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  1. #21
    Join Date
    Sep 2013
    Posts
    326

    Calb DRO to Mac3: NEW MILL TURN ARRIVED

    Good points WM & smallblock.

    Here is my suggestion: The DRO's will have calibration setup. The Jensens all do. When you have the dial gages setup for X and Y. You move 1". When it's exact as possible, and repeatable, you then check the DRO. If the DRO does not read 1" you will enter the DRO's offset Cal screens. They will have you complete a process to "calibrate" the DRO and scale it to the measured movement. Once you have that. you then tune Mach3. Move 1" and get Mach3 tuned to 1 inch. It's what I have to do and it came out much better overall...

    points: As noted- Mach3 is not a closed loop system like Servos. missed Steps and exacting 1:1 moved on DRO and Mach3 simply is not going to happen (all or most of the time).
    Once thing many do: Use of Servo systems and DROs are much better- But still have DRO to Servo/Encoder/Backlash errors. Many put on "magnetic encoders" and feed that into the Servo Drivers/PLC inputs thus replacing the encoder pulses. This means you are not measuring the distance moved via motor encoders, but actual distance the table itself is moving. It's something I want to try w/ linux CNC and scales if I could.... Someday.

    Mach 3 cannot perform this type of work thay I know of. There are micro-step server systems as closed loop stepper systems but I have not researched how they do what they do and if Mach3 can even get into managing any offsets ir missed steps.

    ENJOY your new rig!

    Quote Originally Posted by wreckermech View Post
    Ok , lets try to help by not listing the growing pains with shopmaster machines but actually address what might be wrong. For instance ,the tailstock and lathe spindle have different tapers mt3 and mt4 . Next, collets do not have keys but the mill spindle does. And finally the machine dro and mach3 dro WILL NOT MATCH. Why? Because the mechanical dro will read the exact distance traveled to include any ball screw backlash the software dro will only read what mach3 thinks an axis moved. If you lose any steps because stepper motors do not use encoders mach3 will not know and only display what should have happened.

  2. #22
    Join Date
    Apr 2015
    Posts
    13

    Re: NEW MILL TURN ARRIVED

    just an update, i did get the tailstock to accept the tapers. i used an angle grinder with a sanding wheel to take off the material that i suspected was binding up. it works now, heres some pictures of the modification

  3. #23
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Posts
    81

    Re: NEW MILL TURN ARRIVED

    Quote Originally Posted by Engineering_101 View Post
    just an update, i did get the tailstock to accept the tapers. i used an angle grinder with a sanding wheel to take off the material that i suspected was binding up. it works now, heres some pictures of the modification
    So you have had the machine for a couple month now, would you still have purchased in hindsight? I am looking at the tormach 770 but the shopmaster look interesting and I would be getting a mill.

  4. #24
    Join Date
    Apr 2015
    Posts
    13
    Quote Originally Posted by magudaman View Post
    So you have had the machine for a couple month now, would you still have purchased in hindsight? I am looking at the tormach 770 but the shopmaster look interesting and I would be getting a mill.
    PM me

  5. #25
    Join Date
    Jul 2015
    Posts
    11

    Re: NEW MILL TURN ARRIVED

    Engineering_101: got your PM but cannot reply. Thanks for the info. Good luck.

  6. #26
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Posts
    3

    Re: NEW MILL TURN ARRIVED

    So, as far as you can say with the shopmaster mill turn would you recommend it over the tormach 1100 or are you satisfied with the machine thus far

  7. #27
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Posts
    27

    Re: NEW MILL TURN ARRIVED

    Shopmaster mill turn is the biggest piece of junk. If you want to buy a new machine and then spend months and tons of $$$$ to fix it and make it maybe make a good part. JT DOES NOT STAND BEHIND HIS 3 YEAR WARRANTY AGAINST DEFECTS IN MATERIALS AND WORKMANSHIP. STAY AWAY FROM THIS MACHINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Spend the extra on a tormach. Its well worth the money and you get REAL support from them.

  8. #28
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Posts
    3
    Do you have a shopmaster mill turn? Or is this based on past experience? Not saying you have no idea just use to a lot of people dogging a company because of one bad experience. Just want to know why?

  9. #29
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Posts
    27

    Re: NEW MILL TURN ARRIVED

    PM me with your email.

  10. #30
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Posts
    413

    Re: NEW MILL TURN ARRIVED

    Here is a video link of a simple job making delrin bushings on the mill turn. Looks like an easy setup and simple set of gang tooling- looks like they could turn out a few hundred per day easy.

  11. #31
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Posts
    458

    Re: NEW MILL TURN ARRIVED

    Besides the poor setup you mention, he has an older style machine which he claims has too much clearance in the quill- you can find the thread here somewhere. There is a simple fix which was illustrated by another customer which would only take 30 minutes at most to do. Here is a picture.
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	QUILL ADJUSTERS FOR OLDER SHOPTASK.jpg 
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  12. #32
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
    Posts
    85

    Re: NEW MILL TURN ARRIVED

    Quote Originally Posted by Engineering_101 View Post
    And yes the machine's dro is off. I know this for a fact because when I'm cutting a part, zero it on that cut position, move away then move back to "zero", I'm diving in to the part taking off a fair bit of material. Reminds me of cheap digital calipers that never actually return to zero.
    Just reading through this again. Did you get it sorted? If not, are you moving away and back using the hand-crank or with Mach3?

    If you're doing this manually and the real DRO is reading zero, the pickup is either mis-aligned or defective and you should definitely contact ShopTask/ShopMaster.
    If this is all within Mach3 and the virtual DRO, then it might be as simple as missed steps due to trying to move too quickly.

    @Sharpshooter90, Thanks for the new video. It seems the Late-July container shipment has been pushed back to ~Mid-September, so I'm still waiting on my machine. I've been looking over the pictures and can already see a number of things I'll likely be changing shortly after it arrives, like the stepper driver power supply. If you want to avoid missed steps, I've found a proper motor power supply like the STP-PWR-4810 from Automation Direct makes a huge difference. I haven't had much luck with all-in-one stepper drivers before either, but I haven't used the G540 yet. Everyone seems to love the Tormach, but it's easily double the price once you add in the basics required to use it plus the additional expense and shop space required for a lathe... I really have my fingers crossed that the new 2015 Shopmaster can do a decent enough job (or that it can be simply modified to get there).

  13. #33
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Posts
    413

    Re: NEW MILL TURN ARRIVED

    [

    @Sharpshooter90, Thanks for the new video. It seems the Late-July container shipment has been pushed back to ~Mid-September, so I'm still waiting on my machine. I've been looking over the pictures and can already see a number of things I'll likely be changing shortly after it arrives, like the stepper driver power supply. If you want to avoid missed steps, I've found a proper motor power supply like the STP-PWR-4810 from Automation Direct makes a huge difference. I haven't had much luck with all-in-one stepper drivers before either, but I haven't used the G540 yet. Everyone seems to love the Tormach, but it's easily double the price once you add in the basics required to use it plus the additional expense and shop space required for a lathe... I really have my fingers crossed that the new 2015 Shopmaster can do a decent enough job (or that it can be simply modified to get there).[/QUOTE]

    According to JT, the next shipment is delayed not by Chinese production, but because the G540 drivers that are shipped to them from USA got stuck in Chinese customs. The first couple batches of Mill Turns had some teething issues, so they slowed down production to be sure all the new units were fully sorted. JT says they actually de-tune the G540 to avoid issues of missed steps. They are capable of running 900 OZ/IN motors, but Shopmaster puts in a current resistor and uses 500 OZ/IN motors. I have read that use of the ethernet smooth stepper improves the performance by about 20% and allows you to step up to a newer computer. I think the use of Gecko drives and Mach 3 software is one of the big plus factors for them, as both of these products have been well proven and offer great support. From my experience, I can say that the Shopmaster is a solid value right out of the box, and a can be tweaked to perform at a higher level with a little ingenuity.

  14. #34
    Join Date
    Jul 2015
    Posts
    11

    Re: NEW MILL TURN ARRIVED

    I've received the same information - container should leave China around the end of this month. Given the transit time (3 weeks) and port clearance at each end then I'd guess that shipping from NV will be the end of September at the earliest.

  15. #35
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Posts
    27

    Re: NEW MILL TURN ARRIVED

    Why should I fix a brand new machine. You wouldn't fix a brand new car after you got it home. No it would be fix by the dealer under the 3 year warranty. JT should be a man and live up to his 3 year warranty. BTW it take about an hour to pull the bridge off and then same amount of time to put it back on plus machining time to drill and tap those holes on the quill. I have 1 question. After you drill and tap these holes what are you going to do when you wear a groove into the quill and it starts walking again?

  16. #36
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Posts
    458

    Re: NEW MILL TURN ARRIVED

    [QUOTE=precisionhone;1745080 I have 1 question. After you drill and tap these holes what are you going to do when you wear a groove into the quill and it starts walking again?[/QUOTE]

    You seem so fixated on complaining that you missed the obvious answer as posted long ago by the other owner.





    "The stripe you see on the quill is the witness of the bronze slipper pushing on the surface of the steel."

  17. #37
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Posts
    630

    Re: NEW MILL TURN ARRIVED

    Look man I get it. You are ticked off but let's face the facts if you were truly looking for a machine that was perfect out of the box and would perform that way for many years you probably bought the wrong machine. I would not go out looking for Ferrari level looks, performance and value at the Hyundai dealership.

    Sorry I had to use your car analogy.

  18. #38
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Posts
    152

    Re: NEW MILL TURN ARRIVED

    Quote Originally Posted by precisionhone View Post
    JT should be a man and live up to his 3 year warranty.
    Did you ever send the parts back to them so they could repair or replace them?

  19. #39
    Join Date
    Jul 2015
    Posts
    11

    Re: NEW MILL TURN ARRIVED

    precisionhone, please stop high jacking the thread. Some of us wish to discuss the new mill-turn without this turning into a bitter rant.

  20. #40
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Posts
    458

    Re: NEW MILL TURN ARRIVED

    Just an update- got these pictures from JT- next batch of machines will be fitted with one shot oilers.

    Attachment 290520

    Attachment 290522

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