13x40 Jet Lathe CNC conversion with vfd

[GM1G]

bumping..... awesome conversion

[DICKEYBIRD]

Great job, that thing's a manly-man! I missed this thread somehow and am glad it was bumped up.

I noticed you're using Dolphin & Mach3...me too! Someone asked you earlier in the thread about Mach & CSS. You can use CSS by choosing that option in the Select Tool screen in Dolphin but you can't use the feed per rev option with it; you have to use feed per minute. It won't be true CSS but the spindle speed will speed up & down in proportion to the diameter changes Mach screws up if you try CSS with the feed/rev option.

[gt40]

Great job, that thing's a manly-man! I missed this thread somehow and am glad it was bumped up.

I noticed you're using Dolphin & Mach3...me too! Someone asked you earlier in the thread about Mach & CSS. You can use CSS by choosing that option in the Select Tool screen in Dolphin but you can't use the feed per rev option with it; you have to use feed per minute. It won't be true CSS but the spindle speed will speed up & down in proportion to the diameter changes Mach screws up if you try CSS with the feed/rev option.

Thanks for the info- I will have to try this...

[erikjgreen]

Any updates on how it's working? Have you made any more mods?

I'm currently cleaning up an older version of the same lathe, and I'll probably CNC it before I'm done.

Do you have any issues with the diameter of the ball screw on the Z axis? I know that more force is involved in that direction than cross slide, and that ball screw looks pretty thin, relatively speaking.

[gt40]

I just upgraded to Mach4 and it is working fine. A few bugs on homing but am really happy with how it cuts. Here is a link to a short video I recently made of it cutting in Mach 4 and fusion 360 cam:



I have made a lot of stuff without issues on the ball screws. I can jog the full length of the z and back and the glass scale dro shows < .0005" backlash- basically the limit of the dro to resolve.

I also upgraded to a 3hp motor and vfd. I need to figure how to make it work with Mach 4 but I am looking forward to CSS with it.

[gt40]

Update:

I recently made some significant changes to this build. Scraped Mach 3 and 4 as I just couldn't get everything to run right, experience periodic random issues. I tried both a smoothstepper or pokeys 57cnc board and to this day, not sure if it was Mach or the hardware.

Instead, I went with a Centroid Acorn CNC board. Reliable function, CSS, accurate mapping of ballscrews, solid conversational programming, simple setting of tool offsets are just a few of the improvements. I have run this now for several months and it has been totally reliable. I am also adding a full enclosure with flood coolant:



Just added a Omron 2000 ppr encoder with 3d printed gears to avoid plugging the back end of the spindle. It allows for dead nuts accurate threading and CSS:



Better clip of the enclosure with sliding door:



Threading 6061 at 1500 rpm. Finally, reliable threading to spec!



Coming from years of Mach, the Acorn is such a massive improvement. It has been rock solid and just works. The conversational control is really a nice add too.

As an instructor at a small non profit teaching facility, the Bainbridge Barn, we are adding a slant bed lathe from dynamics and liked the Acorn so much, we are retrofitting it with a second Acorn to replace the aged Fagor control.

[DICKEYBIRD]

Coming from years of Mach, the Acorn is such a massive improvement. It has been rock solid and just works. The conversational control is really a nice add too.

Me three! Welcome to the Centroid-way-less-confusing world.

[Azalin]

I am very new to Mach4 and I'd like to ask your experience. What was the problem with Mach4 exactly?

So far CSS and threading seems to be working fine to me.

Sent from my MI 5s Plus using Tapatalk

[gt40]

I had random issues where mach would stop working. Threading with the smoothstepper didn't work although I think they may have finally gotten to it. The pokeys board was just wasn't stable so for me 2 different boards and a lot of time wasted was the result. YMMV.

[gt40]

I had random issues where mach would stop working. Threading with the smoothstepper didn't work although I think they may have finally gotten to it. The pokeys board was just wasn't stable so for me 2 different boards and a lot of time wasted was the result. YMMV. I am using Mach 4 on my mill without issues

[gt40]

...

[asuratman]

Hello gt40,
Did you buy only Acorn motherboard ? You buy the rest of the parts not from Centroid. They works very good. The centroid cnc lathe kits is very expensive I read on their website. Do you think that Acorn MB will also work well with Long/Wantai stepper motor 2 axis cnc lathe kit ?

[gt40]

Hello gt40,
Did you buy only Acorn motherboard ? You buy the rest of the parts not from Centroid. They works very good. The centroid cnc lathe kits is very expensive I read on their website. Do you think that Acorn MB will also work well with Long/Wantai stepper motor 2 axis cnc lathe kit ?

I used surplus ground ballscrews from ebay, diy bearing blocks and carriage assembly, DMM Tech Dyn 2 servos and drives. They have schematics for a lot of different servos and steppers and there are builds with a number of others not listed. If the steppers work off of step and direction signals you probably can make it work.

Here are a few threads about running steppers with the Acorn:

https://www.cnczone.com/forums/centr...-steppers.html

https://www.cnccookbook.com/inexpens...rn-controller/

list of schmatics: http://www.centroidcnc.com/centroid_...schematics.zip

I got the board and then added the "pro" turn software option and it was $325 + $139. They are putting in a nice little 24v power supply and a power cord + shielded ethernet cable.

hope that helps

[dbsharp]

How well did the 184 frame motor fit?

[asuratman]

Me three! Welcome to the Centroid-way-less-confusing world.

I will try one soon.