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Converting a Logan 11" x 32" Lathe over to full CNC, Part 22:



There's not much to show with setting tool offsets and part zeroes, it's just a bunch of manual-reading,
head-scratching, and hair-pulling. :) And as I'm woefully inexperienced with this sort of thing (the electronic
aspect of machining) it's often just that much more frustrating. I had the hardest time getting my tool offsets
to do what they're supposed to do- this was my most successful try with the built-in chesspiece pawn
program. I finally hit the stop button when it had roughed it to less than 1/4" in diameter.



After some consultation with experts, the answer turned out to be a stupid, rookie mistake which even first-
year students should have caught. I posted this pic on the previous page, showing precisely 4" of travel when
that axis was commanded to move 4". Except that it's a lathe. The X-axis is only supposed to travel half
the commanded distance. You'd think I'd never run a lathe before! :) [slaps forehead]

Because of that, all my settings and offsets were way off. Resetting that, and then re-resetting the tool offsets
and the part zero I hoped would finally solve the issue. Time to try the pawn program for the sixth time. :)




The raw 1" aluminum, still with the skim cuts from the tool offset cycles...



Finally, it looks like the roughing is going as it's supposed to!



nearly finished roughing....



The first profiling pass...



Anbd finally the finish pass!



And there it is! It worked!



After two years and who knows how much money into this conversion, it finally works. I had to part it off
manually as I only had the one tool set up in the library, but the important part is that the machine was able
to properly follow a proven program. But, there's still some work to be done, so...







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Information contained in these pages is for reference and entertainment purposes only.  Our methods are not always the best,
quickest, safest, or even the correct ones. It's up to you to know how to use your own machines and tools.
Keep your fingers away from the spinny blades o' death and you should be all right.