micro lathe from scratch - maybe

[b.lindsey]

Well if you happen to know someone with a laser sintering 3D printer you can just print the whole thing in metal to start with   Last time I looked though such printers were in the mid to high six figure range. Give it time though and someone will do just that.

Bill

[fcheslop]

Hi Karl, will do you some pics or a video in a day or so
Glass filled polyamide
cheers

[zeeprogrammer]

Bill and frazer...

We have an SLA printer at work but I'm not going near that. (Company was acquired a few months ago by a public company...any use of company property for non-company stuff...and I won't have pancake money.) Not capable of metal anyway.

Funny the sintering came up. Some friends and I are looking into building an SLS printer. We've done some tests and have managed to sinter a plastic 'thread'. But there are loads of challenges with it. Loads.

As for the glass filled polyamide...is that available for the 3D FFF printers everyone sees? The Prusas and Mendels? That is, does it come in 1.75mm wire spool?

Granted, some bearings and framing material (i.e. base and supports) could be printed. Eventually I'll look into that. For now I'm going for aluminum plate. I've got a decent supply of that...since I seem to be better at acquiring than using. 

Looking forward to the pics and video. Don't go to too much trouble though. I'm not worth it.

[steamer]

A technique to consider while building this, consider grouting.

If you don't have a mill big enough to machine a qualified surface, support the component on 3 screws with a small gap. and use the 3 screws to adjust the part into alignment.   Once there snug the clamp bolts...not tight, just snug.    Then pump in some structural epoxy.    You could use Moglice, but it's kind of expensive.   You could also use JB Weld, or MarineTex.     I used this technique to build my mill and I used MarineTex.   It worked very well.

Once the epoxy cures, just tighten the clamp bolts down.

Then other trick you can use is to fill steel tubing with Concrete to add mass.   I did this on the column on my mill.   Coat the inside of the tube with a thin layer of Chesterton which is a protective coating like cosmoline you put on machines...comes in a spray can.  You could use wheel bearing grease as well.   then fill the tube with Hydraulic cement. You might want to put a threaded rods that you can prestress.   The hydraulic cement will expand slightly and compress the grease a bit and adds mass and damping to the system.    Works great...and it's cheap!

Lots' of modern machine tools are built with similar techniques as this.   It works!

Dave

[fcheslop]

Hi Karl, sorry I dont know as its a customer I visit and they know I used to work in the plastic industry on automation and robotics and still have a little interest in new toys





Forgive the crappy camera work
I can ask on my next visit
cheers

[zeeprogrammer]

Pretty neat frazer. What kind of 3d printer was that done on?
Robotics eh? Do you remember a small company called Rhino Robots that made robots for education and training?

[zeeprogrammer]

Anyone know anything about the Little Machine Shop Nano Lathe? $350 ($310 on sale).
Touted as a watchmaker's lathe.
But I can't figure it out...
1) How the carriage and tailstock don't rotate on the way. Is there something behind it?
2) How the carriage slides along X. Or does it? That is, you move it to position and lock it. Perhaps so. The compound rest may give all the travel needed.
Kind of nifty and answers some of the question I had for the (what I may have incorrectly called) micro lathe.
Do any of you know of similar, inexpensive, lathes?

[zeeprogrammer]

Never mind.
Came across a thread from Tin on the old site.
Also had a post in there from Firebird.
Didn't see much in the way of positive reviews. Mostly negative.
But I suspect much of that may have to do with expectation.
With the thing I'm considering...you'll be lucky to shave wax.
So the idea is to market it as a wax shaver. 
Hopefully there will be a large number of people wanting to make their own wax shavings.
Give them as gifts. Maybe I can provide scented wax.
Maybe I've had one hoppie too many.

[zeeprogrammer]

Question...

I need to order some stainless steel rods. It'll be used for ways.
Recommendations?
I don't know anything about stainless steel. I see a lot of references to 304, unpolished, mill finish, annealed etc.
I'll need to cut it with a hacksaw but no other operations.
Also, can it be obtained in metric? I'd be looking for 8mm and/or 12mm. (3/8 or 1/2 if I can't get it in metric.)

Thanks

[tvoght]

I'd definitely check McMaster-Carr. Presumably for ways you'll want pretty straight pieces, so you might want to check SS 'shaft' rather than rod. The material called shafting has good straightness specifications.

303 is far more easy to machine than 316.

Here:

http://www.mcmaster.com/#precision-shafts/=qn2w5k

Search for stainless steel 'shaft' and 'rod'

--Tim

[zeeprogrammer]

you'll want pretty straight pieces, so you might want to check SS 'shaft' rather than rod.

Thanks Tim!

I had no idea there was a difference between shaft and rod.

  Hm. That may explain some past issues.

[cfellows]

FYI, I've done a bit of research on shafting for my 3D printing projects.  McMaster has good prices and I actually bought some from them.  If you are using this for ways, hardened shaft would be best, but you won't be cutting it with a hacksaw.  An angle grinder or abrasive cutoff wheel will slice through it nicely, though.

Chuck

[fcheslop]

H Karl, sorry never used that trainer.Started  at ABB ,Engel, Fanuc RJ6 then worked through the alphabet thinking on it never got passed S  for Sony SRX.
Once got into bother with the twin armed SRX set it up as a clock the managers weren't amused then we used to have two RJ6 sword fighting guess you can tell the night shift used to be quiet .
I will get the info on the printer as they usually break some thing every few weeks
cheers and good luck

[tvoght]

Carl,
Your mention of Rhino robots above put me in sort of a nostalgic mood, having admired their advertisements years ago and being absolutely sure I needed one of my own.

 I was pretty surprised to do a search and find them still in business, and still making robots very much like the ones I remembered. They're in Miamitown, Ohio, which isn't far from home.

http://www.rhinorobotics.com/welcome.html

Now I suppose I have the capabilities to *build* one of my own. Add that to the list...

--Tim

[fcheslop]

Thanks for the link Tim
That would make a nice project
Keep looking at those spidery things scuttling about