Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] New Lathe

How big is your lathe? At 3000 lb. it certainly can't be a 15" machine.

Personally, I'd say the lathe has some inherent faults based on your
information.

Heat treatment of the ways must be poor quality, otherwise is wouldn't wear
rapidly as you indicate.

Either the material used for the base or the design of the casting is poor
quality...or both. Otherwise you shouldn't be getting the deflection you
mention.

Smoke

> If ypou want to see how a really NICE lathe is made, take a look
> at the 13 or 15" Sheldons, made after about 1972. I just got one,
> and the design details of this lathe are amazing! It uses clutches
> to drive the power feeds, instead of gears that mesh to engage.
> These also serve as overload clutches, of course. It has a
> separate 'spindle' around the main spindle, that is driven by
> belts from the gearbox, which is mounted on the motor. The
> outer spindle rides on its own bearings, not on bearings
> riding on the main spindle, and drives the main spindle through
> clutch teeth for direct drive. The idea here is to get rid of all
> gear vibrations in the headstock (except when using the backgear
> drive). I haven't seen this sort of design on any other lathe.
>
> The only possible problem I see is that the front of the bed has
> the inverted Vee way, and it wears pretty fast. It might have been
> better to put the flat way in front (where it bears the downforce from
> the cutting tool) and the Vee in the back.
>
> Make the bed extremely strong and stiff. I was amazed at how easy it
> was to twist the (1500 Lb) bed of this 3000 Lb lathe! Under the weight
> of the machine, it gets twisted as easily as the bed of my 350 Lb
> Atlas 12". I didn't expect that.
>
> Jon
>
>
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