My cnc minilathe

I have my machine running now, still a few bugs to work out....but very happy with it so far. This video shows my first automated cut, and then at end I pan out showing my lathe, control panel, and pc screen.



This was done with my first g-code program running, just a simple facing cut but I am happy to be learning fast and getting better with the machine and making the machine better too. If you can see the point on the end of the work piece, that is not supposed to be there. Turns out I was loosing steps on the x-axis due to a setting on my controller board. I have fixed that problem I think, and will know when I get my tool post mod done and mounted back on the cross-slide. I got rid of the compound piece of the compound cross-slide, so that I could turn larger materials on the lathe. I can comfortably turn 4" roundstock with the mod I am doing...and just happen to have 4" roundstock ready to make a fly reel once up and running....
Regards,

Will

Thanks Andy, I am pretty new to CNC so any other advice you wish to throw my way is most welcome! If in the future I have to turn stock that long for a particular part, is it ok to do so like that or should I setup the tail stock to hold the protruding end? I will set up my tooling closer to the tool post on my next cut (have to wait for modified tool post mount to come back from my friend, I am modifying so I can work some 4" aluminum stock I have to make a fly reel...)

Regards,
Will

Thanks for the tips Andy , I managed to get enough free time tonight to install and test my z axis limit switch and z-limit/home switch. here is the results of my work tonight.



I started at 0.0, and issued the home command. The switch triggers at 1.0, then it backs off to 0.0. My other limit switch triggers at -9.085, should I set my axis travel to be just shy of the switch...or at the point the switch trips (....z table dimensions are -9.0 to 1.0 or z table dimensions are -9.085 to 1.0) ?

Regards,


Will

BigJohnT wrote:

Will,

Looking good... I can't tell but it looks like your limit switch is mounted so that in case of over travel it might be damaged.

In this photo of an over simplified lathe set up you can see that the carriage can travel to the limits without damaging the switch.

John

Yes they are positioned where if an overtravel ocurred then the switch could / would be damaged. I figured that 1) the hard limit would prevent the over-travel, and 2) the Soft limits would prevent the travel reaching the limit switch. and with these two conditions in place that the possiblity of crashing into my limit switches would be extreamly slim.... I can look into re-mounting as you showed in your example, as it would be a better way of doing the same funtion...

Regards,

Will