[wwendorf]

Hi All,

I have one of the nice HF 8 x 12 lathes. I've been getting used to it in a manual sense before I go the whole CNC route. I have made a couple of preliminary purchases already, but I have questions.

First off, I purchased these 2 items:
1) 130V DC 8amp motor controller board (http://www.surpluscenter.com/item.as...2&item=11-2449)
2) 2.5HP 130V DC motor (http://www.surpluscenter.com/item.as...2&item=10-1783)

I found these while messing around hunting thru the forums.

Now, I have a 4 axis controller already that I purchased from Sherline when I was trying to make my sherline lathe/mill do what it was never designed to do. Since I have all the steppers and the controller, I'd like to use that if possible. My other criteria is that I would like to be able to have the speed of the lathe controlled by the software. That is the part that is confusing me a bit.

From my reading, it looks like I need to purchase the C6 speed control board which looks like it should operate the motor controller board that I purchased.

I want to be able to do threading with this lathe. Will I need a spindle encoder or something to be able to do threading or will the C6 board in combination with my motor controller suffice? If I need a spindle encoder, where do I find one?

So, I guess my questions are this:
1) Can I use the Sherline controller considering that I want to be able to do speed control of the spindle?
2) Do I need an encoder for the spindle?
2a) If I need an encoder, where do I get it and how do I hook it up, and will it work with the Sherline controller?

For now, I'm planning on installing the new motor and installing a POT so that I can at least vary the speed of the spindle without changing belts.

I am also going to convert the lathe so that I can use it in manual OR CNC mode.

Thanks in advance!

Wade

[wwendorf]

Bump!

Can anyone give me some input on this?

Thanks,
Wade

[dgapilot]

I don't know anything about the Shirline controller.

A C6 board can control the spindle using the C6 in place of the pot for the speed control. A C11 or C11G breakout board also has the speed control built into the bob.

To thread, you need to have an index pulse. The C3 board can give you the pulse. It is mounted next to the spindle and a disk with a slot is mounted to the spindle. The slot signals the switch that is attached to the C3, and the C3 is connected to one of the inputs on you bob.

Info for these is available at http://www.cnc4pc.com/Store/osc/index.php

I use the C11G, the C3 and have Gecko drives running my system.

[wwendorf]

Thanks for the info on those boards. That's what I was looking for, but just didn't know what I needed.

The sherline controller is pretty simple. It has no inputs for limit switches or anything of the sort. It just has output to 4 motors. I wonder if I could route the pins that the sherline controller uses to control the motors thru a Break Out Board? That way I could still use the stepper driver circuitry in the sherline, but the other available pins for various inputs such as limit switches and speed control.

What do you think? Would it work to do that?

Wade

[dgapilot]

If all you are using the sherline board for is as drivers, then the easiest would be to use a breakout board and then go from the breakout board to the sherline. I would think that if you don't already have the C6 board, one of the multi function boards with the speed controller would be your best bet. It may cost a little more but it elimiantes the wiring.

David

[wwendorf]

That is what I was thinking. Thanks for validating that my thoughts were not wrong. I'm pretty good on the theory but I like validation before I start spending money.

I was thinking of getting the C11 breakout board with the speed control as well as the C3 board for pulse indexing. Then, if I run the necessary pins to the sherline controller for motor control for X and Z, I should be set. I want to eventually build a 4 position toolchanger onto the lathe as well, so I can probably use another stepper for that, but that will definately come later. I have to get CNC working first.

I wonder if the 130 oz/in servos I have that came with the sherline would work for running the lathe? I'm sure i'd need to do some gearing ratios as I plan to keep the manual capabilities of the lathe so I'll use timing belts and pulleys.

Wade

[dgapilot]

Wade,
This is a little cheaper than the C3 and should work if you would rather use an optical index http://www.lynxmotion.com/Product.as...8&CategoryID=8

Arturo at CNC4PC is very good with customer support. If you need any answers, email him or joint the Yahoo cnc4pc group.

If you go the C11 route, I think you need to get a 12V dc to 12V dc converter. That's what I'll need to do to hook up the speed control. If you read thru the info in the cnc4pc web site it explaines it pretty well. The other thing to watch for is the speed of the pins. I have an early C11G and there is only a couple high speed inputs that can be used for the index pulse.

Have fun
David

[wwendorf]

One thing I don't understand quite yet is what exactly creates the index pulse. Is it a magnet or something?

Wade

[dgapilot]

The C3 board comes with this http://cnc4pc.com/Tech_Docs/nte3100.pdf as the sensor. You would need to install a disk or some other slotted type interupter that would rotate with the spindle and interupt the phototransistor.

The single line sensor that I showed in my last post uses one of these http://www.fairchildsemi.com/ds/QR/QRB1114.pdf
They use a reflective target on the spindle to provide the signal.

I have one of the Fairchild reflective object sensors on my C3 board and I needed a target that was in view about 1/3 rev for it to give a stable pulse.

David