Cuesavvy said:
No, I don't know much at all about Frog controllers. I think I could see in my head a couple ways you might be able to adapt Chris's machine to do this. But I wonder if it would be worth the cost.
Greg, I'm not sure what your question is on the 90 degree cutter. When I turn shafts or butts or square stock with this set up I use it on a QC holder with motor at 90 degree to the chuck with a strait router bit. When I cutoff billets with this setup I could use it same way with a small diameter endmill but as you mentioned you get a lot of waste so I use it with the motor positioned parallel to the billet with .025 thick jewelers saw blade in it which would position the blade 90 degree to chuck. The variable speed helps keep the heat down on the plastics.
Its easy to set up, because your QC tool post should already be qualified and square to the centerline of the lathe. If so, you just just pop a QC tool holder on, bring up next to chuck to verify square and go.
I adapt as many tools as possible to the QC tool post. I made my taper attachment fit the QC tool post holder so that I don't have to remove the screw from my crosslide to allow the cutter to follow the taper bars. I just pop on my taper attachement and go. I have four lathes but my favorite one is very highly modified. If I had to, with that one lathe I could do all my operations including forearm grooves for veneered points and even some limited inlay work.
Somehow though I don't think I really understood your question, so I don't think these are the answers you are really looking for.
Tom
Tom
Yeah MY Bad, think I got caught with My head up my you know what on that one. I'm sorry bout the confusion Tom, thought you were talking about v grooves with your saw some how, reason I asked, I guess the 90 to material seemed like a gime to me, therefore was not sure If that was what you meant, or not. I'm with you now. I think I understand what you meen about the QC tool post crosslide setup for your tapers, basically makes It easier to engage to use the taper bars I assume? Is that what you are saying?
Altough I do need a couple of large floor lathes eventually when i get more room. I do have 5 lathes altogether myself now, not all setup yet, and some are wood lathe/cleaners. the reason I want to use the CS with the frog or something like it, is that It has the largest spindle bore of what I have to use right now, and it seems as If I have It running pretty true for the most part. I am having a few problems with the scroll on the front chuck sometimes wants to stick alittle. I have cleaned It out, and could not figure out why It was sticking, all the scroll gears/rack in the thing look fine, with no damage, but still sticking on me for some reason. It seems to center fine If I play with it, but sometimes I have to re-chuck a quite a few times. Sometimes It's on the money the first time. I think the thing got opened up too far a couple of weeks after we got It, and that caused it, been doing It every since. just can't find any damage, but does stick on the same spot every rotation of every turn when closing or opening the chuck. I thought About switching the back chuck out to the front since It gets used more, and the back one works great, Might have to bore the jaws though. I need to ask chris what He thinks, and what I should do. Chris, If you read this, please let me know what to look for If you have seen this happen before, hoping there is a way to fix It, but as I mentioned could not find any wear, therefore has Me kind of baffled. Also curious as to what a new chuck would cost should I need to replace, maybe I could just use the old one on a project or something, If a new one is not too much to replace. It does still work, use it everyday, just want to make sure It is as accurate as possible for what I am starting to use it for. You are welcome to PM me if Need Be.
I am happy the lathe though, matched My needs perfectly, and it does cut smoother tenon work then my metal if you can believe that. The large bore Is always nice out of a bench lathe also, don't even know where you can get anything that is not a floor standing model with that large a bore like It. Also easy to adapt mods to the lathe, I really like that. Don't think I'll ever have enough lathes, because I am just going to start dedicating them to specific tasks, as for the ease, and to speed things up, just have to solve My space issues, and looks Like I am going to have to make some big changes for that here soon.
I think the cs lathe I will use as you use the one in your Pics for some multi tasks. I have My little mill now, so have some Ideas on mods that include what we have been talking about, as well as mounts for indicators. tools that i can pop on and off. I have seen QC tool posts for taigs also, should mount right up. I have heard of controllers being used to run steppers for thread count on taigs, just curious as to what the results were, and If practical for use on wood cue threads. Whether it's worth pursueing or not. i have a thread count on one of my other lathes but the bore is too small for somethings. could probably set It up to do ferrule threads though. could probably also turn joint pins of some sorts. For the most part I am thinking of the handle forearm, butt cap that sort of thing that requires a larger bore sometimes. I just work with what I have to work with now, and try to keep adding and improving.
I am with you on the variable speed, some thermos and other plastics can be tough to work with if you can't control rpm. Also the amount of material removal the bit or blade has, seems to have some effect.
Anyway, looks like you have sqeezed quite a few operations out of that fordom, I for one am impressed, thanks for sharing.
Greg
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