Re: Rotary set-up question???? More info....

--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com, Russ Waters <mycncworld@y...> wrote:

> You sound like the person I need to talk to about this... also you have some good

questions.

>
> Yes this is for my Sherline lathe..... long story short, is that I have been using

MicroKinetics software for the lathe, and it does work well.... but I what to take it one
step farther, have some ideas about using a step motor to control the spindle, add a
vertical table on the cross-slide, that has a router mounted on it.......... Now I also have
Mk's milling program, it has rotary commands (A, V).... so now maybe I'm thinking it would
be possible to use the milling program to run the lathe for doing fancy spiral, fluted and
even the combination of all for some unique turnings (wood)........ What do you think.....am
I on the right track? Oh, I do have Bobcad 18, which does support rotary axis, but not sure
how in depth it goes....

>
> Russ

Hi Russ,

Thre is no reason not to mount a rotary device such as a router or dremel or grinder or
whatever on a lathe. Actually, it expands the use of the lathe quite a bit. My manual lathe
has a samll flex grinder attachment, but that also offers the lathe as a rough indexing
head.

With a stepper controlling the spindle, you can use it as an Y axis with a router on the
cross slide as the X and Z axes.

Fluted spindles would be a piece of cake. and only three axes needed and possibly 2-1/2
D or 3D software.

Dave