[torinwalker]

Gentlemen,

Getting ready to ship a 1997 Conquest T42 and the seller is asking how to lock the axes (in this case, X, Z, and Y (subspindle.)

Do any of you recall removing a pin, or a block of wood, or any kind of fixing mechanism that kept the X and Z axes in place during shipping?


Torin...

[torinwalker]

Well that's good news - I've nearly read them from start to finish and if they're anything like the CHNC manuals, I'll be good. As for the battery packs, how many other batteries are on this machine that I should worry about? Using a 6V lantern, or wiring up a quad-D-cell battery pack will cover the absolute encoders, but the next part that worries me is the control's memory. Need to come up with a solution for that one too, and only using standardized cells. What battery packs other than for the encoders have you devised? Hardinge gave me every datafile uploaded to that machine when it was built. I love those guys, but their younger staff had better keep up with their product or they could lose the following their older employees fostered over so many years due to (in my opinion) excellent products and service.

My rigger knew about the lack of jacking points before I did and suggested a shipping pallet (for an additional $1100 - painful, but worth it). He was going to use the feet on the lathe and somehow make those go through the pallet until I looked at the drawings and saw three recesses in the base with drilled/tapped mounting holes for the original shipping brackets. Another call to Hardinge confirmed we could use those, so now after fashioning brackets, he has bolted the T42 to three main beams running the length of the pallet. The pallet will in turn bolt to the flatbed. It will be a helluva lot easier to unpack this way, I'll tell ya.

There are so many questions I could ask about the T42 - like, what effect does temperature have on the lathe during warmup? I run my CHNC out of a partially heated garage here in Canada, I keep it at 10 degrees C and it warms to 25 degrees C after a long day of constant machining. During that time, I might have to adjust the X axis by a few tenths just to keep certain cuts aligned to within 0.00005. If I can look at my part through a 20x loupe against the light and see no variation in height of the two surfaces, then I've dialed it in properly. Between 10 and 25 degrees, I might have to add .0001 to the diameter every few hours to keep it that way. I always thought the "T" in T42 stood for temperature-compensated, but Hardinge told me that's not true. It stands for "turning", which is quite anticlimactic after all this time.

Also, according to the drawings of the English and Metric turrets, the slots in the front vary in width - the English is 1.5", whereas the Metric is 40mm. I suppose the Metric tools cannot be used in an English turret (unless they are trimmed) because of that gap difference... That really bugs me. So many tools are available only in metric now. Stupid 20mm tools...

I have other questions, but I could write all day long and still not be done asking.


Torin...

[JohnnyTurn]

As for the battery packs, how many other batteries are on this machine that I should worry about? Using a 6V lantern, or wiring up a quad-D-cell battery pack will cover the absolute encoders, but the next part that worries me is the control's memory. Need to come up with a solution for that one too, and only using standardized cells. What battery packs other than for the encoders have you devised?

There is a battery for the LA axis (SUB) in the Aux. cabinet to the left of the machine.
Then two more batteries in the main electrical cabinet. One is for X,Z and turret.
One is for machine memory.

The memory battery has much less draw placed upon it. And will last longer than the axis Batts.
The Axis Batts. will last just over a year and die.
So make a large note and attach it to the outside of the machine indicating on what date the Batts. were changed and when you must change them again.
I like to do it one month before the date listed. For safety
It is also good practice to change the memory battery while you change the Axis Batts.
You will see with a multi-tester that the memory Batt. will only have dropped about a volt to 1.5 volts from new.
But, better to just change it while you are in there, than risk forgetting next time around.

One thing to remember: Leave power on in machine when changing batteries. And don't do it during a storm or when there could be a chance of a power outage.

To make your own battery packs:

The Fanuc drives have a small, two pin connector for the battery leads to attach to.
I had been buying many batteries through the years and had kept all the dead ones in a drawer. (lucky)
You will need these (special) two pin female connectors to make your own battery packs.

You could, power up the machine, remove one Batt. and cut the leads from it, then solder that lead to your new battery pack.

What I do for my battery packs:

Purchase a (4) AA battery case from an electronics supply, Etc.
4x1.5=6v

Also purchase a Velcro strip kit that will have adhesive backed Velcro.
1/16" Shrink tube

1. Place shrink tube on wire, push back.
2. Solder the Fanuc/Panasonic lead to the new battery pack. (make sure to keep polarity correct)
3. Shrink tube over soldered connection with lighter or heat gun.
4. Place (4) off the shelf (I Like Energizer) AA Alkaline or Lithium batteries in to the case.
5. Place cover on case and screw together.
6. Check and double check polarity.
7. Clean mounting spot inside cabinet. I used the spot just to the right of the drives. On the sheet metal.
8. Stick the Velcro to the clean spot.
9. Apply Velcro to the back of battery case.
10. Stick the case to the Velcro in the machine.
11. Attach connector to drive.
DONE.

One note on Alkaline Vs. Lithium.

The lithium, at the end of it's life, will fail abruptly. Like falling off a cliff.
The alkaline, will slowly discharge and eventually fall to a voltage which will alarm out the machine at start up.

They both work fine. I started with the Lithium. But now I use Alkaline. Cost savings is always a plus!

JT

[JohnnyTurn]

There are so many questions I could ask about the T42 - like, what effect does temperature have on the lathe during warmup? I run my CHNC out of a partially heated garage here in Canada,.............

The T42 is very accurate. Is yours a T42SP? If so, it will be slightly more accurate. And will have a few features that the standard "Precision Machine" will not have. Like Thermal comp. (done through control) Tool life management. Etc. In the good ole' days at Hardinge. They tried to make all machines to the SP Spec. But sometimes tolerances could stack and the machine could only hold within a couple of tenths. If the spindle and the machine came together pretty much perfect, and could hold within a tenth. Well, they slapped a dark gray paintjob on her and a brass door handle and called her a Super-Precision. Plus $20K more or so. I have an SP. I would say all things being equal. After so many years of running the machine the SP thing does not matter. It might have when the machine was brand new. And if you used it in a lab-like environment. And not running production. Then yes, the SP would be more stable and hold ultra-tight tolerances.

As to your question about CHNC Vs.T42:
It is very hard to beat the consistency of a tight running CHNC. And remember the T42 is a slant bed lathe.
However, once up to working Temp. You will be able to hold tolerances similar to a New to newish CHNC.

One thing I noticed is that knurling is much more consistent on a T42. On one cast iron Slant, we were getting miss tracks on our knurls frequently. The part was .875" 4140 Aircraft tubing. Sticking out 7" from the collet. Ran that same job in the T42. Miss tracking all but disappeared. Maybe 1-2 miss tracks in 1,000 Pcs. The Harcrete does make a difference. And of course, that Hardinge spindle is hard to beat. If not unbeatable.

[torinwalker]

"It is very hard to beat the consistency of a tight running CHNC. And remember the T42 is a slant bed lathe.
However, once up to working Temp. You will be able to hold tolerances similar to a New to newish CHNC."

The repeatability on my CHNC was incredible. I could G0 away, and G0 back to the same position over and over, and the needle on the tenths indicator never swayed from exactly over the line it started on. It blew the buyer away and he bought it on the spot.

What does, "And remember, the T42 is a slant-bed lathe." Should I infer from this that a slant-bed is somehow inferior?

The temperature varies considerably in my shop, and while the CHNC needed a tweak every twenty or thirty parts until the temperature stabilized, it would repeat well enough I didn't need to check each part. I could easily predict how it would behave and it became second nature.

I'll be disappointed if the T42 doesn't hold at least the same tolerance as my CHNC.


Torin...