[margni74]

Im just starting out and have quite a few ideas for a CNC lathe. Can anyone recommend sites/books that an help me with my design?

[balsaman]

You building a lathe of converting one?

E

[margni74]

have quite a few parts now. Extruded alum, motors, ball screws, etc. mostly collected from Ebay, and salvaged..

[snokid]

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=41648

I was looking at that lathe at Menards yesterday and I was thinking how easy that would be to convert to cnc metal lathe.

put some thk linear slides on the beds, fashion a x axis add steppers get a three jaw chuck.

seems like this would save ton's of time.

the one I looked at was also variable speed also.

Bob

[balsaman]

I would be interested in the project. Pictures would be great if posible.

Eric

[DDM]

It looks like a good idea. I have a mini lathe that I'd like to convert over to CNC so that I could make pens in mass production. It would probably be easier and cheaper to convert a lathe over to CNC than to make or convert a milling machine. You're only looking at a 2 axis stystem vs. a 3 or more axis system. Are you thinking of putting the linear rails right on the machine or putting on a seperate base and mount the linear rails to that. The only thing is to make it sturdy. looks like a good project.

[margni74]

Originally posted by DDM
It looks like a good idea. I have a mini lathe that I'd like to convert over to CNC so that I could make pens in mass production. It would probably be easier and cheaper to convert a lathe over to CNC than to make or convert a milling machine. You're only looking at a 2 axis stystem vs. a 3 or more axis system. Are you thinking of putting the linear rails right on the machine or putting on a seperate base and mount the linear rails to that. The only thing is to make it sturdy. looks like a good project.

I got a couple crude autocad drawings here somewhere. Ill try and find and post them.

[HuFlungDung]

To avoid disappointment, IMO, buy a real metal lathe and convert it. There is plenty of functionality still, in the cross-slide/carriage assembly of a standard metal lathe, even when you go cnc.

Don't forget the real life problems with coolant, chips and metal dust when turning. Linear ways would be difficult to protect, unless you place them on the "back wall" of the machine.

Forces for turning are quite high, since the cutters are seldom razor sharp like your typical milling/routing cutters. Considerable force is exerted on all parts of the machine, the spindle, tailstock and the distance of the cutting action from your linear bearings, amounts to leverage working against your machine. Flimsy is no good.