Re: cnc lathe/mill

Thanks for the info dave,
I really started to look up info, and like you said they are all the
same, but what suprised me was all the bad feedback on the 9x20
lathes. Another downturn is the need to change gears or belts for
diffrent speeds. At my school we have a enco lathe, with about 40"
between centers, but its pretty old, and has as alot of backlash and
runout. I needs alot of work to get back to good runnign condition for
precise machining, so I want my own lathe and I want to convert it to
cnc. Can anyone suggest a lathe of good quality and ease of use that
is around the size of 9x20 or bigger under 1200 bucks?
I am favoring towards the lathe, but am still thinking about the
possablilty of getting a mill and converting it to cnc. Just like the
lathes, all of them seem to be the exact same thing. Man no one can
come up with their own design. I plan on converting a mill to cnc too,
but like the lathe I am not sure what to go with. I did see a website
selling a rongfu31 mill converted to cnc, but for almost 8k, so I know
its a good canidate for a mill, but does anyone have any suggestions
what mill they would go with if converting to cnc around 1200 or
below? I know the lathemaster mill has a dovetail colum which is
better than a round colum, but since I am going to be putting the
stepper on the quill, I dont think it really matters.

I really am mainly looking for people to give me suggestions on what
they think is a good lathe or mill for converting to cnc around the
size and price I am looking for, as I don't know what type of stuff to
look for when shopping for one of these machines. Sorry for the long
length of these post of mine.
-Jason

--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com, "turbulatordude"
<dave_mucha@y...> wrote:

>
> the Grizley, Harbor freight and JET are all the same lathe.
>
> the longer machine offers lenght. a nice plus.
>
>
> check out all the options that come with and price them up seperatly.
>
> make sure you list every feature you can. ask the 9x20 lathe list
> for more comparisons.
>
> Often there is one unit that offers so much more in options that it is
> the best value.
>
> Check shipping also. Harbor freight and use-enco might have better
> shipping costs.
>
> make sure the stand comes with or that you add to make it compare.
>
> Dave
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com, "jak785" <jak785@h...> wrote:
> >
> > Hi,
> > I am about to get a bonus at work, and this is my chance to get a
> > lathe or mill and I want to convert it to cnc use.
> > I like to play around with small turbine engines, and I want to
> > start making my own instead of buying parts, so I need a lathe and
> > mill, but right now I can only get one of them. Most of the parts
> > are symetrics, so the lathe will probably be the better choice
> > although with a mill I can machine all kinds of stuff. I found tons
> > of information on retrofitting a mill for cnc use, but almost
> > nothing with a lathe, so I was hoping you all could help me out a
> > little.
> > First lets talk about lathes.
> > Can anyone give me some information on a good lathe with a size
> > around 9"x20"
> > Here are three I found that are about the size I need and in my
> > price range:
> >
> > Grizzly G4000
> > http://www.grizzly.com/products/item.aspxitemnumber=G4000
> >
> > JET 321373 BD-920N BENCH LATHE http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?
> > ViewItem&item=6003249800&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1
> > or
> > Lathemaster 9x30" lathe
> > http://www.lathemaster.com/LATHEMASTER9x30Lathe.htm
> >
> > Can anyone give me an idea on which one would be better for
> > converting to cnc? Also what size stepper motors would I need for a
> > lathe of this size?
> >
> > Mill
> > If I go with a mill, I was thinking about:
> >
> > RongFu31
> > or
> > Lathemaster mill
> > http://www.lathemaster.com/HEAVYDUTYMILLINGMACHINE%207045FG.htm
> >
> > Does anyone have any suggestions on what mill they would get, or
> > know of any other brands about this size. The taig mill is too
> > small, and I don't want a huge knee mill either, so these are in the
> > size range I want.
> >
> > Also about ballscrew and stepper motors
> > has anyone ever bought ball screws from this site
> > http://www.homeshopcnc.com/ , and are these stepper motors any good
> > for the size I would need. I'm guessing around 600-1000 oz/in
> > motors. I know ground ball screws are much better, but i dont got
> > that type of money. any suggestions on this topic would be helpful.
> >
> > Sorry for all the questions, but I'm trying to figure out which
> > route to go, and then what machine to get after I decide mill or
> > lathe.
> > -Jason
> >
>