CNC educaton

Don't know of a book, but you may try over at CNCzone.com, mostly folks using old machines as is or refitting controls. Certainly not perfect signal/noise but much much better.

If you can narrow to a category it will help a lot. Tell us about your price range and what you need to do. Warning, very easy to have champagne taste and beer budget.

Karl

You might want to give alt.cnc a try. There are people there that would like a real on topic post. You have to do your part though by asking decent questions.

Wes

-- "Additionally as a security officer, I carry a gun to protect government officials but my life isn't worth protecting at home in their eyes." Dick Anthony Heller

Thanks Karl, I think it might be to early in my educational process to even have a champagne taste, but I'll try: 4 axes would be good, I tend to use manual rotary tables quite a lot. I saw some videos of what looked like a CNC lathe where the spindle acted like a rotary table, and a secondary tool station had a spindle to do milling. I liked that, it seemed quite versatile. It's probably quite expensive. I am aware of the Haas 5 axes system and that looks great too. I have seen some used Haas machines that I could consider in my budget. I'm unwilling to get my feet wet before acquiring a real good understanding of what I really need.

cheers T.Alan

"T.Alan Kraus" wrote in news:49d7945b$0$1628 $ snipped-for-privacy@news.sonic.net:

In addition to alt.machines.cnc, you can also join PM (Practical Machinist). This is a professional forum with a *very* low signal to noise ratio.

======== Check with your local community college, junior college or VoTech for CNC classes. If they have classes you can not only learn the basics [g/m codes] but will get an opportunity for some "hands on." The safety instruction is a real plus.

Unka' George [George McDuffee]

------------------------------------------- He that will not apply new remedies, must expect new evils: for Time is the greatest innovator: and if Time, of course, alter things to the worse, and wisdom and counsel shall not alter them to the better, what shall be the end?

Francis Bacon (1561-1626), English philosopher, essayist, statesman. Essays, "Of Innovations" (1597-1625).

alt.machines.cnc duh.

The lathe you're referring to would be spendy and complex to learn, not a good starting point.

Ultimately you've got to put your hands on a machine and get them dirty to learn much. As mentioned, a local Votech with machine shop course is worth its weight in gold. working (even for free) or helping somebody else's shop another possible.

You sound to have manual experience but no CNC programming at all. One brand that excels here is Hurco.

Haas machines offer a great bang for buck. If you shop carefully for a used machine you could buy it now, use it some, and sell at a higher price when the economy is better. I'd hire a local Haas repairman to help you find install and shakedown your unit. I know they offer a beginners training

Karl