.....
.....
.....
Last edited:
Best "Affordable" 4th Axis
- Thread starter dunkelcustomcue
- Start date
- Status
Here, I'll give you a hand:
The original poster asked what would be the BEST 4th axis for under $1000. Beyond any shadow, timing pulleys and a timing belt cannot possibly be classified as "the best". I understand you want to peddle your products, and are willing to make claims that may be exaggerated a bit in order to do that, but on the list of ways to build an indexer your preferred method is NOT ranked anywhere near the top.
As for the $8000 you claim all Haas indexers cost, I know of several cuemakers who have bought them used for under $1000, and I gave a pretty clear example of a very similar one I built for under $300 (plus my time). Currently, used Haas indexers WITH CNC CONTROLLER AND MOTOR can routinely be purchased on eBay for under $4000.
Additionally, harmonic drive indexers can be had for well under $1000 as well - though I do worry that the shell gear in such an indexer may not hold up over the long haul. Only time will tell in that regard.
As a cuemaker who has almost certainly done more with 4-axis work than anyone else, my opinion does come from a long history of experience. Also, I have nothing to gain in this discussion since I am not attempting to sell anything to anybody. I my opinion, anyone accepting a belt-driven indexer is settling for a lesser solution, so I really hope the price will be very low. If not, I sincerely hope they will investigate the superior alternatives that are out there.
TW
TW index
I vividly recall the 5c indexer that Thomas extensively modified and converted to CNC operation for Jerry, many years ago - it was truly an incredible bit of engineering and functioned perfectly. Simple and impressive to say the least. The lesson here is that not everything need be solved by throwing money at the "problem."
Paul
I vividly recall the 5c indexer that Thomas extensively modified and converted to CNC operation for Jerry, many years ago - it was truly an incredible bit of engineering and functioned perfectly. Simple and impressive to say the least. The lesson here is that not everything need be solved by throwing money at the "problem."
Paul
I'm not trying to peddle anything, there no even made yet lol . I have never said belt and pulley is the best? Harmonic drive is .As i tell everyone wanting to get one, there is lots on ebay. But everyone still waits. If they didn't work, i would not sell. Thats the bottom line.
Again if wanting high end 4th axis it would be harmonic drive, then lower cost belt and pulley.
Instead of wasting time on useless talk, make them and sell them. There is a huge market for them. Then i would not have to make them .
Here is video for you to check out
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzRh672peNk
Here is also a belt and pulley , as you can see no problem doing anything . Its almost same going on lathe headstock
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlQgMk6te_Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlQgMk6te_Y
Hi George,
Can you point me to a commercial 4th axis which utilizes a harmonic drive?
The only ones i can seem to find are ones that hobbyist have made or imports from ebay.
Cute "comeback", George. Very cute.
The only problem is, the InTurn belt-drive 4th-axis indexer in that video has a base price of $2,950.00, and if you want sealed bearings it jumps up to 3,795.00. Same device with tapered roller bearings is a whopping $4,995.00!
Not exactly an example of "best indexer for under $1,000", now is it? Unless you claim you'll be offering all the features of that InTurn indexer for 1/3 the price or less.
So I guess the question is, WILL YOU be offering that quality for a very low price... say, under $1,000?
TW
harris cue comp
Banned
4th axis
does nobody realize we are building pool cues.what we do is a luxury to our customers. if its within .0002 or .0005 it does not matter. I build more more cues than any one man cue business builds in a year. I have more more cnc machines than any other cue maker including Thomas waste. I meant wayne. we are not saving lives we are building cues that you play a game with. lets put this into perspective.
thanks for the time
Robert Harris
does nobody realize we are building pool cues.what we do is a luxury to our customers. if its within .0002 or .0005 it does not matter. I build more more cues than any one man cue business builds in a year. I have more more cnc machines than any other cue maker including Thomas waste. I meant wayne. we are not saving lives we are building cues that you play a game with. lets put this into perspective.
thanks for the time
Robert Harris
Robert,
I have seen you cues and believe you are correct concerning the tolerances you speak about.
That being said, do you have a specific answer to the 64,000.00 question.
An accurate A Axis for indexing and 4 Axis geometry in the 1,000.00 range. I am not concerned with spinning a blank.
What would be your recommendation based on your production experience with different machine set ups.
Curious,
Rick
Last edited:
Here is a few of them from Haas. http://www.edstroms.com/BinaryLoade...FileName=rotary_brochure.pdf&Attachment=False
Japan and German machines are starting to get into using them.
Just the harmonic drive alone is expensive. Not a harmonic actuator that you see for sale. Good one start around $1300 CAD for just the 3 pieces .And that is a small one
I see lots of 5 and 6th axis spindle using them. Every robot arm. More and more all the time
That will be close to the design of the headstock for lathe.
All XZero products are all precision made .
Will have video of 4th axis , precision spindle and a few lathe part on this machine.
You wont find a higher precision machine than these
Here is the first one made last year or maybe even 2 years ago . just never had time to make them . Works with out a problem ,even up to 1/2 end mill .This one was for testing,ones for sale will look different on outside
Not to put too fine a point on it, but what you're showing here is a FAR cry from the InTurn unit you linked to earlier. Very much like comparing a Walmart tricycle to a BMW K1600.
http://www.theinturn.com/
TW
Of course it don't look like it. lol That's bolt on 4th axis for cnc router not headstock for a cnc lathe.
Would look very small on cnc lathe when its 4x9 inch profile lol
As i told you before, you really need to read before you post absurd stuff .
Last edited:
Got to see this thing in person today. Unbelievably impressive.....for $400 theres not a chance in hell i'll ever order anything other than one of these for cue work ever again. I currently use a 60:1 german made, worm gear, $5k-ish unit and would trade for one of these harmonic drive 4th axis without a second thought if i only planned on cue work.
Would love it if you had a link to the exact seller you bought it from.
Jake, the seller's name I bought from is "hotsale-eshop" but he/they no longer have these listed. This one in the link below looks to me to be the same setup:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/CNC-4th-Axi...t=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item3aa802e71e
(hope the link works....if if doesn't, let me know and I'll try again.)
Thanks much for comment! I thought it was pretty decent, but am not a machinist person. Got lucky, I guess.
mac
http://www.ebay.com/itm/CNC-4th-Axi...t=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item3aa802e71e
(hope the link works....if if doesn't, let me know and I'll try again.)
Thanks much for comment! I thought it was pretty decent, but am not a machinist person. Got lucky, I guess.
mac
RBC
Deceased
Mac
That was yours that Jake looked at. He came by the shop today.
I have to admit that I'm pretty impressed with it. I did a quick simple backlash test by jogging the chuck jaws against a simple dial indicator. I zeroed the indicator and stepped forward and back checking to see when the indicator needle would start to move. I came up with .02 degrees. Also, I'm pretty sure that the tiny amount that I did see was most likely coming from the poor linearity of the stepper motor it has on it. With a servo or a clearpath motor on it, I think it would be much tighter. Not that it's needed though.
Also, I could spin it up to about 75 rpm as well. Not really good for any turning work, fast enough that you're not waiting on the thing to index or wrap back around to zero after your job is done.
Royce
Hey, YOU"RE the one who posted the Youtube link to support your contention that belt drive is as good as anything else. If referring to it AFTER YOU FIRST DID is "absurd" then you need to go look in a mirror to find the culprit, buddy.
TW
(PS: English is my first language, so maybe that's the problem here.)
Some things never change
Absurd as to your comments.
Harmonic drive is better than belt and pulley. Harmonic drive with belt and pulley with reduction is even better.
Worm gears always need to be adjusted most of the time. Worm gear most likely be very last choice for anything
Last edited:
- Status