[Mackan]

Trying to find pictures/plans/ideas for building a horizontal 3 axis combined mill and lathe using a cast iron xy cross slide table.

Somewhere i have seen lathe tools mounted on a cross slide instead of a revolving tool magazine, and the workpiece in a colletchuck spindle.

I don't know how the spindle head z movement should be constructed in order to be rigid enough. I'm thinking the travel should be minimized to reduce chatter and play, also i need to be able to lock/fix the movement in a good enough way, perhaps even locking it down on a removable spacer piece.

[cyclestart]

I don't know how the spindle head z movement should be constructed in order to be rigid enough.

The spindle on a horizontal machine is usually stationary in the Z axis, like a lathe. The spindle moves vertically on the the Y axis unless there's a knee involved in manual mill style.
Maybe you're aware of that but the wording makes me suspect you're not naming the axis in the conventional way.

I would also like a mini horizontal (with rotary axis) but the design I have in mind doesn't scale down nicely.
A web search of Horizontal Machining Center (HMC) will find machines stripped to their bones.

[Mackan]

You're right i was confusing them. I'm trying to think of a good rigid solution for the y-axis vertical movement of the spindlehead. I have this type of cross-slide: "https://www.ebay.com/itm/HEAVY-COMPOUND-CROSS-SLIDE-MILL-DRILL-TABLE-HARDENED-/300913782988?redirect=mobile"

Do you have an example of the type of machine Youre thinking of, i think adding the rotary axis movement would make milling even aluminium pretty miserable

The spindle on a horizontal machine is usually stationary in the Z axis, like a lathe. The spindle moves vertically on the the Y axis unless there's a knee involved in manual mill style.
Maybe you're aware of that but the wording makes me suspect you're not naming the axis in the conventional way.

I would also like a mini horizontal (with rotary axis) but the design I have in mind doesn't scale down nicely.
A web search of Horizontal Machining Center (HMC) will find machines stripped to their bones.

[cyclestart]

Do you have an example of the type of machine Youre thinking of, i think adding the rotary axis movement would make milling even aluminium pretty miserable

https://youtu.be/5k5vpwdWbS0
Like that. Rest assured it's more of a fantasy than a plan on my part
Compared a typical hobby rotary 4th axis it rock solid design. A pallet changer isn't a necessity and the rotary could be manual.

The machine you have in mind would more closely resemble a cnc conversion of a manual horizontal mill. The difference being you probably don't want a knee on the Y axis.
Honestly I think existing examples will be hard to find.

[fusion_crank]

I've made this machine. It's been a real challenge to keep everything square and in tram. The motor on it now is a 3 phase powered by a VFD. It rises and falls with the head. I had surface finish problems because the belt would allow the motor to bounce. I am replacing it with a 750 watt DMM servo now. I can send solid models if you want them.
It was designed and built to fit in my shop, which was a 3 foot by 5 foot closet in my last house. I've moved, and now have a normal size shop. If I had to do it again, I would have just bought a PM-25, and converted that.

Best regards,
Mike

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[Mackan]

Cool, so maybe its better to stick to vertical mills, like The pm-25?

Have you seen the pocket nc machine, super expensive and probably to small and weak to machine metal parts.

[fusion_crank]

Yes, definitely better to stay with a purpose built machine like the PM25. They make an R8 4" 3 jaw chuck. I did a lot of cnc turning with one on the 8x30 vertical mill I used to have. For short parts, with some gang tooling, you can make parts as fast as any lathe.

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