[Stevie]

I'm already planning a bigger more complex lathe for after the Big Mill project

Maybe a turret with powered rotation might be just possible

BTW, nice mill project you have going

[Bloy2004]

I'm THOROUGHLY enjoying your pictorial here, Stevie!
wunnerful!

[IJ.]

Stevie: Thanks !

Of course the turret would be powered !!

[Ken_Shea]

Yeah guys,
Stevie may be resourceful, talented, experienced, visionary and methodical but can he chew gum, pat his head and rub his stomach all at the same time?

[Stevie]

Got a chance to go into the shop again
I made the 2 support blocks for the vertical axis ballscrew

Here is the rough assembly; you can see the flex coupler sticking out of the upper block; there still need a small lock nut to be turned for the shaft/brg setup; the tiny 3/8"x5/8"x1/8" brg is for the lower block (still need to bore that; just roughed out)
The 370mm slide is facing down; the ballscrew will be on the back (out of the cuttings)
The spindle you can see fits into the cast iron sleeve; this is from the 8" cheap drill press; I'll bore it for the collet you can see in the pic (if anyone can identify this collet series let me know)


Here is the assembly dissassembled; the lower is cleared for the lowest ballnut ball return tube to enter into the block; the upper is bored for the outer brg retainer; the brgs will be preloaded by 0.001; the retainer will be held by 4 4-40 capheads countersunk into the outer ring of the retainer; inner bore of the retainer will just clear the ball return tube of the upper ballnut


Both blocks will be drill and tapped to mount to the back of the slide; and will then be drilled and tapped to mount the assembly to the bridge from the headstock/tailstock of the Lathe
The sliding mass will be counterbalanced with a weight supended from a small cable
Travel will be on the order of 7 - 7 1/4" max cutter 1/4" 4 speeds planned in the 3,000-26,000 range (got a 13,000 rpm motor 1/4hp)

[Stevie]

Made the retainer/locking sleeve today with the lathe
It's a 2 piece; the outer ring is held by 4 x 2-56 cap heads; the ring is 7mm thick; the sleeve is .5mm longer than the bore; hence the outer brg race is held firmly; the inner brg race will be spaced by a 0.001" spacer to preload the brgs



The lower block I also worked on and other than the mounting bolt holes it's done

Still need the upper blocks stepper mount and the small 10mm fine thread lock nut to lock the ballscrew shaft to the brg setup
All this should provide for a nice free running assembly with zero backlash
The ballscrew is 3/8" dia with a lead of 3/16"/rev

[Stevie]

The lock nut to hold the brgs on the ballscrew

Yeah I know Bronze again; I just love this stuff; and the stepper mount below it is also partly bronze