[devers6]

Here is a video of making a small aluminum switch knob using my SX3 as a lathe. I got the inspiration from:

http://www.mill2lathe.com

I made a toolholder from 2"x3" cold-rolled from Online Metals, and used indexable lathe tools from Grizzly and a standard parting tool blade. The G-Code was hand-made from an Autocad drawing, after considerable head-banging trying to use CamBam to move from X-Y to X-Z planes. Bob Adams' Cad2Lathe should have been a help, but I couldn't get the hang of it using the trial; so I ended up just creating G-code by hand from the dimensions of the drawing.

Except for the headache and loss of hair, this project was a lot of fun.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hUEPfgKJwY"]YouTube - Cutting a switch knob from 6061 aluminum using a CNC mill as a lathe[/ame]

[Deviant]

Seen a few of these type setups. Very cool...

I need to do this... *ponders*

[SSN Vet]

writing G-codes manually is a very good skill to develope...

really builds your understanding of what each line of code does

it also helps you review and edit code generated by programs

and once you get good at it, you can crank out simple programs faster than if you used a program

[devers6]

Yes, I think I am the better for the experience. When I needed to tweak the file I knew exactly where to go, instead of having to go regenerate the code in the CAM program which always seemed to take more work than it should.

One thing that literally screams at me to take on next, is tool offsets. I hard-coded the G-Code to move to absolute locations when I changed tools. But if I had loaded tool offsets into Mach I wouldn't have had to worry about the changes in X,Y, and Z when moving to the parting tool. Once I get up the nerve, I'll pick another project and tackle that concept.

[yantra3d]

Yes, I think I am the better for the experience. When I needed to tweak the file I knew exactly where to go, instead of having to go regenerate the code in the CAM program which always seemed to take more work than it should.

One thing that literally screams at me to take on next, is tool offsets. I hard-coded the G-Code to move to absolute locations when I changed tools. But if I had loaded tool offsets into Mach I wouldn't have had to worry about the changes in X,Y, and Z when moving to the parting tool. Once I get up the nerve, I'll pick another project and tackle that concept.

It helps to have some sort of reference point to set up your tool offsets. I'm doing this now on my lathe and am using the home switches (sensors) to datum the machine and then configuring all of the initial offsets based on that defined 0,0 location.

I've also been gcoding my lathe by hand too so far but it's easy to make mistakes! Too easy to add a positive value rather than negative or change the value in tenths rather than hundredths... and then CRASH!!!

Great job btw...

[devers6]

Another couple of videos showing the SX3 Mill/Drill used as a lathe. This time, I am making Tormach TTS-style toolholders from 1-1/2" diameter drill rod. I am also using a new 4" R8 3-jaw chuck (about $60 from Ebay) which makes it a lot easier to deal with larger stock.

Part 1

[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2w8cYXt5_o"]YouTube - Tormach TTS-Style Toolholders on the SX3 Part 1[/nomedia]

Part 2

[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-cAnQqpXs0"]YouTube - Tormach TTS-Style Toolholders on the SX3 Part 2[/nomedia]

[slektning]

It was a joy to watch these great videos! Nice work

[neilw20]

It gets a nice result doesn't it.
I would rough it in 2 passes until the thin bit
or are you speed limited?
You can improve the parting off by spraying a bit of WD40 to mess up the machine. Slow down for the parting off, go most of the way in, then move slightly down for a good finish cut.
The more speed the merrier!!

To save brain problems, or confuse yourself, you can have a separate configuration file for turning, which then can then make the X axis positive direction the same as for turning towards zero = towards center, and program direct in diameter with X scaled correctly.

Or just mount the tools on the left where you can still see them properly and run the spindle in the conventional direction, then X sign is still OK, and just scale for diameter is the only change.

At least left and right handed tool holders become ambidextrous.:banana:

Isn't it nice to have adjustable tool height!!

Keep up the good work.

[mmprestine]

Great videos! One question though, isn't it necessary to cut the relief on the back of the tool holder so it sits against the spindle and not on the collet?

[neilw20]

mmprestine. What do you mean? May be I am getting old?

PS: Sorry, I didn't look at the video or the gif.
divers6 question through my brain off the thread to tool holders.
I should look at this when it is not dark outside,(nuts)

Just looked at it again in full screen.
You can see the parting off tool bending when it is cutting on it's side.
To overcome this I do lots of plunges almost to depth and do a light finish pass. Then you can push it hard. Looks silly, but it works.

[mmprestine]

My question is towards the tormach tool holder. On the 3/4" shaft side is there not suposed to be a relief cut so the hold sits against the spindle and not the collet?

tormach tool holder gif

[devers6]

Correct - the genuine Tormach tool holders have a relief cut on the face of the body facing toward the spindle. It allows the toolholder to clear the projecting part of the collet; and provides for positive registration of the toolholder against the spindle, and makes it possible to have accurate tool offsets programmed into the CNC controller. I agree it is a signature part of the true TTS tooling system.

I haven't cut this relief on my toolholders for 2 reasons:

1) It it difficult to cut without a significant repositioning of the lathe tool (or changing to another tool altogether), and an additional machining operation.

2) I never use the registration feature. I always use the Mach3 macros for Z zero finding to set the zero at every tool change. It's just a habit I've gotten into since it is so fast and easy, and always works. Part of that came from before I made the additional toolholders, as previously I was having to change out tools in the toolholders which rendered any stored tool offsets invalid.

I'm sure a working shop would find this feature much more attractive, and I'm sure anyone undertaking the making of these toolholders would know how to cut the relief if that was important to them. For me, it cuts out a lot of cutting time for something that is of little value to me.

Another option is to use the Tormach conversion kit which includes a special washer cut with the relief, and epoxy to glue it to the toolholder

[devers6]

After thinking about this some more, and after looking at the GIF posted by mmprestine, it makes sense now that the relief in the face of the tool holder plays an important part in the holding power of the tool holder. By exerting force on both the shank inside the collet as well as pulling the holder tight up against the spindle, you get much more stability in the cutting tool and probably a decrease in chatter and better finish.

However, the primary benefit I find for the TTS system is convenience, not holding power. The tools I use for the heaviest cuts all have integral 3/4" shanks - I don't need a tool holder for those. For workhorse endmills in smaller sizes like 1/2" or 3/8", I'd probably use my genuine TTS holders. For everything else, like spot drills, drill chucks, center finders, Sharpie markers, etc - it's more important to be able to change them out quickly than it is to have maximum pull-out resistance or ability to handle heavy side loads.

The true Tormach TTS toolholder are worth every cent they charge for them. I own several, and I encourage other users to get as many as they need. The toolholders I make are meant to fill in the gaps for all the other tools I have laying around that I'd like to be able to change out in seconds rather than minutes. For that reason, I don't bother hardening them, or giving them fancy finishes (although the drill rod will polish up like chrome if you spend the time), or cutting the relief on the face.

Besides, I just love watching that steel peel off like the skin of an apple in one of those peeler machines that I wonder if anyone actually uses. That, and the smell of sulfur oil smoke in the morning. It smells like - economy to me!