[diyengineer]

Link to a guys conversion.
Prolight 3000 Lathe Retrofit - Home Model Engine Machinist

"The lathe has some really nice features such as precision ground ball screws, limit switches on all axises, a 8 position tool changer, an air operated door and chuck, and the spindle is set up to accept 5C collets. It also came with a 4" 3 jaw Bison chuck to replace the air operated chuck.

To build the control box I bought three Leadshine Digital DM 856 drives, a Combo breakout board from Sound Logic, a 48 volt 7.5 amp power supply to run the stepper drives, and a C-3 pulse board from CNC 4 PC to tell Mach how fast the spindle is turning. There is an encoder on the spindle motor that tells a RPM gauge on the front of the machine how fast it's turning too.

I also replaced the Z and X axis motors with some more powerful ones from Kelinginc.net to make sure I didn't have any issues with missing steps when running. The original motors were 150 oz and the new ones are 282 oz. I didn't replace the tool changer motor as it works just fine.

I'm happy to report that the lathe is running great, and I have the amps turned way down on the stepper drives as I have plenty of power on each axis. With a simple M code I can control the spindle speed, open and close the chuck and open and close the machine door. Accuracy has been really good and it looks like I can easily keep .0005 accuracy."

Quick specs
http://www.intelitekdownloads.com/ma...IGHT_Lathe.pdf
User manual:
ftp://ftp.robotec.co.il/Techsup/plt3...Turn-guide.pdf

[john-100]

Hi diyengineer

this could give you an idea of how to reuse the original stepper drivers and power supply -

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/bencht...soft_mach.html

as an alternative to this link you found

Prolight 3000 Lathe Retrofit - Home Model Engine Machinist

John

[diyengineer]

Hello John, Good find. I do not have the controller box at all.

I''m trying to find a suitable, and simple controller solution. My router i went all crazy with servos, and every bell and whistle and i wanted to pull my hair out.

I'm thinking of installing a Gecko G540 controller, with cnc4pc C3 index pulse card for spindle speed feedback, and upgrading both steppers to Gecko 280oz/in, with a 48V and 5V power supply. This would all be in a single box, with fan, and it would utilize the cnc4pc MPG16 lathe panel with C22 interface board connected to a second parallel port. Seems like it "Should" be a no brainer? However the price tag will be about $900 bucks (for everything).

[diyengineer]

Quick test shows i have about .00505" @ 2.25" from the jaws. Not bad for a $90 dollar 3 jaw chuck. For quick and dirty stuff, this will be great. I'll get a 4 jaw chuck later on. Looks like the Shars 5C to 3 jaw chuck is pretty good overall.

I'm debating if i should tear it apart, clean it, grease it, and reassemble it? Other peoples results seem to improve after cleaning a new vise.

[Fastest1]

Quick test shows i have about .00505" @ 2.25" from the jaws. Not bad for a $90 dollar 3 jaw chuck. For quick and dirty stuff, this will be great. I'll get a 4 jaw chuck later on. Looks like the Shars 5C to 3 jaw chuck is pretty good overall.

I'm debating if i should tear it apart, clean it, grease it, and reassemble it? Other peoples results seem to improve after cleaning a new vise.

You busy? Otherwise start cleaning. Test and report the results.

[boatlover]

Larry please post pictures of you machine so we can see what you have which will allow us to help you better. Don't worry about the wiring if you take it one step at a time it's pretty easy.

Mark, I love your ATC! I agree that it's really helpful with a cnc lathe so you can program the tool locations. My changer holds 4 square tools and 4 round bits such as boring bars. Right now I have been just using one tool and haven't taken the time to program the locations of each tool. To be honest I'm a little confused on how to program them and to me it looks like I need to have the home limit switches set up so the lathe can auto home each axis when it's first turned on as it doesn't keep it's settings when powered down.

Also I have read that Mach 3 isn't set up to run a ATC and you have to write your own program. I have my tool changer set up so I can advance the tool by pressing the + key on my keyboard. I just plan to put a pause in my program when a tool change is needed and manually press the + key until the correct tool jogs into place. Some day I will try to write the program to get it working, but I'm waiting for Mach 4 to come out first as it might have a tool changer feature.

Here is a picture of the inside of my tool changer. As you can see there is a locking leaver so the turret can be locked into position by turing the motor back a little. This is why a program to turn the tool changer will take a little time to write as the tool needs to advance and then turn back to lock it into place. My tool changer also has a micro switch inside which clicks every full rotation. I'm guessing that Prolight used this as a type of home switch.

Dale P.

[Fastest1]

I will jump in.

Larry please post pictures of you machine so we can see what you have which will allow us to help you better. Don't worry about the wiring if you take it one step at a time it's pretty easy.

I agree! We all love pictures.

Mark, I love your ATC! I agree that it's really helpful with a cnc lathe so you can program the tool locations. My changer holds 4 square tools and 4 round bits such as boring bars. Right now I have been just using one tool and haven't taken the time to program the locations of each tool. To be honest I'm a little confused on how to program them and to me it looks like I need to have the home limit switches set up so the lathe can auto home each axis when it's first turned on as it doesn't keep it's settings when powered down.

Also I have read that Mach 3 isn't set up to run a ATC and you have to write your own program. I have my tool changer set up so I can advance the tool by pressing the + key on my keyboard. I just plan to put a pause in my program when a tool change is needed and manually press the + key until the correct tool jogs into place. Some day I will try to write the program to get it working, but I'm waiting for Mach 4 to come out first as it might have a tool changer feature.

Not true at all. You just either need to get a macro that does the specific rotation for each tool. The quantity of tools in a changer are all variables that have to be accounted for in the macro. There are a few other changes within Mach and your post processor to get the correct code. Though I dont know how to write one, I have one in my Dyna and it will advance according to the called tool. Hoss, RWSkinner, Ray and many others have tool changers running from Mach.

Here is a picture of the inside of my tool changer. As you can see there is a locking leaver so the turret can be locked into position by turing the motor back a little. This is why a program to turn the tool changer will take a little time to write as the tool needs to advance and then turn back to lock it into place. My tool changer also has a micro switch inside which clicks every full rotation. I'm guessing that Prolight used this as a type of home switch.

Actually what I believe you are seeing is a pawl that is electrically activated to allow the tool changer to be bidirectional. If you dont hook it up the changer can only go one way and has to back up. Very similar to the Dyna. MRM has a good build log on a DM3000. He explains the use of that pawl and actuator. IIRC it was a 3 volt switch. Seems like he burnt it up. Might want to read about that part first. I have the macro he uses on his video but it is a single direction macro and is time consuming. Hope this helps. I personally think having limit and homing switches can only increase your awareness of position or repeatability and accuracy has to be better. Maybe if only a little.
Dale P.

[Larry Vigus]

Larry please post pictures of you machine so we can see what you have which will allow us to help you better. Don't worry about the wiring if you take it one step at a time it's pretty easy.

Dale P.

I will try to get pictures this weekend. Mine looks just like the ones pictured. It has a c5 collet with the turret changer. It Has a tail stock. Is the only difference.

Not sure what I am going to do with it, but for $400 I couldn't pass it up.

Larry

[diyengineer]

My 3D printer has been taking most of my time up currently. I'll get back to this project soon enough.