Software & Electronics for Mini-Lathe?
Moderator: Harold_V
- SteveHGraham
- Posts: 7788
- Joined: Sat Jan 17, 2009 7:55 pm
- Location: Florida
Software & Electronics for Mini-Lathe?
I am working on the parts for my mini-lathe CNC conversion. It's not specific about software and the electronic crap that drives the motors. If anyone wants to make suggestions, I am listening. I don't want to order something listed in the plans and find out everyone else quit using it in 2004.
Cheap is good, but if it will keep me from going crazy, I am willing to spend a few bucks on software I can actually learn to use.
I bought parts to make it work with NEMA 34 motors, since big things are good. Haven't ordered motors yet.
I spent a couple of hours machining a piece of steel for a complicated part, and when I did an "interim" measurement, I found that the length was about 2.400", when I was shooting for 2.450". Talk about bummed. I have no idea how that happened. I think I sometimes lose a digit on the DRO, because it has a totally unnecessary tenths display.
Cheap is good, but if it will keep me from going crazy, I am willing to spend a few bucks on software I can actually learn to use.
I bought parts to make it work with NEMA 34 motors, since big things are good. Haven't ordered motors yet.
I spent a couple of hours machining a piece of steel for a complicated part, and when I did an "interim" measurement, I found that the length was about 2.400", when I was shooting for 2.450". Talk about bummed. I have no idea how that happened. I think I sometimes lose a digit on the DRO, because it has a totally unnecessary tenths display.
Every hard-fried egg began life sunny-side up.
Re: Software & Electronics for Mini-Lathe?
A piece of masking or electrical tape is a cheap fix for that...SteveHGraham wrote: because it has a totally unnecessary tenths display.
Mine has a button to eliminate the display of the fourth digit.
Glenn
Operating machines is perfectly safe......until you forget how dangerous it really is!
Operating machines is perfectly safe......until you forget how dangerous it really is!
- SteveHGraham
- Posts: 7788
- Joined: Sat Jan 17, 2009 7:55 pm
- Location: Florida
Re: Software & Electronics for Mini-Lathe?
I really need to learn Chinese.
Every hard-fried egg began life sunny-side up.
Re: Software & Electronics for Mini-Lathe?
If you are concerned about "2004" tech, you should avoid the controllers that rely on parallel port connection to the computer
and look at USB connected controllers.
and look at USB connected controllers.
Re: Software & Electronics for Mini-Lathe?
Steve, I think you should keep the machine and it what it can be into perspective.
I've read good about Ethernet and USB controllers (smooth stepper), but I think parallel is still popular. Mach3 is very popular.
Here is how I am setting up my Bridgeport:
XP PC running Mach3
CNC4PC $25 parallel breakout board
5V from PC USB port
Torroidal unregulated 72 VDC 20 Amp power supply
Gecko G203v stepper drivers
Older than the hills NEMA 42 Sigma ~1300 oz-in stepper motors
mechanical limit switches
I've read good about Ethernet and USB controllers (smooth stepper), but I think parallel is still popular. Mach3 is very popular.
Here is how I am setting up my Bridgeport:
XP PC running Mach3
CNC4PC $25 parallel breakout board
5V from PC USB port
Torroidal unregulated 72 VDC 20 Amp power supply
Gecko G203v stepper drivers
Older than the hills NEMA 42 Sigma ~1300 oz-in stepper motors
mechanical limit switches
Standards are so important that everyone must have their own...
To measure is to know - Lord Kelvin
Disclaimer: I'm just a guy with a few machines...
To measure is to know - Lord Kelvin
Disclaimer: I'm just a guy with a few machines...
Re: Software & Electronics for Mini-Lathe?
Hi Steve;
I did a little Unimat SL lathe as a CNC lathe. It actually works quite well; did not put the spindle sensors on it (yet?) for threading.
Intel "Atom" motherboard;
LinuxCNC;
it does have a Mesa 5i25 in it, but not configured yet; just using the parallel port;
Gecko G540 (overkill, but I had it, and it's really simple)
48v switching power supply;
home switches (two)
48v relay for the spindle power. (controls the 115v to the spindle motor)
If you want to thread, you need two index pulses to do a 100% accurate job; one once per rev for "top dead centre" and one that gives a series of pulses to indicate spindle position.
On my larger lathe (8x18) I'm using magnetic sensors, quadrature coding, on a 40t gear on the spindle; it should give me 160 steps of spindle position.
Using stock screws is ok, but something with little backlash would be better; maybe the acetal nut idea, where it's moulded to the feed screw - might do this on my 8x18 lathe.
I do have some pics on http://cnc-for-model-engineers.blogspot.com if you want to see what the little Unimat SL CNC is like.
JohnS.
I did a little Unimat SL lathe as a CNC lathe. It actually works quite well; did not put the spindle sensors on it (yet?) for threading.
Intel "Atom" motherboard;
LinuxCNC;
it does have a Mesa 5i25 in it, but not configured yet; just using the parallel port;
Gecko G540 (overkill, but I had it, and it's really simple)
48v switching power supply;
home switches (two)
48v relay for the spindle power. (controls the 115v to the spindle motor)
If you want to thread, you need two index pulses to do a 100% accurate job; one once per rev for "top dead centre" and one that gives a series of pulses to indicate spindle position.
On my larger lathe (8x18) I'm using magnetic sensors, quadrature coding, on a 40t gear on the spindle; it should give me 160 steps of spindle position.
Using stock screws is ok, but something with little backlash would be better; maybe the acetal nut idea, where it's moulded to the feed screw - might do this on my 8x18 lathe.
I do have some pics on http://cnc-for-model-engineers.blogspot.com if you want to see what the little Unimat SL CNC is like.
JohnS.
- SteveHGraham
- Posts: 7788
- Joined: Sat Jan 17, 2009 7:55 pm
- Location: Florida
Re: Software & Electronics for Mini-Lathe?
Thanks for all that info. I don't know what it means, but I'll start looking things up!
Every hard-fried egg began life sunny-side up.
- Bill Shields
- Posts: 10595
- Joined: Fri Dec 21, 2007 4:57 am
- Location: 39.367, -75.765
- Contact:
Re: Software & Electronics for Mini-Lathe?
NEE-HOW!
Too many things going on to bother listing them.
Re: Software & Electronics for Mini-Lathe?
ni hao 你好
you can also say "ning hao"您好 to show your respect
you can also say "ning hao"您好 to show your respect
Standards are so important that everyone must have their own...
To measure is to know - Lord Kelvin
Disclaimer: I'm just a guy with a few machines...
To measure is to know - Lord Kelvin
Disclaimer: I'm just a guy with a few machines...
- Bill Shields
- Posts: 10595
- Joined: Fri Dec 21, 2007 4:57 am
- Location: 39.367, -75.765
- Contact:
Re: Software & Electronics for Mini-Lathe?
sounds the same, no matter how you write it in English...
nobody seems to object...
nobody seems to object...
Too many things going on to bother listing them.
-
- Posts: 2938
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- Location: pendleton or
Re: Software & Electronics for Mini-Lathe?
its that g spelling that always gets me.
- SteveHGraham
- Posts: 7788
- Joined: Sat Jan 17, 2009 7:55 pm
- Location: Florida
Re: Software & Electronics for Mini-Lathe?
I am starting to see that this is not like buying a toaster. I would have thought that after 40 years of CNC, you could just buy four or five things and connect them, but I am the eternal optimist.
Does anyone know if there is any efficient way to feed Alibre projects to a CNC lathe? I can sort of draw things in Alibre.
I don't even know how CNC works. I know the computer tells the motors to go back and forth, but that's about it. I am hoping I won't have to deal with a horrifying interface.
Does anyone know if there is any efficient way to feed Alibre projects to a CNC lathe? I can sort of draw things in Alibre.
I don't even know how CNC works. I know the computer tells the motors to go back and forth, but that's about it. I am hoping I won't have to deal with a horrifying interface.
Every hard-fried egg began life sunny-side up.