Tools, Glorious Tools! #2 - The CNC Lathe Indexer

Kyle Wellman

I am in the process of making "This Old Tony's" CNC lathe spindle for the same reasoning you had. A computer controlled stepper motor gives the ability to precisely cut any tooth count gear without odd ball dividing plates or expensive add ons.

Clickspring

Yep that wheel was what pushed me over the edge to buy one too! Best wishes with the clock project, be sure to share some pics! Cheers :)

Francis Milsom

Hi Chris, I just purchased a digital indexer for my 6 inch rotary table. I bought all the electronics ready made leaving me to build a box to put them in. It drives a Nema 23 stepper in various modes :jog, step, degree, continuous... then make a coupling between the stepper and the table. Getting ready to tackle the Skeleton Clock the 290 tooth great wheel is the main reason I went for a digital indexer. I'll start by practicing on some ali first before commiting to brass. I got the elecronics from world of ward (UK based). The real problem will be getting somewhere near your standards!

Clickspring

Thank you mate, and I'm so pleased you're enjoying the vids :) I use the 300Ncm motor on this page: <a href="https://medw.co.uk/wiki/DivisionMaster" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://medw.co.uk/wiki/DivisionMaster</a> although I see that its no longer available - not sure why that would be. Its a good size, drives everything well and is as solid as a rock between moves - Cheers :)

Hey Chris, I am absolutely in love with your work. I teach high performance engine machining for a living and wish I had enough guts to branch off as an independent machinist and do the things you do. What I wouldn't give to chew the fat with you one day. It doesn't seem like a day goes by that I don't mention you and your videos to my students. I explain to them that the machining practices you demonstrate can be applied across the board in any direction they choose to take their career. Now, down to brass racks, you say you use a 300 Ncm Nema 28 stepper motor to drive the rotory table. The best I have found is a Nema 23 that has a holding torque of 19 kg/cm or 186 N/cm. Could you give me some more information about the stepper motor you use? I run a Bolton Tools AT320L at home and it has a 305 mm swing over the bed and 900 mm between centersAgain you do awesome work. As an Irish man I stand green with envy.

Graeme Brumfitt

haha (enter key) found out the hard way myself.

franco pucci

(enter key!!!) a fully indexable lathe spindle and variable speed lathe all with one motor!

franco pucci

check out the Clearpath servo motors - you could conceivably replace your main lathe motor with one of these to give you

Clickspring

Will do mate :)

Flip Kromer

For a future episode can you highlight the major pieces of tooling and accessories you have in your shop, indicating perhaps the order you'd buy them in and the quality level to seek (I.e where it's OK to buy cheaper vs. where you'd say save up for the high-quality equipment). Would be very useful for people looking to get into this and setting up their shop.

Clickspring

Ok, will do Douglas :)

Clickspring

Sure thing Samuel, will add it to the list :)

Samuel Irons

Chris, I would like to see more of your hand tools. Gravers, screwdrivers and such.

Dustin Boggs

for those curious about his cutter <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSXDIraHz3k" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSXDIraHz3k</a>

Clickspring

Awesome Leagh - very pleased :)

That answered every question I had . Thank you very much you truly have a wonderful talent for explaining how things work. Also enjoyed the collaboration video with AvE, Avon79, and This Old Tony. Nearly spit out my drink when I saw avon79 com on the screen haha

Clickspring

Ha ha! terrific to hear that Luke :)

Clickspring

Cheers mate, will do :)

Luke Walker

I loved that collaboraion video you, AvE, Avon79, and This Old Tony did. It was quite hilarious!

hBurger

I made my own similar controller for a chinese 4th axis chuck to use on the mill. Makes life alot more easier. Keep those awesome videos coming!

Clickspring

Hey Jace, I use a stand alone spindle, A Sherline motor and a vertical slide all mounted on the lathe cross slide - I'll show it in a bit more detail in the next BSC episode for you if you like :)

Jace Walton

What type of machine do you use to cut your gears. I saw when you made to tool out of O1 steel but what do you used to spin the cutter to make the teeth? I can see when you cut the teeth of the wheels the carriage moves in the background, it must be attached to the carriage is it some sort of tool post grinder that you attached your cutter to?

Clickspring

Thanks Adam!

Clickspring

Cheers Danny! The expanding mandrel design is not mine, but I wish it was!! Its one of those workshop essential ideas that's been around in the magazines and books for many years. Its the key component to indexing the lathe, no matter if you're using a change gear, saw blade, or this sort of gadget.

Great video Chris. Love your fix for lathe error. Is that reverse collett design yours or is that a commercial product? Damn clever either way.

Adam Ackels

I wouldn't, the machine isn't broke, so why fix it? Sure, it's off a little, but not to the point of you ruining work all the time. Frankly, even if you did take the lathe apart, and re-bore it, let's just say, I doubt you have the tooling for it. On my $8000 key machine, I can only get it to .0002 of an inch, it works fine. Now, of I can get some decent software to drive the machine. Great video Chris!

Clickspring

It could be re-bored, but I lack the courage to pull it all apart and try!!

Adam Braithwaite

Nice one Chris. Would it be possible to fix the error on the lathe itself?

Josiah Freep

Always a treat

Clickspring

Cheers Andrew - I started in 2012 with the little red lathe. Re the BSC train, most of it is based on the artifact believed to have been fabricated approx 600AD, so its what you might call a very well seasoned design!

Andrew Larking

That's really impressive. How long have you been a machinist? Also, how do you calculate the number of gears needed on the drive train? Where do you start?