[WGJ]

I have a LB-15. I want a bar feeder. I see them being sold/auctioned off all of the time. What should I be looking for in order to mate up to a mid 80's LB-15 and how would it connect/communicate? Any help on this quest would be greatly appreciated.

[underthetire]

What kind of barfeeder? Auto-load or hydraulic tube?

[WGJ]

Autoload would be great, but just the hydraulic tube type (cheapest option) would be fine. Not sure how they work. Can they be set to push exact lengths (hydro I mean)? I am green when it comes to this. Right now, I make runs of 100's of parts and keep cutting 4" blanks to make 2.5" parts. It is killing me.

[underthetire]

Auto loader would be tough on that machine, you would need at lease one set of m-codes and a external input for a macro.

Hydraulic type not too hard, You can tie the end of bar signal to a external reset, and the manual load position to feed hold or Estop. It would require a work stop in the turret, like a square 1" block in a turning tool slot. You make your part, cut it off, index to the hard stop, FEED it so it's close to the blank, unclamp the chuck, feed to length, clamp the chuck and your done. You can set up part counters as needed. Either way, YOU WILL NEED SPINDLE LINERS! A Bar puller works well to, just don't hang the material out the back of the spindle. I prefer the coolant operated bar pullers, but any will work.

[WGJ]

Well I was considering the coolant bar puller. Gripall makes one. Do you have experience with these? That would be the fastest and cheapest solution. Just cut the stock the same length as the head, line the spindle to close to od of stock.

[underthetire]

Well I was considering the coolant bar puller. Gripall makes one. Do you have experience with these? That would be the fastest and cheapest solution. Just cut the stock the same length as the head, line the spindle to close to od of stock.

I've had good luck with smaller diameters, but I have not tried them on large steel bars. I was pulling 1/2 brass and aluminum 36" long with no problems. The spring types work well for larger stuff, the problem with those is you need to get your part counter correct or it will pull the drop out of the spindle and hang on to it. Then it tries to stuff it back in the collet and will make bad things happen. Also, some Okumas had M51 available, which was spindle jog with the chuck open. That helps when you pull bar as well.

[Algirdas]

Suppose, underthetire advice is best. You are not sure, if Your lathe has bar feeder interface. It's easiest way to have bar constantly pushed to cylinder and machine pulls out to proper lenght itself - with some kind reference tool. I use block of cutting of knife.
There are also special pull-out tolls available. From Eppinger, for instance. Then You need just bar holder.
One more possible solution: You cut small side groove on the nose of the bar. You place tool into this groove (parting tool, for instance) and pull the bar by turret.