Most points you made resonate with me as a hobbyist. CNC is great for production work but leaves a lot to be desired in the one-off parts, repairs, and fun department.
I think it depends what you're making. As the complexity of parts increases, the argument for CNC does too. For example, drilling a PCB needs hundreds of operations where any one going bad ruins the whole job.
You can occasionally find smaller ball screws on the bay. I picked up 5 10mm ball screws for approx. 250 and retrofit both my sherline mill and lathe. The result was unbelievable. The backlash has been under .001 for over 2 years. I was adjusting the backlash every other day before I modded them. I can post some pics if you want.
I have yet to really dive into this as far as cnc'ing an old lathe, but some guy told me that some control software has backlash compensation. I know this probably isn't as good, but I've heard its a thing
Sher were an Australian manufacturing company before outsourcing assembly and some production to the US in the mid 1970s and eventually moving all production there in the late '70s (apparently because it cost too much to build machines locally and export into the US for the 'catalog' stores like Sears).
I have a CNC mill and a manual lathe. I'm always intrigued by CNC lathes, but as others have pointed out, the manual lathe is easier for what I end up needing. I am half way through a ELS conversion. With the lead screw working, I can cut threads without changing gears, which is super nice. Once I hook up the cross slide, I'll be able to do tapers without a compound (for improved rigidity on my small lathe).
And.... we see that you succeeded in that conversion, wow. I agree that an electronic lead screw is the way to go for a lathe, but that is not the same thing as a purely CNC lathe. The ELS is way better, and in my mind more capable than a manual lathe, especially if you have a plain lathe that lacks a traveling carriage. A plain lathe is much more work for cutting a ball, an accurate taper, threads, taper threads, etc. This is why I want an ELS, because several precision lathes have followed me home and all lack a lead screw and thread cutting ability.
I bought the Rocketronics ELS (electronic lead screw) for my G0768 (S3) and it really does a great job of being the step over from manual to CNC. I can do complex curves, balls, tapers, and threading with ease with the ELS but my lathe is still manual. The nice thing is the ELS doesn't require programming other than to set the starting position in the X and Z, and then setting the length. Even small production runs are possible with the use of a couple stops. Thank you for the interesting video and if you are doing some CNC, I'd like to see it.
Yes, manual machines can be faster for one-off parts. But this particular machine also seems pretty cumbersome in comparison to other CNC lathes imho. CNC machines also can be pretty fast to set up, it mostly boils down to preference and experience and what you have at your disposal.
From a hobiest perspective I have never had any desire for a CNC lathe; half the reason I own one is the enjoyment I get from turning parts myself. That said I'm fitting an electronic leadscrew, mainly because the change gears can't give a low enough leadscrew speed for use as powerfeed during normal turning, but not having to mess with the gears for threading will be nice. OTOH I find big jobs on the mill a bit tedious so CNC conversion is something I've thought about.
FWIW I've done the Clough42 ELS and couldn't be happier. Mine is heavily modified, with a second control panel and some new features, but even "out of the box" the clough42 ELS is an extraordinary bit of kit.
@@WheatMillington Did you struggle to get hold of the TI F280049C Piccolo eval board? They have been unavailable from the trustworthy distributors (Farnell, Mouser, Digikey etc) for a long time, and no sign of that changing soon. Tried ordering one from Aliexpress and predictably it didn't turn up, but at least I did get a refund,
I have a CNC lathe so I can relate. I got it because I wanted a benchtop lathe and that was the first used lathe that came up for sale near me. I actually didn't like it at first because it was cumbersome to use in CNC only mode and I ended up buying a mini lathe. Since then I've added manual controls and made a GRBL based controller board and adapted it to use in sort of a hybrid manual / CNC method. I've actually come to enjoy it and have more plans to modify it and plan on selling my mini lathe as I don't use it any more.
I have the manual Sherline, and it works pretty well. Even got the milling head attachment. With patience, I can usually get to a .0005" to a .001" size tolerance, and about .002" position for holes. Works pretty well, but it really needs axis locks, especially on the Z axis. When I made an axis lock, it turned parting from a screeching banshee to a relaxing cutting sound. I don't think I'd get any decent results in parting off steel without the lock. The backlash adjustment nut works pretty well on the Sherline. I got mine within about .001" or so backlash, which should be more than good enough for the vast majority of stuff. I am a little concerned that the leadscrew probably isn't hardened though. Good god the endless cranking sucks. 20 turns for every single inch on every single axis. That's the entire reason I'm going to make a power feed for it. It's going to turn me into Popeye the Sailor Man if I don't!
The Centriod Acorn CNC is very nice. I started with a ELS and more, after 7000 lines of code, and still no g-code interpeter, I went for the Acorn CNC. It has everything what I needed : Encoder input with a Z-chan, analogue speed control, 4 axis control, digital inputs, relais outputs, touchscreen option, and a special easy job editor to generate g-code, and Fusion g-code input. I use it with Stepperonline integrated servo's z:180W x:90W on a Sieg SC1 from Paulimot. Works great. About manual : my biggest problem were ball-turnig, threading and keeping everything in propper dimensions. What I also hate is doing things twice or more. This is perfect for a CNC. Baby-sit for the first part and leave the other parts for the CNC. I have also a MPG, so I can do still manual things "fast".
I bought my Sherline lathe 40 years ago and use it about once a year for something like machining bushings or model car wheels. Keep it covered most of the time but it is there when I need it. It was so useful early on that I bought a couple of mills, but never used them.
When i first got my manual Emco Compact 5 lathe I immediately got sick of turning hand cranks and went cross eyed staring at graduation lines, I thought it was 1930! So I converted it to CNC, then i felt like you (i LOVE the feel of manual) but i stayed with it and embraced conversational/ MDI CNC with an MPG (no CAM, no g code). Having a DRO and the ability to measure and limit any movement is priceless compared to manual, I will challenge anyone who thinks they can manually one-off a part faster than me. The ability to rapid back 6 inches at a feed rate of 100 ipm is beyond compare to manual. I also use the Mach3/ LinuxCNC widgets, stack up different widgets and make any part you want. You cant take full advantage of the MMR and feeds/ speeds of carbide with hand cranks. If ya save your MDI inputs it is very easy to build a g-code file for complete automated and production cuts. CNC is millions of light years ahead of manual. Anybody want to challenge me to a one-off no g-code? I can do a full unedited video for proof !
That kind of lathe would be great for me. because it would work good for making bushings and spacers and such. which is something I do quite a bit. and I like the fact it can be used with or without the CNC.
I have a Sherline mill that I converted to CNC. Since I did my own wiring, I have ready access to the stepper motor wiring. Using the mill manually with the handles turns the motors into generators, which can apparently blow the output drivers on the control board, but if they are disconnected, then that problem goes away. I'm about to put in relays that I can energize remotely to disable the motors, making manual use much more convenient. About backlash: I rarely do any work that requires better than .002 - .003 accuracy. The X and Y axes are pretty simple to keep adjusted. The Z axis I have counterbalanced with a weight that tends to raise the head, which eliminates the backlash for most applications.
I have been using Sherline tech for quite a while now and here's some of my tips: 1: The QCTP your using is complete crap. I have used that exact one before and it significantly reduced rigidity. Get a nice OXA tool post, they aren't cheap, but they are worlds better than that one. 2: You're not using the anti-backlash nut on the crosslide. Look up how to install it, it reduces backlash SIGNIFICANTLY. 3: Make sure you don't ding the dovetail ways as it might mess up your accuracy and also give you ocd. 4: Dont abuse it, like you said, the sherline tools are a whole different class of machinery than the imports and should be treated as such. I keep my sherline lathe and mill oiled and clean as well as covered and away from grit. They are kept in an air conditioned space but that may not be necessary. Keep it clean, and dont take massive cuts unless your just testing the limits of it and dont care about the quality of the part. I used to have a chinese import and It drove me crazy, it had zero rigidity and it couldn't cut even the easiest to machine grades of steel I had. But then again, you did some serious upgrades. Just my two cents
I own a bench top CNC mill, but like you, I seldom use it. From having been a machinist for 30 years and counting, CNC fits best with complex shapes and long production runs. My CNC mill sits idle mostly because most parts I can crank out manually in less time.
Converted a sieg years ago. Made a few things. Found the limitations of tooling quick. Destroyed it with a bad scraping. Roof looked and dripped directly on z screw... PC blew up... Sigh. Got a roll of turcite and new screws sitting on the shelf. Manual tool changes i can handle but cnc tooling requires discipline...
Some things are actually faster in manual machines, especially if you're only machining one piece. That's why even por shops with CNC will often also have manual machines
Interesting (to me, at least) is that both Taig and Sherline were originally Australian designs, bought up by USA companies or individuals. I have a Taig (manual) lathe. Nice machine.
I've never found CNC lathes to be practical except for large production runs or parts with complex features. Even then, there is a point at which an automatic screw machine (which does a lot more than make screws) becomes a far better option. Turret lathes can be more cost effective for making production runs up to a run of a few thousand parts. I once had to make 6,800 (minus none, plus 10%) parts. I used a turret lathe because the job could easily cover its cost, plus tooling, but wouldn't have come close to paying for a CNC lathe and tooling. A buddy of mine had a contract with GM to make millions of custom spacers in various sizes. He purchased three CNC lathes with automatic feeders and let the machines run around the clock unattended (save for reloading the feeders every morning, changing out worn tools, and performing infrequent maintenance or repairs). His cost analysis proved that using CNC lathes was more effective than investing in automatic screw machines and buying the necessary custom cams, plus any of the CNC lathes could make the same parts as any other.
This sounds like a project to perform. Make a ball screw leads screw set for the Shureline. I would really like to see you upgrade to use the more accurate lathe. Is it worth it to you you to try this. Thank you for your video.
glock cnc sells some upgrades for the sherline mill and lathes, like a much better headstock and motor for example. Its very pricey but its brings the already good sherline to another level. You will need to machine spacers or tool holders though but its worth it. I have it set up to be able to use a 5 inch precision chuck.
Hi. I agree with you completely, excellent video. A ball screw for a CNC should have no backlash at all even under load as ball screws are pre loaded. Or should be? Chinesium ones sometimes do have, but that is not a ball screw. I have a small but capable CNC, I have cut cast iron and titanium on it even though it only has an A4 cutting area. zero backlash means climb and conventional milling are routine. But I agree with you, one off's or even 2 or 3's .. do it manually (if you are capable and/or prepared to learn). Sherline are very expensive. I have a manual imperial one I use for small parts, it is 35 years well used old, it is still bang on accurate, still on it's original motor and drive belt. If you keep the scroll clean their 3 jaw chuck it is still better than many cheap collets. They are very precision machines far better than the far more cheaper offerings and last forever. I will say worth the money if you want precision and a tool you can will to you children. I have no experience with their cnc offerings but I am surprised the lack of a decent ball screw drive. I have 3 lathes and two mills (one CNC). On small parts, carb jets, bearings etc , the manual Sherline delivers every time.I once turned some parts from 45mm extruded cast iron on it, and it delivered.
I'm a hobbyist, but I first learned on CNC mills (well... routers), and then moved on to manual machines. Even if I need three or four of a part, it's so much quicker on the manual lathe and mill than the CNC. I can spend as much time fiddling with toolpaths in Fusion 360 as actually making the part. And it isn't like the CNC machines require any less focus during operation: parts can move, positions can slip, and tiny errors in the gcode can add up to big problems that require immediate attention. I once lost a part because the endmill had been sharpened enough to change the diameter, and what should have been a move turned out to be a plunge cut. I'm sure for large production runs they are absolutely worth it, but I find them far more frustrating than satisfying.
Something like a $100k Haas is a whole different beast. We used to have one at work, and while it was unreliable, it was really a joy working on it. That being said, it is a "set and forget" machine, and it damn better be for that price tag. Honestly for home use it makes no sense to go CNC unless you're trying to make a business out of it. Especially smaller, budget machines are more hassle than they are worth, they are fiddly and as you said unpredictable. My great grandfather was a machinist during the WW2, he probably made thousands of parts by hand and lived until 93. No CNC stuff back then, I think I have a group photo of him and his colleagues in the factory, there are at least 30 or so lathes behind them.
I am actually planning on purchasing a cnc router with ball screws and I am planning to try use it to turn parts on my sherline manual lathe. I will try and make an attachment for the router base to hold standard turning tools. I havre an old Leblonde engine lathe and an old M-head Bridgeport milling machine. I have done both CNC and manual machine work for the past 30+ years so anyone that says we are just "programmers" (no insult to the code writers) doesn't have any clue as to what is required to actually write cnc code.
I love your content on manual machining, and as someone who loves robots (who doesn't?), I like to see the cnc side too, including converting manuals. I do think a lot of your content is making tools for yourself or modifications to your machines, which is great and I love seeing that, but maybe you could try designing parts that can be made on the cnc in order to sell to support the channel. Once you have something designed you could make production runs with little additional effort in terms of programming and such, but could still give you additional content to share for improving the cnc just like you do for your manual machines. One off parts on a cnc lathe does sound like a lot of work compared to doing it manually but it might be fun to see how well you can shape the production over time. Just a thought. Love your videos!
That is exactly why I bought a manual lathe, And yes the leed screw handle on the end of a lathe any lathe is a pain in the arse I would like you much rather use a manual lathe and mill with a DRO I have pretty much the same lathe as you do and have it cutting very nicely without a lot of mods which was a bonus. Also not really interested in seeing any CNC work stick to the manual lathe work and keep up the good work and thank you for the videos.
In short. Currently you don't have a use for the CNC lathe. :) A lot of people don't understand that while CNC rules in a production environment. For one off's a manual tools can be faster. But if its a part may need tweaking the ability to quickly modify the CAD drawing and crank out a new part is great. What is better depends on the situation.
(Only because you asked) I tend to skip any channel’s videos involving CNC. I understand their vital role in production and the precision they reap. The work just doesn’t interest me; I get enough automation at work. Manual milling is the art I enjoy watching.
@@artisanmakes I use this method on the machines i manufacture, although i've now designed a tube with grub screws that the lead screw nuts sit inside. Once they are on the leadscrew you just need to turn one of them backward a few degrees and then lock it with the grub screws. I can drop a V bit tip onto the mm markings on an 8 foot tape measure at any point across the bed repeatedly. As good as any ball screw.
Fair enough so. That seems to be a bit more extensive than the sherline system. There is no springs involved, just a anti backlash but held in place by a screw. And it wears out really fast
Multiple parts, production parts - CNC wins. You want to have fun, manual is fine but you are limited to shapes. I have the Sherline ball screw milling machine. Repeatability is excellent, I can make exceptional parts from it but I can afford the lathe and I like the small footprint. I still have my precision manual lathes and I still use them daily. It comes down to what you want to do and what you want the machine for, each has its place in the shop. I wouldn't give up either one.
I am in the same boat as everyone else. I touch more on that CNC router would be good too. Not really a CNC guy myself but because of you getting that router I bought an E3 3D printer. I would love a small lathe to help with the 3d PRNTR 12" x 36" is not small enough. ah cheers!
Fixed backlash compensation always has errors that add up over time. One reason I designed my ELS to use the DRO as feedback to make a "closed loop" backlash compensation that works really well. It makes it harder to do it for CNC unless you build a custom gcode processor and servo driver. It's easier to switch to ballscrews would miss the manual lathe though, especially getting tactile feedback.
I already have an Atlas 618 lathe which handles larger work than a Sherline. However, I have been considering buying a Sherline for precise turning on smaller parts as well as being able to use it in a spare bedroom. I am not interested in CNC so this would be manual only. I am weighing the option between the 8" model vs the 17" model. I don't necessarily need the longer bed as I have a larger lathe. [1] It would seem to me that the shorter bed would be more rigid under tool forces, and [2] it might be more comfortable turning the lead screw with the handle closer to the work when working on small parts than with the longer bed. However, the longer bed is not much more money, so if those two assumptions are incorrect, then there would be no reason to buy the shorter bed. Do you have any thoughts about my two assumptions?
I agree that CNC machines aren't as useful in most home workshops. However, I still want to _try_ to (reversibly) convert my 111-year-old South Bend lathe (originally a treadle-powered lathe) to either "NC" or "CNC" to give me a "productive" use for (i.e., way to play with) one of my PDP-8 minicomputers & Teletype, just to see if I can do it. I _seriously_ doubt that I'd ever need a (C)NC lathe in my workshop though! ;)
the thing is small cnc machines arent originally made for the home shop, but for a)learning g code or b)small scale prodction, so its kinda obvious that you choose the manual way but 3-4k€ isnt all that expensive for a small cnc machine, they are just sooo much more complicated and need way more precision to produce
I used to have a sherline 5400 mill. I lost it to a divorce. I just recently bought a PM25MV mill and plan to convert it to cnc. I'm now wondering if I made a mistake because most parts I make are small. I got the larger mill to be able cut steel. The sherline mill tend to struggle cutting steel but aluminum was not an issue. Sherlines also had no way to attach anything magnetic like dial indicators, since everything was aluminum. I'm curious anyone's opinion.
I don't think backlash is the primary reason for CNC using ballscrews and slides. It's about stick-slip and peaks of torque requirement where a human operator can feel the limits (and adjust gibs or do other maintainence as required) but an electric motor just gives up or crashes.
I have had a Sherline Lathe and mill for 15 years they were both converted to CNC as well. Here is the bottom line. they are not suited to CNC with or without ball screws. they are as rigid as wet noodles and the wear surfaces are terrible. the bed is not hardened and the wear surfaces on the cross slide system comprises of anodized aluminum and wears very quickly. If you tighten the gibs to get acceptable tolerances then the torque of your hand turning the handwheels is enough to twist the cross slide and ruin your work. if you want to do lathe work on a budget long term go with a Precision Matthews unit or similar in the 10 inch range. if you must stay with a small unit... then go with a Taig. the Taig at least has adjustable brass gibs with multiple points that ride on steel dovetails that has nearly double the wear surface as compared to the Sherline.
Hello, I'm just wondering what caused the cnc control board to blow? I am thinking of getting a Sherline, so I want to avoid that, especially because I wouldn't know how to redo a cnc control board.
I can’t remember for certain, it happened about 5 years ago at this point. But it happened whilst it was running under load. And sherlines warranty for electronics was something crazy short like 90 days. I am not sure if they still use the same board these days, they could have changed it.
The small lathe that I had just flexed too much to use in manual or cnc mode. That was in addition to the backlash. In the end, I don't think that these small lathes in general are useful. Just not stiff enough to do anything. Need to move up to a bigger model.
I know extremely little about CNC but can you program in the direction of cut to keep backlash pretty much nonexistent? Similar to the way I do hand crank work on manual machines I consciously make up for backlash by cutting only with movements from the same direction.
That's pretty much what the Fusion anti-backlash paths he mentioned is set up to do. You can do it manually, but Fusion et al are set up to automatically compensate for backlash. It works generally well but it's slower and less accurate than a ball screw.
@@WheatMillington He's talking about Mach3 backlash compensation. If you switch X direction for example, then it will add an additional X move of the backlash distance. It helps a lot, but, any rough cut may not be perfect as the bed can get pushed around. Also for complex/fast cuts it slows things down a lot as its constantly switching directions and adding that backlash move in.
@@jaro6985 Yeah, compensation is troublesome even with about half a thousandth of backlash on my Chinese ball screws. If you do it in the most straightforward way, then the machine decelerates, makes the small compensation move, and then accelerates back to how it was going. You get cleaner cuts if you can keep the momentum. I don't use any CAM software (just C++ code to make writing manual gcode less tedious), and the way I do it for circles is to make small diagonal moves at the transition point between each arc quadrant. But during those moves, the compensating axis can get tossed around randomly by the cutting force since the screw isn't applying pressure either way. No good if you had more than one or two thousandths of backlash. And you'd need excessively long diagonal moves to prevent deceleration so the circles wouldn't come out round anyway.
I was under the impression that a backlash value can be added in the controller interface, and I've had people tell me conventional leadscrews can be used for this reason. Hoax?
hey mate, fairly new subscriber here.. love your content and want to get into hobby machining. what is your opinion on the Optimum TU-2004V - Opti-Turn Bench Lathe? I was looking at getting the same lathe you have but don't want to have to fix a bunch of the problems that import lathes come with. any advice is appreciated cheers :)
On your shot at 4:09 you are missing the most important part on these machines: the anti backlash nut. That is why you have all that slope. I get 0.001” backlash on mine using the anti backlash system correctly. You should have one on the z axis and x axis. Edit: just finished seeing the video. I guess mileage will very.
Definitely without a shadow of a doubt there is no better lathe than a sherline for the size, the only other thing close is the Taig which are also good products but Sherline has and will likely always be the defacto standard for mini lathes, they also have the best customer service and a massive selection of parts and accessories
Your a machinist, cnc people are programmers, big difference in my eye's, I now a few people that work in a company that makes part's they don't know anything about what there doing except programming. Great video's keep'um coming..
Your point is valid but pick a word other than programmers to describe these people. I have a strong programing background and have done some CAD design for myself. I would not call it programming. If one were to manually write GCODE to create a part that would be programming. No one needing to turn a profit would allow that.
As a programmer, creating toolpaths in Fusion360 feels way more like programming than machining. Once I move off the "design" tab, it stops being 'fun engineering hobby' and starts feeling like 'massaging a weird API'.
Anyone can use CAD/CAM software to make a part. Doesn't make them a programmer. Show me someone who makes parts on a CNC WITHOUT using CAD/CAM software. THOSE guys are programmers.
@@danharold3087 not putting down a programmer,,some of the smartest people on the planet, just saying useing your hands on the build to me is more rewarding.
@@sfogarty2 When I wrote the comment I was thinking of Fusion 360 and FreeCAD constraint based parametric modeling tools. My ignorance is showing here. I have done 3D printing but not CNC milling. No non automated CAM. Thinking creatings paths is more CAM than CAD. That makes me ignorant of tool path creation. I can imagine where tool path creation would be programing. Step repeat call sort of thing. But not so much the CAD. On the actual CAD end I have used openSCAD which is kind of like a retarded form of programing. Plan to switch to cadQuery. I don't think either of these are close to mainstream where you would see them in production.
For hobby machinist isn't worth that much a CNC lathe or milling machine. But if you need to do a whole lot of pieces in once a time? Then the hours spent in a C.A.D. program, worth the time.
The problem every single person here has is they are relying on CAM. YOU CAN EASILY CAM FROM YOUR BRAIN. I’m 2 months into a new job being a Cnc setup operator and on the first week, one week they taught me how to write cam from scratch. It’s not that hard guys, Cnc is faster than manual ALWAYS but only if you can write gcode from scratch. I’m writing gcode every single day with nothing but a blueprint and a two axis lathe controller. Forget about any cam system and level yourself up to knowing what you are doing.
@@glass1258 uhuh good on you bud, putting people down for fun with zero proof. I still stand by it, 2 year apprentice across 15 machines manual and Cnc and I still know cnc is king, but every Cnc shop still needs manual machines. Trak DPM RX5 is my favorite machine sofar, Cnc+conversational+manual all in one. Everybody should try out a trak like that.
Hope you a fun journey, CNC machines are a blast, sometimes literally 😂 being into programming for several years now, I totally agree with you, when you master both NC coding and cam software, you can do whatever you want.
This lathe is made out of aluminum… As a machinist for 40 years, it’s not worth buying a sureline Mainly because they are not made to last. Unlike small machines of the past they were made of cast-iron. the machines of today are of substandard quality. Anyone who wants to buy a leave you’re better off buying an old 6 inch vintage Lathe Or larger And restore it
Sherline lathes and milling machines are flimsy aluminum extrusions with plastic gibs. Proxxon are even worse, with aluminum ways. I don't understand why people keep shilling about them being "high quality"...
Can't speak to proxxon or any sherline you may have used, but mine has a proper cast iron base and hardened ways. Not so happy about the aluminium slides though.
The guys I see with cnc machines can only afford used ones and spend half their time fixing them. A guy with skill, the right tooling and a decent manual lathe or mill could have been done already. Accruacy is part machine/tooling quality and the other part is all you
I'm not very interested in seeing more CNC content. It's pretty boring to watch most of the time, and manual machining is far more interesting unless you're into coding. There are loads of channels dedicated to CNC. Your channel is enjoyable largely because it's manual work and well narrated.
I’m always interested in whatever you want to video for us. Doesn’t matter whether it’s manual or CNC machining.
Most points you made resonate with me as a hobbyist. CNC is great for production work but leaves a lot to be desired in the one-off parts, repairs, and fun department.
I think it depends what you're making. As the complexity of parts increases, the argument for CNC does too. For example, drilling a PCB needs hundreds of operations where any one going bad ruins the whole job.
You can occasionally find smaller ball screws on the bay. I picked up 5 10mm ball screws for approx. 250 and retrofit both my sherline mill and lathe. The result was unbelievable. The backlash has been under .001 for over 2 years. I was adjusting the backlash every other day before I modded them. I can post some pics if you want.
That very might be the way I end up doing it. Cheers
I have yet to really dive into this as far as cnc'ing an old lathe, but some guy told me that some control software has backlash compensation. I know this probably isn't as good, but I've heard its a thing
I what brand of ball screws are they?
Did you buy the ball saddle and bore it out or make one from scratch?
Sher were an Australian manufacturing company before outsourcing assembly and some production to the US in the mid 1970s and eventually moving all production there in the late '70s (apparently because it cost too much to build machines locally and export into the US for the 'catalog' stores like Sears).
I have a CNC mill and a manual lathe. I'm always intrigued by CNC lathes, but as others have pointed out, the manual lathe is easier for what I end up needing. I am half way through a ELS conversion. With the lead screw working, I can cut threads without changing gears, which is super nice. Once I hook up the cross slide, I'll be able to do tapers without a compound (for improved rigidity on my small lathe).
And.... we see that you succeeded in that conversion, wow. I agree that an electronic lead screw is the way to go for a lathe, but that is not the same thing as a purely CNC lathe. The ELS is way better, and in my mind more capable than a manual lathe, especially if you have a plain lathe that lacks a traveling carriage. A plain lathe is much more work for cutting a ball, an accurate taper, threads, taper threads, etc.
This is why I want an ELS, because several precision lathes have followed me home and all lack a lead screw and thread cutting ability.
I bought the Rocketronics ELS (electronic lead screw) for my G0768 (S3) and it really does a great job of being the step over from manual to CNC. I can do complex curves, balls, tapers, and threading with ease with the ELS but my lathe is still manual. The nice thing is the ELS doesn't require programming other than to set the starting position in the X and Z, and then setting the length. Even small production runs are possible with the use of a couple stops. Thank you for the interesting video and if you are doing some CNC, I'd like to see it.
Yes, manual machines can be faster for one-off parts. But this particular machine also seems pretty cumbersome in comparison to other CNC lathes imho. CNC machines also can be pretty fast to set up, it mostly boils down to preference and experience and what you have at your disposal.
From a hobiest perspective I have never had any desire for a CNC lathe; half the reason I own one is the enjoyment I get from turning parts myself. That said I'm fitting an electronic leadscrew, mainly because the change gears can't give a low enough leadscrew speed for use as powerfeed during normal turning, but not having to mess with the gears for threading will be nice.
OTOH I find big jobs on the mill a bit tedious so CNC conversion is something I've thought about.
Also adding an ELS to my Atlas 10".
FWIW I've done the Clough42 ELS and couldn't be happier. Mine is heavily modified, with a second control panel and some new features, but even "out of the box" the clough42 ELS is an extraordinary bit of kit.
@@WheatMillington Did you struggle to get hold of the TI F280049C Piccolo eval board? They have been unavailable from the trustworthy distributors (Farnell, Mouser, Digikey etc) for a long time, and no sign of that changing soon. Tried ordering one from Aliexpress and predictably it didn't turn up, but at least I did get a refund,
When I want to make complex shapes on my Sherline, I mount up the T-rest and grab the graver. Now that’s my idea of a good time!
I have a CNC lathe so I can relate. I got it because I wanted a benchtop lathe and that was the first used lathe that came up for sale near me. I actually didn't like it at first because it was cumbersome to use in CNC only mode and I ended up buying a mini lathe. Since then I've added manual controls and made a GRBL based controller board and adapted it to use in sort of a hybrid manual / CNC method. I've actually come to enjoy it and have more plans to modify it and plan on selling my mini lathe as I don't use it any more.
I have the manual Sherline, and it works pretty well. Even got the milling head attachment. With patience, I can usually get to a .0005" to a .001" size tolerance, and about .002" position for holes. Works pretty well, but it really needs axis locks, especially on the Z axis. When I made an axis lock, it turned parting from a screeching banshee to a relaxing cutting sound. I don't think I'd get any decent results in parting off steel without the lock.
The backlash adjustment nut works pretty well on the Sherline. I got mine within about .001" or so backlash, which should be more than good enough for the vast majority of stuff. I am a little concerned that the leadscrew probably isn't hardened though.
Good god the endless cranking sucks. 20 turns for every single inch on every single axis. That's the entire reason I'm going to make a power feed for it. It's going to turn me into Popeye the Sailor Man if I don't!
Honestly I never thought about the hardness of the leadscrew, I might have to look Into that. Cheers
The Centriod Acorn CNC is very nice. I started with a ELS and more, after 7000 lines of code, and still no g-code interpeter, I went for the Acorn CNC. It has everything what I needed : Encoder input with a Z-chan, analogue speed control, 4 axis control, digital inputs, relais outputs, touchscreen option, and a special easy job editor to generate g-code, and Fusion g-code input. I use it with Stepperonline integrated servo's z:180W x:90W on a Sieg SC1 from Paulimot. Works great. About manual : my biggest problem were ball-turnig, threading and keeping everything in propper dimensions. What I also hate is doing things twice or more. This is perfect for a CNC. Baby-sit for the first part and leave the other parts for the CNC. I have also a MPG, so I can do still manual things "fast".
I bought my Sherline lathe 40 years ago and use it about once a year for something like machining bushings or model car wheels. Keep it covered most of the time but it is there when I need it. It was so useful early on that I bought a couple of mills, but never used them.
When i first got my manual Emco Compact 5 lathe I immediately got sick of turning hand cranks and went cross eyed staring at graduation lines, I thought it was 1930! So I converted it to CNC, then i felt like you (i LOVE the feel of manual) but i stayed with it and embraced conversational/ MDI CNC with an MPG (no CAM, no g code). Having a DRO and the ability to measure and limit any movement is priceless compared to manual, I will challenge anyone who thinks they can manually one-off a part faster than me. The ability to rapid back 6 inches at a feed rate of 100 ipm is beyond compare to manual. I also use the Mach3/ LinuxCNC widgets, stack up different widgets and make any part you want. You cant take full advantage of the MMR and feeds/ speeds of carbide with hand cranks. If ya save your MDI inputs it is very easy to build a g-code file for complete automated and production cuts. CNC is millions of light years ahead of manual. Anybody want to challenge me to a one-off no g-code? I can do a full unedited video for proof !
That kind of lathe would be great for me. because it would work good for making bushings and spacers and such. which is something I do quite a bit. and I like the fact it can be used with or without the CNC.
I have a Sherline mill that I converted to CNC. Since I did my own wiring, I have ready access to the stepper motor wiring. Using the mill manually with the handles turns the motors into generators, which can apparently blow the output drivers on the control board, but if they are disconnected, then that problem goes away. I'm about to put in relays that I can energize remotely to disable the motors, making manual use much more convenient.
About backlash: I rarely do any work that requires better than .002 - .003 accuracy. The X and Y axes are pretty simple to keep adjusted. The Z axis I have counterbalanced with a weight that tends to raise the head, which eliminates the backlash for most applications.
I have been using Sherline tech for quite a while now and here's some of my tips:
1: The QCTP your using is complete crap. I have used that exact one before and it significantly reduced rigidity. Get a nice OXA tool post, they aren't cheap, but they are worlds better than that one.
2: You're not using the anti-backlash nut on the crosslide. Look up how to install it, it reduces backlash SIGNIFICANTLY.
3: Make sure you don't ding the dovetail ways as it might mess up your accuracy and also give you ocd.
4: Dont abuse it, like you said, the sherline tools are a whole different class of machinery than the imports and should be treated as such. I keep my sherline lathe and mill oiled and clean as well as covered and away from grit. They are kept in an air conditioned space but that may not be necessary. Keep it clean, and dont take massive cuts unless your just testing the limits of it and dont care about the quality of the part.
I used to have a chinese import and It drove me crazy, it had zero rigidity and it couldn't cut even the easiest to machine grades of steel I had. But then again, you did some serious upgrades. Just my two cents
My sherline lathe was the best purchase I've ever made
I own a bench top CNC mill, but like you, I seldom use it. From having been a machinist for 30 years and counting, CNC fits best with complex shapes and long production runs. My CNC mill sits idle mostly because most parts I can crank out manually in less time.
Converted a sieg years ago. Made a few things. Found the limitations of tooling quick.
Destroyed it with a bad scraping.
Roof looked and dripped directly on z screw...
PC blew up...
Sigh.
Got a roll of turcite and new screws sitting on the shelf.
Manual tool changes i can handle but cnc tooling requires discipline...
Some things are actually faster in manual machines, especially if you're only machining one piece. That's why even por shops with CNC will often also have manual machines
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I love seeing QUALITY CNC AND MANUAL MACHINING 😍
Interesting (to me, at least) is that both Taig and Sherline were originally Australian designs, bought up by USA companies or individuals. I have a Taig (manual) lathe. Nice machine.
I've never found CNC lathes to be practical except for large production runs or parts with complex features. Even then, there is a point at which an automatic screw machine (which does a lot more than make screws) becomes a far better option. Turret lathes can be more cost effective for making production runs up to a run of a few thousand parts. I once had to make 6,800 (minus none, plus 10%) parts. I used a turret lathe because the job could easily cover its cost, plus tooling, but wouldn't have come close to paying for a CNC lathe and tooling.
A buddy of mine had a contract with GM to make millions of custom spacers in various sizes. He purchased three CNC lathes with automatic feeders and let the machines run around the clock unattended (save for reloading the feeders every morning, changing out worn tools, and performing infrequent maintenance or repairs). His cost analysis proved that using CNC lathes was more effective than investing in automatic screw machines and buying the necessary custom cams, plus any of the CNC lathes could make the same parts as any other.
No hacksawing - did I click the wrong channel?
I have the Chinese lathe with automatic feed and I really love it!!!
This sounds like a project to perform. Make a ball screw leads screw set for the Shureline. I would really like to see you upgrade to use the more accurate lathe. Is it worth it to you you to try this. Thank you for your video.
glock cnc sells some upgrades for the sherline mill and lathes, like a much better headstock and motor for example. Its very pricey but its brings the already good sherline to another level. You will need to machine spacers or tool holders though but its worth it. I have it set up to be able to use a 5 inch precision chuck.
Hi. I agree with you completely, excellent video. A ball screw for a CNC should have no backlash at all even under load as ball screws are pre loaded. Or should be? Chinesium ones sometimes do have, but that is not a ball screw. I have a small but capable CNC, I have cut cast iron and titanium on it even though it only has an A4 cutting area. zero backlash means climb and conventional milling are routine.
But I agree with you, one off's or even 2 or 3's .. do it manually (if you are capable and/or prepared to learn).
Sherline are very expensive. I have a manual imperial one I use for small parts, it is 35 years well used old, it is still bang on accurate, still on it's original motor and drive belt. If you keep the scroll clean their 3 jaw chuck it is still better than many cheap collets. They are very precision machines far better than the far more cheaper offerings and last forever. I will say worth the money if you want precision and a tool you can will to you children. I have no experience with their cnc offerings but I am surprised the lack of a decent ball screw drive.
I have 3 lathes and two mills (one CNC). On small parts, carb jets, bearings etc , the manual Sherline delivers every time.I once turned some parts from 45mm extruded cast iron on it, and it delivered.
I'm a hobbyist, but I first learned on CNC mills (well... routers), and then moved on to manual machines. Even if I need three or four of a part, it's so much quicker on the manual lathe and mill than the CNC. I can spend as much time fiddling with toolpaths in Fusion 360 as actually making the part. And it isn't like the CNC machines require any less focus during operation: parts can move, positions can slip, and tiny errors in the gcode can add up to big problems that require immediate attention. I once lost a part because the endmill had been sharpened enough to change the diameter, and what should have been a move turned out to be a plunge cut. I'm sure for large production runs they are absolutely worth it, but I find them far more frustrating than satisfying.
Something like a $100k Haas is a whole different beast. We used to have one at work, and while it was unreliable, it was really a joy working on it. That being said, it is a "set and forget" machine, and it damn better be for that price tag.
Honestly for home use it makes no sense to go CNC unless you're trying to make a business out of it. Especially smaller, budget machines are more hassle than they are worth, they are fiddly and as you said unpredictable.
My great grandfather was a machinist during the WW2, he probably made thousands of parts by hand and lived until 93. No CNC stuff back then, I think I have a group photo of him and his colleagues in the factory, there are at least 30 or so lathes behind them.
I am actually planning on purchasing a cnc router with ball screws and I am planning to try use it to turn parts on my sherline manual lathe. I will try and make an attachment for the router base to hold standard turning tools. I havre an old Leblonde engine lathe and an old M-head Bridgeport milling machine. I have done both CNC and manual machine work for the past 30+ years so anyone that says we are just "programmers" (no insult to the code writers) doesn't have any clue as to what is required to actually write cnc code.
I like your videos and am pleased to watch manual or cnc machining.
I love your content on manual machining, and as someone who loves robots (who doesn't?), I like to see the cnc side too, including converting manuals. I do think a lot of your content is making tools for yourself or modifications to your machines, which is great and I love seeing that, but maybe you could try designing parts that can be made on the cnc in order to sell to support the channel. Once you have something designed you could make production runs with little additional effort in terms of programming and such, but could still give you additional content to share for improving the cnc just like you do for your manual machines. One off parts on a cnc lathe does sound like a lot of work compared to doing it manually but it might be fun to see how well you can shape the production over time. Just a thought. Love your videos!
That is exactly why I bought a manual lathe, And yes the leed screw handle on the end of a lathe any lathe is a pain in the arse I would like you much rather use a manual lathe and mill with a DRO I have pretty much the same lathe as you do and have it cutting very nicely without a lot of mods which was a bonus. Also not really interested in seeing any CNC work stick to the manual lathe work and keep up the good work and thank you for the videos.
Cheers, Thankyou for the feedback
@@artisanmakes Your Welcome.
In short. Currently you don't have a use for the CNC lathe. :)
A lot of people don't understand that while CNC rules in a production environment. For one off's a manual tools can be faster.
But if its a part may need tweaking the ability to quickly modify the CAD drawing and crank out a new part is great.
What is better depends on the situation.
(Only because you asked) I tend to skip any channel’s videos involving CNC. I understand their vital role in production and the precision they reap. The work just doesn’t interest me; I get enough automation at work. Manual milling is the art I enjoy watching.
Thanks for the feedback
It's really easy to remove backlash from any lead screw or even threaded rod. Fit two nuts, screw them together and spot weld. Zero backlash.
Sherline has a system similar to this and the results are kinda mixed depending on which part of the lead screw the carriage is at
@@artisanmakes I use this method on the machines i manufacture, although i've now designed a tube with grub screws that the lead screw nuts sit inside. Once they are on the leadscrew you just need to turn one of them backward a few degrees and then lock it with the grub screws. I can drop a V bit tip onto the mm markings on an 8 foot tape measure at any point across the bed repeatedly. As good as any ball screw.
Fair enough so. That seems to be a bit more extensive than the sherline system. There is no springs involved, just a anti backlash but held in place by a screw. And it wears out really fast
Multiple parts, production parts - CNC wins. You want to have fun, manual is fine but you are limited to shapes. I have the Sherline ball screw milling machine. Repeatability is excellent, I can make exceptional parts from it but I can afford the lathe and I like the small footprint. I still have my precision manual lathes and I still use them daily. It comes down to what you want to do and what you want the machine for, each has its place in the shop. I wouldn't give up either one.
Thanks for the perspective.
i liked the video for the "mr. clickspring" reference but the rest of video was definitely worth the like 👍
I am in the same boat as everyone else. I touch more on that CNC router would be good too. Not really a CNC guy myself but because of you getting that router I bought an E3 3D printer. I would love a small lathe to help with the 3d PRNTR 12" x 36" is not small enough. ah cheers!
Fixed backlash compensation always has errors that add up over time. One reason I designed my ELS to use the DRO as feedback to make a "closed loop" backlash compensation that works really well. It makes it harder to do it for CNC unless you build a custom gcode processor and servo driver. It's easier to switch to ballscrews would miss the manual lathe though, especially getting tactile feedback.
Very interesting, I don't think I have ever seen an ELS set up this way.
I've been laughing my ass of at "manual mule"😂😂...love it
I already have an Atlas 618 lathe which handles larger work than a Sherline. However, I have been considering buying a Sherline for precise turning on smaller parts as well as being able to use it in a spare bedroom. I am not interested in CNC so this would be manual only. I am weighing the option between the 8" model vs the 17" model. I don't necessarily need the longer bed as I have a larger lathe. [1] It would seem to me that the shorter bed would be more rigid under tool forces, and [2] it might be more comfortable turning the lead screw with the handle closer to the work when working on small parts than with the longer bed. However, the longer bed is not much more money, so if those two assumptions are incorrect, then there would be no reason to buy the shorter bed. Do you have any thoughts about my two assumptions?
Take a look at the german Wabeco lathes, they come in desktop regular and CNC versions.
I agree that CNC machines aren't as useful in most home workshops. However, I still want to _try_ to (reversibly) convert my 111-year-old South Bend lathe (originally a treadle-powered lathe) to either "NC" or "CNC" to give me a "productive" use for (i.e., way to play with) one of my PDP-8 minicomputers & Teletype, just to see if I can do it. I _seriously_ doubt that I'd ever need a (C)NC lathe in my workshop though! ;)
I love this kind of thing, but be cautioned that many treadle lathes have lame bearings that severely limit spindle speed.
greetings. i do a Delrin nut to a few CNC and work very well without backlash. only need the same screw to do a tool with conic form. sorry my english
Thanks for the info. Cheers
I’ve had a Sherline for over 10 years
the thing is small cnc machines arent originally made for the home shop, but for a)learning g code or b)small scale prodction, so its kinda obvious that you choose the manual way
but 3-4k€ isnt all that expensive for a small cnc machine, they are just sooo much more complicated and need way more precision to produce
Yeah, I like both.
Have you ever considered parting with the Sherline?
I used to have a sherline 5400 mill. I lost it to a divorce. I just recently bought a PM25MV mill and plan to convert it to cnc. I'm now wondering if I made a mistake because most parts I make are small. I got the larger mill to be able cut steel. The sherline mill tend to struggle cutting steel but aluminum was not an issue. Sherlines also had no way to attach anything magnetic like dial indicators, since everything was aluminum. I'm curious anyone's opinion.
I don't think backlash is the primary reason for CNC using ballscrews and slides. It's about stick-slip and peaks of torque requirement where a human operator can feel the limits (and adjust gibs or do other maintainence as required) but an electric motor just gives up or crashes.
I’ve been considering finding a older cnc mill for my shop
I have had a Sherline Lathe and mill for 15 years they were both converted to CNC as well. Here is the bottom line. they are not suited to CNC with or without ball screws. they are as rigid as wet noodles and the wear surfaces are terrible. the bed is not hardened and the wear surfaces on the cross slide system comprises of anodized aluminum and wears very quickly. If you tighten the gibs to get acceptable tolerances then the torque of your hand turning the handwheels is enough to twist the cross slide and ruin your work. if you want to do lathe work on a budget long term go with a Precision Matthews unit or similar in the 10 inch range. if you must stay with a small unit... then go with a Taig. the Taig at least has adjustable brass gibs with multiple points that ride on steel dovetails that has nearly double the wear surface as compared to the Sherline.
Thanks you.
Hello, I'm just wondering what caused the cnc control board to blow? I am thinking of getting a Sherline, so I want to avoid that, especially because I wouldn't know how to redo a cnc control board.
I can’t remember for certain, it happened about 5 years ago at this point. But it happened whilst it was running under load. And sherlines warranty for electronics was something crazy short like 90 days.
I am not sure if they still use the same board these days, they could have changed it.
Where is your chuck from?
How does it feel having the hand crank wheels on the back of the stepper motor? Does the notchiness of the motors cause you issues?
You can feel the motor steps, but it's pretty subtle. Hardly noticeable when you're actually cutting something.
The small lathe that I had just flexed too much to use in manual or cnc mode. That was in addition to the backlash.
In the end, I don't think that these small lathes in general are useful. Just not stiff enough to do anything. Need to move up to a bigger model.
Nothing wrong with variety.
i have a cnc lathe , but never use it.. for one offs , i can make the part faster manually. for batches its a different story
I know extremely little about CNC but can you program in the direction of cut to keep backlash pretty much nonexistent?
Similar to the way I do hand crank work on manual machines I consciously make up for backlash by cutting only with movements from the same direction.
That's pretty much what the Fusion anti-backlash paths he mentioned is set up to do. You can do it manually, but Fusion et al are set up to automatically compensate for backlash. It works generally well but it's slower and less accurate than a ball screw.
@@WheatMillington He's talking about Mach3 backlash compensation. If you switch X direction for example, then it will add an additional X move of the backlash distance. It helps a lot, but, any rough cut may not be perfect as the bed can get pushed around. Also for complex/fast cuts it slows things down a lot as its constantly switching directions and adding that backlash move in.
@@jaro6985 Yeah, compensation is troublesome even with about half a thousandth of backlash on my Chinese ball screws. If you do it in the most straightforward way, then the machine decelerates, makes the small compensation move, and then accelerates back to how it was going. You get cleaner cuts if you can keep the momentum.
I don't use any CAM software (just C++ code to make writing manual gcode less tedious), and the way I do it for circles is to make small diagonal moves at the transition point between each arc quadrant. But during those moves, the compensating axis can get tossed around randomly by the cutting force since the screw isn't applying pressure either way. No good if you had more than one or two thousandths of backlash. And you'd need excessively long diagonal moves to prevent deceleration so the circles wouldn't come out round anyway.
I like designing things with my brain and making things with my hands.
Good!!!!
Writing some lines of G-code to run a lathe is quite easy. But it seems to be a lost art.
👍👍
I was under the impression that a backlash value can be added in the controller interface, and I've had people tell me conventional leadscrews can be used for this reason. Hoax?
hey mate, fairly new subscriber here.. love your content and want to get into hobby machining. what is your opinion on the Optimum TU-2004V - Opti-Turn Bench Lathe? I was looking at getting the same lathe you have but don't want to have to fix a bunch of the problems that import lathes come with. any advice is appreciated cheers :)
On your shot at 4:09 you are missing the most important part on these machines: the anti backlash nut. That is why you have all that slope. I get 0.001” backlash on mine using the anti backlash system correctly. You should have one on the z axis and x axis.
Edit: just finished seeing the video. I guess mileage will very.
Definitely without a shadow of a doubt there is no better lathe than a sherline for the size, the only other thing close is the Taig which are also good products but Sherline has and will likely always be the defacto standard for mini lathes, they also have the best customer service and a massive selection of parts and accessories
so, maybe cheap chinese ballscrews for the Sherline? a true cnc upgrade
👍
Your a machinist, cnc people are programmers, big difference in my eye's, I now a few people that work in a company that makes part's they don't know anything about what there doing except programming. Great video's keep'um coming..
Your point is valid but pick a word other than programmers to describe these people.
I have a strong programing background and have done some CAD design for myself. I would not call it programming.
If one were to manually write GCODE to create a part that would be programming.
No one needing to turn a profit would allow that.
As a programmer, creating toolpaths in Fusion360 feels way more like programming than machining. Once I move off the "design" tab, it stops being 'fun engineering hobby' and starts feeling like 'massaging a weird API'.
Anyone can use CAD/CAM software to make a part. Doesn't make them a programmer. Show me someone who makes parts on a CNC WITHOUT using CAD/CAM software. THOSE guys are programmers.
@@danharold3087 not putting down a programmer,,some of the smartest people on the planet, just saying useing your hands on the build to me is more rewarding.
@@sfogarty2 When I wrote the comment I was thinking of Fusion 360 and FreeCAD constraint based parametric modeling tools.
My ignorance is showing here. I have done 3D printing but not CNC milling. No non automated CAM. Thinking creatings paths is more CAM than CAD. That makes me ignorant of tool path creation. I can imagine where tool path creation would be programing. Step repeat call sort of thing. But not so much the CAD.
On the actual CAD end I have used openSCAD which is kind of like a retarded form of programing. Plan to switch to cadQuery. I don't think either of these are close to mainstream where you would see them in production.
For hobby machinist isn't worth that much a CNC lathe or milling machine. But if you need to do a whole lot of pieces in once a time? Then the hours spent in a C.A.D. program, worth the time.
The problem every single person here has is they are relying on CAM. YOU CAN EASILY CAM FROM YOUR BRAIN. I’m 2 months into a new job being a Cnc setup operator and on the first week, one week they taught me how to write cam from scratch. It’s not that hard guys, Cnc is faster than manual ALWAYS but only if you can write gcode from scratch. I’m writing gcode every single day with nothing but a blueprint and a two axis lathe controller. Forget about any cam system and level yourself up to knowing what you are doing.
Clearly you no nothing about CNC machining. You’ll learn someday
@@glass1258 uhuh good on you bud, putting people down for fun with zero proof. I still stand by it, 2 year apprentice across 15 machines manual and Cnc and I still know cnc is king, but every Cnc shop still needs manual machines. Trak DPM RX5 is my favorite machine sofar, Cnc+conversational+manual all in one. Everybody should try out a trak like that.
Hope you a fun journey, CNC machines are a blast, sometimes literally 😂 being into programming for several years now, I totally agree with you, when you master both NC coding and cam software, you can do whatever you want.
I have a taig CNC mill and took all the CNC bullshit off of it for exactly the same reasons.
Personally I couldn’t justify buying a small CNC lathe if it wasn’t capable self feeding for small scale production
thing you can use it spindle and motor and do your axes tour self LOL and no wobble xD but it sharp pen just fine
th-cam.com/video/y8CCtmO4_io/w-d-xo.html What program is generating the g code?
new model with ball screw: th-cam.com/video/Zu_ttKG5QaM/w-d-xo.html
I’ll buy it!
Bravo........use the lathe cnc.......to cut threads.....also......u pay for education .....school of hard knocks .....cheers
In fairness to Sherline, they do offer ballscrew versions of their lathes.
He did mention. Its about $1000 more for the ballscrew version though, $3200. Hard to justify.
Yes this correct, but they didnt offer it at the time and the cost to upgrade is in the region of $1000-1500
@@artisanmakes Got ya, cheers for the clarification.
@@jaro6985 Cheers, sounds like I missed a bit..
I need the CNC function so i can multitask without a crew or formal education. Guns almost do make themselves these days 💀
G'day Art, Do you want to sell it? Maybe trade it? Cheers, Michael 🇦🇺
One day that will be the plan
But not currently
This lathe is made out of aluminum… As a machinist for 40 years, it’s not worth buying a sureline Mainly because they are not made to last. Unlike small machines of the past they were made of cast-iron. the machines of today are of substandard quality. Anyone who wants to buy a leave you’re better off buying an old 6 inch vintage Lathe Or larger And restore it
Sherline lathes and milling machines are flimsy aluminum extrusions with plastic gibs. Proxxon are even worse, with aluminum ways. I don't understand why people keep shilling about them being "high quality"...
Can't speak to proxxon or any sherline you may have used, but mine has a proper cast iron base and hardened ways. Not so happy about the aluminium slides though.
So, what are your recommendations?
The guys I see with cnc machines can only afford used ones and spend half their time fixing them. A guy with skill, the right tooling and a decent manual lathe or mill could have been done already. Accruacy is part machine/tooling quality and the other part is all you
I'm not very interested in seeing more CNC content. It's pretty boring to watch most of the time, and manual machining is far more interesting unless you're into coding.
There are loads of channels dedicated to CNC. Your channel is enjoyable largely because it's manual work and well narrated.
Thanks for the feedback
How would I get in touch with you artisan?
🤣🤣🤣🤣
Who cares why you don't use it anymore
You clicked on the video along with a few other people
Because it’s a pile of crap???
When I di use it, it's a good and accurate lagbe