Rotary Machining - 2016

[Leo]

I know I don't post much about what I actually do, but someone might be interested in this.

I did this video in early 2016 and have since done many upgrades to the machine plus I have learned a lot more.

youtube.com/watch?v=CE5kf8cTSso&t=24s

[jarm2]

Thanks for sharing that, Leo. That is quite the process for getting those legs.

[slowoodworker]

I'm really impressed at how fast you're running that machine! Especially with the 1/8" bit.

--Rich Farwell

[martin54]

That's good to see, I am in the process of setting up a rotary axis on a machine, nothing like your set up though as this is just a very small axis on a much smaller lighter machine

I can't put a rotary axis on my main machine because the gantry is to low & modifying the machine to include one either on the machine table or at the end of the machine table would require major surgery

[Rcnewcomb]

I was interested in how you did some of the manual machining operations using the pendant rather than writing a program.

[martin54]

I was interested in how you did some of the manual machining operations using the pendant rather than writing a program.

Is that not a common thing Randall? I do that all the time using the keyboard as I don't have a pendant but same process, having said that I don't write g-code & Leo is obviously an expert

[Leo]

It can be done in Mach3 with the keyboard and jog features. On my pendant and Mach3 I can set spindle speed, feedrate and axis control. On feedrate selection it does dot matter how fast I spin the wheel, the feedrate remains constant. In a velocity selection the speed of the axis is governed by how fast I turn the wheel. Start, Stop, spindle, cycle start, hold --- lots of functionality. PS2 errr I forgot the name - I will get it when I go out to the shop later. No g-code - just pure manual. I don't write G-Code very much since I retired 2-1/2 years ago. Everything is just WAY too simple with Vectric. However I did G-Code my machine reliability and repeatable video. I just needed the program to run a very specific way. Manual g-code is just way way more specific than ANY CAM - even the $30,000 CAM packages.

BTW - I was a manufacturing engineer in the factory that was manufacturing the indicators used in this video. The green ones not the cheap white one. Also notice the incremenths on the green ones is .0001

I manually G-Coded in this video

Just a little plug to show off my machine as well.

[Rcnewcomb]

Is that not a common thing Randall?

I guess it depends on a person's background.

I started out on the software side, so whenever I was working with a machine it was a matter of outputting to paper tape and taking it down to the shop floor to run on a machine. Later we set up the interfaces so we no longer needed paper tape and could output directly to the machines from the DEC PDP-11 computer.

Even though my control software has arrows and keys I can press to move the machine, I'm just more comfortable entering G/S/M code to move the machine.

[martin54]

I guess it depends on a person's background.

You could be right, I started out turning handles to make the machines move

[Leo]

I have started out without CNC as well. My dad had a machine shop business in the cellar of our house in the early 60's and I grew up that way. My first job was as a mechanic on cars as well as on fishing boats and pleasure boats. Got dirty a lot. Then I started out in a factory making gears at Borg Warner in 1977 working on WWII vintage machines. Got dirty a lot. Cut fingers, steel chips in the eye and all that gory stuff. Studied engineer at local colleges at night after a full work day. Got tired and worn out. Earned a BSME, then learned CNC. That has been my career.

Spinning a wheel on a pendant is pretty simple stuff to me and quite natural.

I don't expect or think it's for everyone and I don't expect everyone to follow the practice, but it works for me.

[Leo]

ALL in ALL

This forum has a LOT of diverse and very talented people.

Together we all have a LOT to offer and I am quite happy to be able to participate.

Randall, paper tape - I did that as well.
Only difference is that I jumped inside the machine and helped the machinist understand what was going on.