I'm in the planning stages of a cnc lathe build. I recently purchased a Clausing Colchester VS12 lathe that is in very good condition, except the previous owner trashed several gears in the threading gear box. Due to the high cost of parts from the 600 Group, I figured I would eliminate the threading gear box and change gears and convert to a cnc lathe.
One of my concerns is the turret. I would like to have a turret that could hold at least 4 tools. I've found some aftermarket turrets that can be purchased for this type of application, but the cost was over $3000.
Does anyone have any suggestions on something I could use that may cost a little less?
At one time, there was a post on this site showing a new Birmingham that was converted to cnc and used an old Hardinge turret. I can't seem to find that thread now. I would be interested in doing something similar to this or a less expensive aftermarket unit.
Something else I thought of was a gang tool type setup. Would this be more difficult and expensive than a turret?
Thanks
Brian