Deep Grooves Mastering - Project Bladerunner

[opcode66]

After a couple days of messing around I finally have the runout in the metal lathe better than when it arrived! I can now get back to work. That makes me soooo happy!!! I really feel as though I just had a crash course in lathe repair. Wowzers.

The rest of the evening I spend fonishing the setup of the CNC.

[dimi751]

Nice setup Todd very organised and clean!

[opcode66]

Thanks. I've been good about cleaning up after every session. And, I performed a thorough clean up before I repaired the metal lathe. You should have seen it while the lathe was in pieces. Tools, screws, gears and parts strewn everywhere. I left some skin on a few pieces working the wrenches. I stripped the headstock spindle box down to the casting in order to replace the bearings. So, everything came out of the headstock. It was a mess for days. Nice to be back on track and with knowledge gained. Yesterday was horribly frustrating, however.

Note the very professional rectangular hole cut in the pegboard on the CNC bench. That is so the motor on the overhead can travel.... Otherwise, I would have needed a deeper workbench top. So, I made do.

[opcode66]

Its alive!!!! CNC is ready to be fed material for a live test tomorrow. Handheld remote is also working.

[inspector77]

Good work Todd! you're unstoppable !

[recordboy]

Wow! Happy New year!!!
So looking forward to your Finnished products!!!

[Snug Music]

Wow! Happy New year!!!
So looking forward to your Finnished products!!!

yes .. I also Todd..happy New Year 2016
it looks really good! I wish you every success!

cheers Scotty

[opcode66]

Learned the hard way how sharp the blade on the cnc is. Sliced open my pinky finger lovely. Never putting my hand under the spindle again. Doesn't matter if it is spinning or not...

The CNC is functioning as expected. I'm using cam software to make gcode for the transducer springs. Hopefully I can have some cut soon. I plan to have plastic/metal hybrid transducers finished by week's end.

[dimi751]

nice one, looking forward to seeing the progress !
please be safe.

Dimi

[Snug Music]

Learned the hard way how sharp the blade on the cnc is. Sliced open my pinky finger lovely. Never putting my hand under the spindle again. Doesn't matter if it is spinning or not...

The CNC is functioning as expected. I'm using cam software to make gcode for the transducer springs. Hopefully I can have some cut soon. I plan to have plastic/metal hybrid transducers finished by week's end.

yes .. Those things are really sharp! I also had a cut to the bone! Be careful todd, please bring your fingers in safety !!

Greetings Scotty

[opcode66]

I am being far more cautious now. I was tightening a piece of lexan down to the bed. The spindle was sitting over one end of the lexan. I reached under the spindle to tighten a bolt on the far side of the bed. When I withdrew my hand I accidentally raked my pinky over the cutting tip. It cuts like a razor blade. Deep and clean. Thankfully no stitches were required. But, I've learned two important lessons:

1. Move the spindle clear of the work while tightening it down.
2. Respect the spindle. It could easily remove appendages.

I'm slowly learning all the ins and outs and reading the big book of what's what for CamBam. I've wondered for a long time exactly how you go from 3d design to a machined part. I never really saw the process before. To take a design and turn it into a series of machine processes. I'm just barely scratching the surface. But, I can tell already that this is going to be an awesomely powerful tool to have. Not quite the same as clicking the print button for the plastic 3d printer.... You really have to think about things to CNC a design. You might have to perform some processes after turning a part on the bed. Or, use the 4th axis if possible. And, you have to account for bit changes and what not. So much more goes into making a part on a CNC. I always suspected that, of course. But, seeing it firsthand now it is really an art form of its own. Happy to be learning it!

The metal springs for my transducers are a simple 2d cut. So, I don't necessarily have to dive in as deeply as I am for those. However, I want to know how to do 3d stuff for other parts, naturally. Hopefully I will post later today that I successfully cuts some springs!

[opcode66]

Nothing to do with springs... But, just fucking awesome! I think I'm going engrave this into some mfd!

I now have gcode to cut one of my springs. I'm going to work out the toolpaths for the reciprocal spring. I need to buy a proper cutting bit before I can really test cutting them out. I'm going to go pick up a bunch or bits tomorrow along with some aluminum rectangular bar stock to start hacking up.

[Bahndahn]

be prepared for the dust!!!!!!!

[opcode66]

Shopvac and a brush for active cleanup.

After several attempts to make gcode I've learned some tricks. I now know how to translate from scetchup into CamBam and get clean toolpath results. I also learned how to be elegant about the order of the machining operations.

Though I don't have proper cutting bits i was able to cut metal springs!!!!!

[markrob]

Hi,

Looks like you are really moving along. I've been using CamBam for a couple of years now and really like it considering the low price as compared to other packages. If you get a chance, check out Fusion 360 by Autodesk.

http://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/overview?src=OMSE&mktvar002=638405&gclid=Cj0KEQiAzai0BRCs2Yydo8yptuIBEiQAN3_lFpmVB1UoPy90dzzf1yusPtjQMhfhum4rT1GOcjcOKJ0aAhWo8P8HAQ&gclsrc=aw.ds

This is a cloud based program that handles the entire design process from 2D and 3D drafting to CAM toolpath or 3D printer under one roof. Its free to use if you are a home user or small business with sales under $100K/yr and is also available as a subscription for as little as $20/month if you use it commercially. I'm just getting through the tutorials, but it looks fantastic! It has a post processor for Mach3 and many other CNC machines and is able to be customized for your CNC machine.

Mark

[opcode66]

I still dont have a proper cutting bit or metal. But, I soent another day testing how to make the cuts. How to program the passes I want. Etc.

I got proper sized aluminum bar stock today. I can now make proper bobbin/push rod combos.

I was able to run both the metal lathe and the CNC simultaneously this evening. Though I didn't make anything usable, I'm getting the rhythm down. Tomorrow I'll have usable bobbins to wind coils on. I need to order proper cutting bits and spring steel sheets. So, springs won't be cut for at least a week or more while I wait for shipping.

[opcode66]

I can now make my push rod/bobbin parts pretty mechanically. They are accurate, repeatable and the correct size for my transducer design. I also made a winding rod for my coil winding rig for these metal parts to go on.

Contrary to all the input here, the DRO's are working great. And, as long as the cross and compound are set appropriately, they work very accurately. I have been able to use them for making measured cuts and rough measurements for offsets and things like that. Very handy actually.

The CNC is working great. I wish I had the correct tooling and metal... I've ordered proper bits since I've been completely unable to find a store that I can actually purchase CNC bits at here in California. So, bits should arrive by Monday. Additionally, I've order some spring steel sheets to cut up. So, on hold for the springs.

In the meantime, I'm going to make up a couple more sets of push rod/bobbin parts and roll coils on them and properly bake them in my coil oven.

After I can cut up some spring steel springs for the transducers I will make some modified plastic brackets to hold everything together. Then, I will have hybrid feedback transducers finished. I'm still working out how to approach the torque tube in my head. Close to ordering the parts for that.

Finally, I made some aluminum bobbins for Presto 1D cutterheads. These are capable of being rewound endlessly without breaking. Original bobbins are pretty fragile these days.

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Here is a messed up cut of a spring using a dremel bit into galvinized steel. Wrong bit into the wrong material. Just testing profiling on the CNC.

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This is some cool shavings I found in the tray on the lathe today.

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[opcode66]

I've now made 4 nice bobbin/push rod parts and two that are slightly off. Six in total. Feeling very comfortable on the metal lathe now. I also made a winding rod. I will wind coils on the 4 good parts later tonight. Then I have to wait for my spring materials to arrive. Once I've wound some coils I'll post some pictures.

[sakuszi]

I've now made 4 nice bobbin/push rod parts and two that are slightly off. Six in total. Feeling very comfortable on the metal lathe now. I also made a winding rod. I will wind coils on the 4 good parts later tonight. Then I have to wait for my spring materials to arrive. Once I've wound some coils I'll post some pictures.

only today I came here, great machine! nice work in the metal! I wonder now whether to buy the old heads or old recorder for a few thousand dollars, or perhaps it would be better if you buy a new lathe for metal and a new CNC milling machine, the price will be probably very similar, how do you think Mr. Tood?

[opcode66]

Spring Steel!!!! Yay!!!

Now, I wait for the cutting bits to arrive.