sold my rotary table. Not much need for a flat
rotary table, except maybe for really large parts that exceed
the machine's travel, or if you mount it on its side as an
A or B axis. There are better units for that purpose, like
a dividing head.
If you don't have a way to accurately position the machine
in two axes, then maybe there is still use for such a table.
Jon
Sure, just make sure you have a hydraulic lift cart for transporting it from
storage to
the mills table. I was using a 15" today at work to rework part of an assembly
line.
At home I have a 12" rotary still sitting where I unloaded it many years ago.
I'm not
picking that sucker up until I need to use it. I'll eventually get my own lift
cart for
home.
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
from storage to
ago. I'm not
lift cart for
A cart takes up too much space, I tuck it on the bottom shelf of a
cabinet (former tape library roll up door cabinet).
from storage to
assembly line.
ago. I'm not
lift cart for
have you considerred something i call a die cart? It looks kind of
like this pic except its just a cable and crank to raise.
formatting link
I have two, one slides under the roll-in saw when not in use, and the
other sits under the end of the large mill.
Like you, floor space is a concern with anything I buy. I already got
two pounds of shit in a one pound area.
Karl
I'm curious, do you like to write clever CNC programs? Or just do it
all with CAD?
I just wrote this little gem that will cut a taper on my lathe.
Specify small diameter, taper angle, and DOC. I made it generic for
any future needs (This wouldn't run on any other control without
modifing)
*
' Program to cut taper pintle for M3 tripod
' input variables
{TAPER=6} 'taper angle
{XEND=.750} 'diameter to stop cut at
{XSTARTFINAL=1.36} 'final large end I.D.
{CUTDEPTH=.020} 'DOC
'calculated variables
{LOOPM95=INT((XSTARTFINAL-XEND)/CUTDEPTH)}
' above calculates the number of passes
{XSTART=XSTARTFINAL-(LOOPM95*CUTDEPTH)} 'starting diameter,changes in
program
M6 T0101
G0 Z1.0 X{XSTART}
M3 S500
G0 Z0
N100 'LOOP POINT
{XSTART=XSTART+CUTDEPTH}
{ZLENGTH=-(XSTART-XEND)*(TAN(90-TAPER))/2}
G0 Z0 X{XSTART}
G01 Z{ZLENGTH} X{XEND} F.01
G0 Z0
M95 N100 'LOOP TO N100
M5
G0 Z2
Karl
I almost never use CAD/CAM, ie. drafting in a CAD package and then
converting with CAM. But, then, I so rarely do anything that isn't
pure 2D work. Almost everything is cutting holes in panels.
So, I have a bunch of programs that write efficient G-code to cut
rectangular and round holes in sheet, and stitch the output of
these programs together to make one program for the entire
part. I find this to be WAY faster than CAD/CAM. The program
has built-in figures for roughing feeds and generates the
roughing and finishing passes from just a few supplied values.
I have versions for cutting the whole shape and trepanning, but
almost always use the trepanning version when the cut goes all the way
through.
Jon
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