Cheapest Y axis lathe?

Awl --

Apropos of the omniturn Q's, I wonder what the cheapest Y axis/live tooling lathe would, run both new and used. A new Omni 75 runs about $32K, plus $3K for a C axis, + ___ for their zip bar feeder.

I wonder, tho, why omni offers a C axis, but no live tooling? What can you do with a C axis and no live tooling? Does omni figger you'll add yer own air-powered tools or sumpn?

Inyway, I wondered if it would be possible to get a decent used Y axis lathe for what all the above would cost new? I get occasional emails from Kevin Murphy, mebbe that would be a good start. I just hate talking to salespeeple, tho. Also, I feel so guilty when I don't buy.... and pissed when I do buy..... goodgawd.....

Reply to
Existential Angst
Loading thread data ...

They learn so fast...

One or more of the gang tool stations can be a live tool. Since it is a Gang tool lathe and not a turret lathe, it makes sense.

Reply to
Cross-Slide

formatting link
No live tooling but a nice machine:

formatting link
Great machine if it's been kept up and right in your backyard:

formatting link

Reply to
Garlicdude

formatting link

formatting link

formatting link
Yeah, all nice, but none have a Y axis, afaict. The last one also has a bar feed!

But, the prices are low enough that mebbe a Y axis machine is within reach....

Who would service these machines, if they needed it? And I'm sure they will.

These are heavy muthafuckas!! One weights 16,000 lbs!!! Holy shit.... The Omni 75 weighs 1500 # !!

Reply to
Existential Angst

"Existential Angst" wrote in news:4c97c7cd$0$20146$ snipped-for-privacy@cv.net:

Here's an ancient Tsugami FA45 -

formatting link

It has twin turrets, Y-axis and sub spindle. Listed for $19,900.00

Given the build date it would have two Fanuc OTA controls (OTA x 2) married together. So it doesn't have plane selection and won't be able to circular interpolate with the Y-axis. Later dates would have the 0TTC control and have no such limitations.

Here's another -

formatting link

Here's an FA65 listed for $27,700.00 -

formatting link

Beats the hell out of a tinker toy Omni Turn.

A sub $30,000.00 budget means a late 80's early 90's vintage machine. There weren't too many builders offering Y-axis lathes then. There was Index, Tsugami, Traub. Later Hitachi Seiki and Okuma.

Haas just introdiced a Y-axis lathe if you want to suffer through owning a low serial number experiment. Or you could try Kia for a cheap Korean lathe.

Also keep an eye out for an old used Tsugami NU4Y or NU6Y. The "4" would be a 45mm bar capacity 6" chuck lathe with a single turret, box way, swuare ram construction with a true Y-axis. The "6" would have an 8" chuck.

The German machines of late 80's early 90's vintage usually rotate the turret and C-axis in conjunction to acheive a pseudo Y-axis.

Reply to
D Murphy

Do you think the pseudo-Y is accurate?

One of the machines in STeve's links was 16,000 # !!! And proly a big-ass footprint. I suspect most of these older machines are going to be super-heavy, no?

I wonder if a 4" pour of concrete is even enough for these....

Makes me think I could sling an Omni on my back, with the right strapping....

Reply to
Existential Angst

I have been doing applications for just about every live tool machine out there. The most popular simulated Y axis out there is called C axis polar interpolation. This enables you to simulate Y with the synchroniztion of C and X. There are 2 ways to do that. 1) Write your code as if it were for a mill. Take all you X values and multiply them by 2. Take all your Y values and change them to C. Activate polar interpolation with a G12 and cancel it with G13. You can take a 2 axis lathe with an axial tool (right angle with the end mill paralell to the main spindle centerline) and cut hex and square shapes. You can also cut off center eccentric slots using only 2 axis. The other way to program the simulated Y is to let software spit out a bunch of XC points. Most fillintheblankcam has a C axis feature usually mirroring Y to C. I prefer G12 based on its' simplicity and eliminating the need to rely on software. Look in any Fanuc lathe programming manual under polar interpolation G12 for a pretty good example even for Fanuc.

Reply to
Bill

"Existential Angst" wrote in news:4c983ea6$0$7153$ snipped-for-privacy@cv.net:

Not as accurate as a true Y, but probably good enough for most applications.

Yep. If you are only doing small bar work, then maybe you should look for an old Swiss CNC.

Probably. The weight is spread out.

No doubt.

Reply to
D Murphy

"Bill" wrote in news:tKqdnZt1nYWnXQXRnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@earthlink.com:

That's still not Y-axis though. You can't cross drill a hole off center, for example. With the turret/c-axis scheme you can. You can also mill a flat slot with an end mill.

Reply to
D Murphy

PolyTech Forum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.