Re: tool changes New topic, sort of...

I suggest you look at the Yahoo forum at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Urwick_MetalMaster/messages

This is a group interested in duplicating a lathe/mill machine devised
to take advantage of a triangular shaped key developed by Mr. Urwick.
It might have special relevance to anyone with a round column mill
who needs to be able to adjust it up and down, without losing it's
'register'.

BTW this comment 113, is as far as I've gotten in reviewing the
archives. Loooong learning curve ahead<G>...

Regards,

danz

--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@y..., Dan Falck <dfalck@... wrote:
> My intro: Roland inspired me to get into CNC through his Home Shop
> Machinist column. He helped me over the phone too. I have a
mill/drill
> and Sherline mill that are converted. Dan Mauch has supplied me
with a lot
> of parts and a lot of help. Kevin Carroll helped me with his
Ericsson
> stepper drive design. I made a couple of controllers with them. I
just
> bought a pc board from Dan to make another one (I got tired of
making the
> pc boards). I have built a stepper controller at work to control a
motion
> control unit for a 3D UV curing oven.
> Recently, I have been interested in the Nist EMC project. Jon Elson
has
> been very helpful with this. He has a servo amp kit that takes
advantage
> of this free and powerful CNC software.
> My next project will be to set up the EMC controller on another
computer.
> It involves setting up Linux, which I have done before, but am not
good at.
> I really need some help getting this up and running. The last time
I set
> it up I ended up removing it because things were going wacky.
>
> As you can see, this group is very integrated. Most of us have
talked to
> each other before. It's great that we have a forum ( I was getting
tired
> of "How do you get a chuck unstuck?" or "What's the best milling
machine to
> buy?" on rec.crafts.metalworking). We will come up with a lot of
good
> discussion.
>
> Tool change question:
> I have been using Maxnc software on my CNC mill/drill and have found
that I
> can make a tool change and touch off on the top of the part with
little
> problem. The biggest problem is the fact that it is a round column
> mill/drill that makes moving the head up and down tricky. Most of
the
> time, I try to put the work in a vice and then I will jog the
spindle away
> from the part to get clearance. Jog back when finished and touch
off. The
> fabled RF-45 mill/drill, with dovetail column would work a lot
better. (I
> say fabled because I know of only a few people who have them and
Rong Fu
> doesn't seem to promote them.) An RF-45 would make a real nice CNC
> conversion. Anyone have one out there?
>
> My question to the group is: Who is now using EDM in their home
shop and
> what are you using it for?
> I know about the tap busters, but what about die work? How about
wire EDM?
>
> Thanks,
> Dan Falck
> Nashville, TN.