[eternalsquire]

All,

I've been lurking around CNCZONE for a while. I'm very happy with my Taig 2019 ER/CR and have been using it for the last 3 years of weekends for making molds.

I want to consider buying a CNC Lathe, but I understand that Taig only makes a manual one, the Micro II. A number of people on the net have tried to convert the Micro II to CNC with mixed results, and the most successful conversion kit, the Frog, went out of business.

I then looked at the parts lists for the Taig mill and lathes as well as the exploded diagram and thought: "If converting a lathe to CNC is too hard, what about creating something 'lathe-like' by ordering spare parts from the Taig mill and lathe parts lists?"

Has anyone ever attempting building a Taig CNC 'Lathe' from scratch using Taig Lathe and Mill parts?

Looking at the exploded diagrams for the Lathe and Mill:

My idea is simply to use the Z-axis cast iron column as the body of the lathe. The cast iron column would be turned 90 degrees to rest on a table.

1) The circular part at the bottom of the cast column as well as the ways mount would face upward.

2) I'd then drill a hole through part 200-44, the headstock
column mount, and bolt the part on the cast column circle. The bolt would start at the top of the 200-44, feed through the cast column, and then through a table mount.
The 200-44 would never move, it would serve as a riser.

3) I'd then mount the headstock, spindle, motor mount, pully and motor IN REVERSE upon the stationary copy of the 200-44. The headstock assembly would never move. A lathe chuck
or some such could then be mounted in the spindle.
that would be the turning end.

4) I would then mount another 200-44, a moving copy, and all the other parts necessary for a Z-axis threaded way with CNC drive (Except now the Z-axis is horizontal).

5) I would then mount a lathe carriage assembly refitted with CNC drive perpendicular to the Z-axis, on top of the moving 200-44. That would be the cutting end of the lathe.

6) I'd probably drill another hole in the square end of the
cast iron column so that the entire column is bolted on the table.

That's the idea as a rough sketch. I know it sounds demented, but I think it could work and might even be easily duplicateable.

Does anyone see any drawbacks or have ideas for refinements?

Andrew

[rowbare]

Check out post #3 on this thread: http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=69387

There was also this thread but the pictures are gone :-( http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=70757

[ALpmc]

Take a look at this idea from metalbyter on YT.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Munq_hXxTs&feature=channel_page"]YouTube - Taig CNC mill/lathe[/ame]

[drolley]

This looks promising:

http://www.taigmachines.com/Boss_s_Corner.php

It looks like a good foundation for a CNC conversion.

Dave