I also made these out of 18 mm shutter ply.

New lathe
 

Ok, What does one do when you get cleaned out.Most of my power tools have received new homes due to affirmative shopping and I am really "de moer in".Even Carolina`s fathers welding machine that I used as mine is still in the Cape walked out of my workshop.I do have suspects so I will follow up this week.
I started my Lathe as I don`t want to have a 4 th axis on my MM.I picked up the steel from the laser cutting company and everything fits.Next will be to build a 4:1 ratio gearbox for the main shaft with belt drive( Y-axis ).I am going to use the same z-slide that I made for my MM but it will be fitted horizontally that way I don`t need to worry about gravity so cutting will be from the side and not from the top and dust extraction is from the top also.

Ai! Hennie, ek voel vir jou, die soort snert sal nooit stop solank die volk glo hulle hoef nie te werk vir iets, hulle kan dit net vat - net soos die regering.

Nice progress on the lathe, so I assume this will only be a three axis machine or will you have some sort of cross feed ability? (i.e Y axis movement)

More Hennie,
Jammer om van jou skade te hoor! Hoop die blikslaers word gevang!
I will watch your process keenly on the lathe.
Voorspoed
J.

Jislaaik Johan, ons het 'n jaar laas van jou gehoor!

Hi Gerald,
Jammer ek is so skaars. My lewe het die laaste twee jaar 'n paar wilde draaie gegooi!
Maar ek het nou bietjie meer tyd, so ek is terug.
Ek probeer al van laas Desember 'n bietjie Kaap toe gaan maar ek kry nie die geld bymekaar nie. Miskien so Maart volgende jaar kom sê ek hallo.

My blue machine is still operating well. I still cut mainly in 2d and still having great fun.
I need to modify my dust foot since it is only about 80% effective.
Regards to all the builders!

cnc lathe?
 

Hi
Is this the start of a new cnc kit to add to the workshop if it works out will be good project to add to our workshops:)

Alan it is a 3 axis.
Hi Johan, how are you doing?
Duckie, Yes so far it is going to be but lets see if I can break it first.length of cut on the x-axis is 1220 mm and max dia of turning provided that the cutters will do what I want it to do is 300 mm with a z-axis travel of 180 mm with cutter.I am going to use 2 x 30 mm linear bearings one bar at the top and one at the bottom.The z-slide is 15 mm linear blocks and rails.I have designed it to take a 2.2 kw watercooled spindle.But for now progress will be slow as I can`t weld because I don`t have a welder thanks to some "pap vreeter!"
I am going to get my family the end of the month as we are relocating back to the big smoke and my welder will be with the furniture truck.

Progress on my Lathe project
 

Ok, so it has been a while since I did anything and the budget is not cooperating but I had to do something with what I had in the workshop.I started with my z-slide and gantry for the lathe.I did the gearbox also but I will get the bearings for it this afternoon then I can post a pic of it.

Anybody that say that the Mechmate is not capable of cutting aluminium must think again.I had a client that had an issue with squareness once he had to pay I have news for him.everything fits perfectly.

Hi Hennie,
Did you mesure precisely the cut ?
On mecanical parts, the usual requirement is 0.02mm

So I have some progress on my Lathe.Checking if everything fits and then to get it to work.Next week it is going to get a stand waiting for laser cutting.Now if only the Rand can drop then I can bring in a spindle.

Only with a Mechmate
 

I did these for a client recently Wine wall with 240 / 12 mm dia holes took 4 hours with a 6 mm cutter at 5 mm/sec feed rate.

Table legs thanks to MM.

Ek dog jy het van die aarde afgeval... hoekom is jou prentjies so klein, is jy dan skaam om te wys?? :-)

How is your progress on the lathe?

those ply boxes looks fantastic... what program you use to make them...
or any tutorial iam interested on the proccess

3 in 1 Lathe
 

I love it. The 3 in 1 Lathe. That was my first metal working machine.
mine is painted to match the Chinese military convoy, but it is a great machine. I turned metal stamping dies for Zenith Ch750 wing sections.
Lots of fun and great memories. But I love my new Grizzly G4003G.
best of luck, really like your gear reduction drive.

Alan I am still alive but why don`t you answer your phone!:confused:
I am busy assembling the lathe.I got my water cooled spindle last week last Hiwin bearings was delivered yesterday and it was painted Wednesday.will put some pic`s soon.And I forgot to mention that it has some legs also.
Fernando, the boxes happens with a cad drawing and midnight hours when I can`t sleep.

Telkom up to their tricks again, then we have service, then we dont :mad: Did you try the cell phone?

I only have the cell no.

Lathe with legs
 

some progress pic`s. Hope I get some time to assemble it

Things still to get or the Lathe
1.F/drive for spindle from Greg
2. some cable chain
3.Transformer x 1
4.Spindle Bracket ( on order)
5 Some switches
then I can start playing:D

some more progress
 

I got the cable chain it sits where it should be limit switches are installed

laser cutting or plasma ?
 

I got my spindle mount brackets and fitted them to the spindle perfect fit.The question is which is better laser or plasma brackets are 16 mm thick steel

for 18mm, & for spindle bracket. I would strongly suggest milling. both laser & air plasma will have sloped cut & it will be noticeable when use as a spindle clamp.

I ordered a spindle and a vfd from Chai (linearmotionbearings) and for a 26$ more got a spindle mount, solid alu
some ideas for future :)

Danilo, yes I could have ordered one but the shipping cost to my side is more than the product itself .I got 2 sets of those brackets for R 300 .00 ( $30 for 2 sets ).to mill it out of alu would have taken me time plus the cost.

One option for the future is to have them laser cut with the spindle hole slightly undersized and just have that bored out to suit the spindle - cheaper than milling the whole bracket but still giving an accurate "hole" to clamp the spindle.

You can try U-bolt if you don't feel like doing any machining.

z-SLIDE DONE
 

My z-slide is done now to neaten up wiring and to start this baby up.

Looks very impressive. Lets see some saw dust!
Gooi daai switch en laat ons sien wat hy kan doen.

Wragtig pragtig.. Hoop hy werk so goed soos hy lyk. :D