know about .0002", but I did confirm it deffinitely resolves .001"

[BobWarfield]

Wow, cool pix!

You should be able to crank out some cans with that rig.

Should be a lot of fun getting to know it. Best of all, I knew there was an excuse why I needed on of those cool electronic edgefinders, and now you've given it to me!

Best,

BW

[Al_The_Man]

Originally Posted by Green0 It's cool to touch off the tool, in .001 step on the z and then step it back .001 and watch it turn off. It's an accurate edgefinder. I don't know about .0002", but I did confirm it deffinitely resolves .001"

Who's Wedge tool post did you use? I did not see it mentioned in the posts.
Al.

[Green0]

I bought it from Lathemaster, but it is the 100 series toolpost availible trough Shars tool and Shars tool has it cheaper.

The adaptors are ground, and quality seems high so I'm happy.

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/4...108AYtHLdw2cNb

toolpost base print- I put it as close to the edge of the cross-slide as I could, because there isn't a ton of clearance in there. I think the center thread was a 14mmx 1.5mm metric, but I'm not sure. (I had to take it to the shop to use metric thread profile gauges.)

If I did the toolpost base again, I would probably make it .100 taller. one boring bar (the little one of the 3) doesn't get a very optimal tool height with the nut all the way down, and my two micro bars are just barely there.

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/4...108AYtHLdw2cNb

Micro-boring bar holders.

Bob- if you get the edgefinder, I reccomend not going cheap, do the $175 XYZ from J&L industrial. The Chinese one I got didnt work, and had no height (Z) function. This one has a stop, and it glows at 2.000 +-.0002" from that stop.

[Green0]

I talked to a guy I know who built a small machine, and he told me that the only problem could be tension between the ballnuts.

So..

I took the x-axis crash bar off and spun the ball nuts closer together (about 1 or two revolutions) and tuned the backlash comp from .003 to .0053" and now it tracks within about .0015"

I tuned the motor on the Z from 10000 steps to 10100 and now it's within .0005" accuracy in 1/2 an inch of travel.

The Z seems to track true at 10,000 so I left it alone, and it's .003 setting in the backlash comp seems to work about optimally.

Anything beyond that would require actually taking the ball nuts off the screws to replace springs, and that means taking apart the whole crosslide, so I think I'll deal with that for now, and see how it cuts when I get a chance.

I got 5 cables from mouser for $3 each. I tried one today, and they work! So I replaced the SYIL cable with a cable in better condition. (I have no idea how they do it for $3 a cable...)

My new mission now is to figure out tool tables and get all my tools zeroed and numbered.

[Green0]

I was trying to configure soft limits today, so the computor would shut the lathe off like .5" prior to limits; I don't know if Mach has a provision without limit switches...


Also if anyone knows of a quick reference for setting tip numbers in the tool offset table, that would be cool... I have pretty basic stuff, right and left turning, outside right and left hand threading, a std profiling tool, boring and ID threading tools, a couple drill chucks, and parting and grooving tools-

The Mach turn "tip angle?" or whatever it is column doesn't make a ton of sense to me.

So I got into the shop again today, and decided to take apart the cross-slide again (3rd time) and inspect the components, and I decided to shim and loc-tite the ball nut screwed to the cross-slide mount, because I detected a little rotation in it, and I cut back the spring retainer so I could get a little more tension between the screws.

That cut backlash comp settings to .0039 on the X and gave more re-peatable results. now I'm pretty confident it'll track within .001" of true on the diameter.

So with that I went to town on the toolpost adaptors...

I took a dremel tool and chucked a #1 center drill, turned it to peak RPM, and engraved the numbers on all the adaptors, to correspond with the offset table.

Then I entered all the tools into the offset table...

I got to use my new fangled, co-axial indicator to indicate in the drill chucks and morse taper adaptors - IT WAS A DREAM TO USE...

I figured out how to set X axis zeros on boring bars with my XYZ indicator; you can use a feeler guage to make electronic contact, and it's accurate- probably the most accurate way short of a test cut, to zero a boring tool.

So after a whole lot of 125IPM rapiding and .001" jogging to offset 20 tools, I checked tool#1, and it returned to zero, within .0008" in x and .001" in z That was kind of neat to see...

So I guess it's ready to turn some parts whenever I get my programming guy out. . .

[Green0]

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fu...oid=2038856014

I don't know if that will work, but that's a video of the lathe cutting threads.

I was having a helacious time with my parting tool- it was one of the indexable ones that friction lock holds the insert.... long and short, the parting tool is shot and I'm getting a new settup with a parting blade, so in the future, a shot parting tool, will be allow me to switch sides of the blade and order another instead of looking at the sky waiting for a new parting tool to ship in... HAHA

I wanted a parting tool with a screw lock, but shars was out, and Kennemetal tools are DAMN expensive, plus I'd have to cut the toolholder down to fit my QCTP adaptor, and I doubt cutting a kennetal toolholder is going to be easy...

[BobWarfield]

Very nice work on the threads. Seems like you ought to look into a fogbuster-style coolant system for the lathe. It'll save you the squirt bottle and automate one more thing.

I have an Aloris parting off tool that works great for me. There's also a fellow on eBay selling ready made blade style tools that have a square shank. They're nice for smaller work than the Aloris.

You can see both styles on my web page:

http://www.thewarfields.com/cnccookb...tingCutoff.htm


Best,

BW

[Green0]

I had allready gone to your page and read everything you had on parting tools.

I got a Shars tool model that looked similar to your Aloris.

I took a 1/2" VRX endmill to cut the .625" shank to .550 for compatibility with my adaptors. My Syil mill was really rocking good, so I think the material was just too hard for it, but it got the job done, even though it beat up the endmill in the process.

I have fogbuster coolant comming for the mill, but I was running flood coolant on the lathe (I just didn't fill the tank for this precursory project).

I had welded 304 tube that I was trying to part and it was just too hard. I don't think this lathe will be doing any stainless work. I tried .002, .003, .004, .008" infeeds and everything crashed tools, made light cuts, and then gave up the ghost.

In Aluminum the new insertable .120" wide blade will slice like butter at .008"/Rev feed... It sounds like frying bacon which I heard is ideal. The finish on the aluminum is nice and smooth and straight, so I think I'm finished with the parting tool debacle.

I did have an additional problem, when I updated Mach3 to the 2.00065 lockdown, I noticed a strange deceleration in mid rapid movement that would sometimes lock up a stepper and lose steps. I installed the newer developmental upgrade, and it was the same. That was frustrating to me, and I couldn't get it to run right, so I turned off backlash comp, and don't know how it will run, but at least for now it isn't missing steps in rapid jogging.

I have no idea why that is occurring.

[KSKID]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Man You can't beat Bob at Lathemaster for excellent service, I highly recommend them. I am helping a friend retro-fit his 9x30. There is also a Yahoo N.G. for the lathes. He also has them on Ebay sometimes for $100 less if you can get them for the opening price. Al.

I don't know what kind of results you have had with Lathemaster, but I have tried unsuccessfully to get a hold of them 4 times already via email and they have yet to email me a response back, so far im not TOO impressed.

[Al_The_Man]

I don't know why for some reason he does not respond well to email, which is strange when you are operating a business like that.
I had to phone him in the end, he usually answers or will get back to you by phone fairly quickly, I know he has an excellent record of solving warrenty/damage issues quickly.
Al.

[Al_The_Man]

Originally Posted by Green0 I bought it from Lathemaster, but it is the 100 series toolpost availible trough Shars tool and Shars tool has it cheaper.

If doing away with the compound rest, would it be better to go with the BXA size rather than the AXA?
Al.