[Robin2]

I'm planning to convert a small lathe to CNC and use it as the platform for 3D printing (with a vertical slide for the 3rd axis).

I'm reasonably competent with computer programming but I'm very new to this CNC stuff. After a lot of Googling I think I have a reasonable grasp of how Reprap works and I've discovered FreeCad and PyCAM which seem to provide a reasonably simple process for designing objects and producing the GCode to drive the CNC system. I'm going to control the stepper motors with an Arduino Mega running Sprinter firmware which works with GCode sent from a PC.

I also want to be able to use the lathe as a 2-axis CNC machine for very simple metal shaping but I haven't been able to find any software that takes a drawing (not even sure whether I need to make a 2D drawing or 3D) and produces the 2-axis GCode needed to move the lathe tool while the work rotates.

Apologies if there is already a thread about this elsewhere on the Forum but Google hasn't been able to find it for me. This may be because, being new to the subject, I don't know the correct search terms.

Any direct advice or links to useful stuff will be appreciated.

...R

[Tony T]

KCam Kellyware. I converted my manual mini lathe to cnc. It is free to download and try. Very cheap if you decide to keep using it.

[Robin2]

Thanks Tony,
KCam seems to be a Windows program and I should have said that I'm using Ubuntu Linux.

However you may be able to help me. It looks like KCam is designed for controlling a mill rather than a lathe. Perhaps there is some setting you use that enables it to produce GCode for a lathe and if you can explain that I may be able to get the same "trick" to work with PyCam.

Thanks again

...R

[Adverse Effects]

http://slic3r.org/
http://kisslicer.com/

but there only good for 3D printing

[Tony T]

My Lathe is a simple 2 axis in Kcam you are able to configure the parallel port outputs. I don't know anything about Pycam. I was able to also wire the z motor into the y outputs so when the program calls for the y moves it is actually z moving. Sorry not much help but hopefully this will spark and idea for you.

[Robin2]

Thanks again, Tony.

Sorry for not being clearer earlier. I am not worried about the connections to different motors.

What I am trying to figure out is how you prepare a drawing for a part to be turned in a lathe and then generate the GCode that will control the lathe to make the part. Drawings and GCode for a mill assume that the material is stationary and the cutter moves whereas in a lathe the material moves and the cutter is stationary. For a part to be turned on lathe you only need half a drawing because the spindle quickly brings the other half around to you!

(I know there are many simplifications in this, but I'm trying to reduce it to the essential differences).

Any advice about how you use KCam would be appreciated as, after several more hours Googling, I still haven't found an answer to this puzzle.

@adverse_effects, thanks for the links, I am planning to use slic3r for my 3D printing if I ever get that far.

...R