Re: Electronic Lead Screw & Power Cross Feed | Poor CNC ?

Bob,

I was hoping to remove some of the "mystery" from CNC...a lot of
people seem to think it is so complex and difficult. To me, the
biggest two issues are that 1.)you need to design your part with a
CAM app unless you really enjoy manual programming (i.e. you do
complex web pages with manual HTML as opposed to a top web publishing
app) and 2.) You need to be excruciatingly accurate in tool setup and
measuring or you'll crash a tool.

Otherwise, CNC isn't all that difficult.

You are right that if you just chuck up a piece of metal and start
cutting away everything that doesn't look like what you envision your
part to be, CNC isn't very helpful. However, if you will be making
multiple copies of a part, or if you are the type who designs on
CAD/CAM apps anyway, CNC is great to have.

With a CNC manual lathe that uses dual-shaft motors, if you add
handwheels, you can just turn off CNC and use it manually. Obviously
this isn't so with a CNC Turning Center, but I just don't see this as
an issue with CNC on the hobbyist-class machines we're discussing.

Don't get me wrong, I do believe an ELS would be a great accessory
for general work on the 9x20 lathe...I am just hoping that whatever
evolves is compatible with full CNC to make the investment useful
both as an accessory for manual machining, and as the axis for CNC.

And of course, CNC on the 9x20 class of lathes will never match what
can be achieved on an industrial lathe or turning center. Even if you
add ballscrews (making a $500 lathe into a $2500 lathe) and other
gizmos, it is still limited.

The ELS is a perfect solution to eliminate all the noise, wear and
other problems associated with the change gear set. When I did the
DC Conversion, it turned out to be a great improvement in the
usability of the 9x20...I sure hope the ELS turns out to be the same
sort of improvement. (of course, for the amount of threading I do, I
could just hook up a windshield wiper motor and rheostat to the
leadscrew and have 90% of the capability...haha)

Tom


--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com, "BobWarfield" <bob@t...>
wrote:

>
>
> > If you will do your design on a napkin, of course, the difference

is

> > a lot more.
> >
> > Regards,
> >
> > Tom
> >
>
>
> Tom, your email has eloquently sold me one more time that I do not
> want CNC at this time. As you say, if I want to run a CAD/CAM

program

> anyway, I should go CNC. This is particularly true if I will be
> making more than one copy. If I want to do my design on a napkin,

I

> don't want all that overhead. Many of us who like the e-leadscrew

are

> much more interested designing one offs on napkins. Everything

I've

> made to date is in that category and everything I foresee making
> anytime soon is the same.
>
> I believe we have successfully established that people with CNC
> already under their belts have no interest in an electronic
> leadscrew. Why are we surprised at that conclusion? OTOH, I
> downloaded the Mach docs the other day thinking I'd just read about

a

> couple of those wizards before nighty nite and maybe it wouldn't be

so

> bad.
>
> COME ON GUYS! It's a zillion pages. I mean really, it's an

awesome

> program, but I do not need the complexity at this stage. I've got

too

> many other irons on the fire already. I'll get to it eventually,

and

> I would like to see any leadscrew work I do be set up so I can have
> both someday.
>
> BTW, I was extremely pleased to see Mariss' remarks about his ratio
> command in G-Rexx. As usual, he has engineered a first-class

solution

> that will be useful for many things. His docs were also much

shorter

> than those for Mach--no slam on Mach, he's just building

appliances,

> which is what I want as I have mentioned.
>
> Best,
>
> BW
>