Old school

This forum is dedicated to those Hobbyists Interested in CNC machining & 3D Printing in their home shops. (Digital Read Outs are also topical, as is CAD/CAM as it relates to CNC)

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Geezer
Posts: 22
Joined: Wed Dec 13, 2017 7:14 pm

Old school

Post by Geezer »

A two axis cnc machine with a manual quill can generate
a three axis program, if you have time and patience
Just use the single block mode, and you control the Z depth.

Old school, real old
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NP317
Posts: 4557
Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2014 2:57 pm
Location: Northern Oregon, USA

Re: Old school

Post by NP317 »

In the early 2000s I equipped my University of Washington (UW) Mechanical Engineering shops with three Southwestern Industries TRAK 2-axis CNC milling machines.
https://www.southwesternindustries.com/ ... -retrofits
The mills were Taiwan Bridgeport clones, actually more rigid than traditional Bridgeport mills.
(I have a similar one [manual] for my home shop.)
With manual Z axis control, the the X-Y axis CNC TRAK mills were the perfect learning machines for my students.
They annually machined nationally winning race cars in my Shops.

I really wish I could have acquired a TRAK mill for my home shop. Above my budget, though.
I used these UW machines to mill the Stephenson valve links for my Allen Ten Wheeler.
Such a simple operation for these mills! I miss access to them.
~RN
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