The Micro Lathe: Cross slide and brief project summary

Micro lathe updates! My girlfriend is out of the house for the week dog sitting, so I plunked Lathey McLatheface down on the kitchen counter so I could film a slight disassembly of the cross slide!
Instagram: hlaps1990
Patreon: www.patreon.com/hlaps1990
Music from Soundtrackuniverse.com

[@typebin]

This is the most modern DIY lathe I've seen. Please keep uploading. Thanks

[@TabletopMachineShop]

I shall! New lathe video this week!

[@Just1GuyMetalworks]

Awesome, that's an impressive piece of hardware! Super cool!

[@arnljotseem8794]

Very interesting build. I would really like to see more videos on this. Thanks for sharing

[@CNCJoeFromRomeo]

Great build!

[@TabletopMachineShop]

Thanks!

[@DoRC]

Wow that thing is a work of art!

[@TheZenLOG]

can't wait to see it in action!

[@TabletopMachineShop]

You will soon. I have a tendency to use things before they're finished (such as using turrets without motors!)

[@tyggerjai]

If you only wind up with one man's trash, you're doing ok. This is a brilliant project!

[@TabletopMachineShop]

Thanks! The issue with winding up with stuff is just space, but I've gotten creative with storage -- perhaps I'll do a video on my apartment that swallowed a shop one day!

[@ClockwerkIndustries]

this is kickass dude! nice work!

[@TabletopMachineShop]

thanks!

[@KEFEAR666]

Nice machine! Very cool!!!

[@TabletopMachineShop]

Thanks!

[@minskmade]

just looooove you videos. so much thought. you are lucky to have cnc milling machines at your disposal

[@TabletopMachineShop]

Thanks! I am very lucky. Back in the dark days I had a Taig Mill sitting on my desk in my bedroom :P

[@minskmade]

i just scored a lab-volt 5600 cnc mill..unfortunately i cant find the proprietary software

[@Slacker333666]

Wow man this is amazing I have been a cnc machinist for only a short amount of time and have been trying to improve my self and make things beyond my imagination but holy cow dude your freaking awesome. I hope one day I can be able to sit down and design shit as good as this man.

[@TabletopMachineShop]

Thanks a lot Zach! Make sure you make videos when you start designing!

[@xenonram]

Start taking cad/cam classes (assuming you're just operating the machines and not designing the parts.) Your work might even pay for it, or at least part of it, or maybe the books, etc. I'm a chemistry/materials sciences major, and my mentor told me to start taking those types of classes (computer programming, in general) because everything is going that direction. So I guess, no matter what your education/career path is, you should be doing something with computers.

[@russtuff]

Excellent. I've always wondered if someone had tried this.

[@TabletopMachineShop]

Hopefully I can pull it off!

[@oscartattoo3910]

awesome little machine and equally awesome videos! subbed :-)

[@TabletopMachineShop]

Thanks Oscar!

[@philiprogers5772]

outstanding !

[@TabletopMachineShop]

Thanks Philip!

[@SmallShopConcepts]

you should definitely do coolant, you can use a small DC bildge pump for it which wouldn't use up much space and have a small fabricated coolant sump just under the machine, would be an awesome "micro edition" to your build and would be super easy to wire and plumb. I run mine of a small 24v power supply with the voltage adjuster turned down to around 17v. plenty of flow and pretty decent pressure. best of all it fits in your hand it's so small so the sump could be small as well, maybe like a 1 gallon or so. love the build, absolutely brilliant! keep up the great work!

[@TabletopMachineShop]

I've used a little 12V bilge pump before for my milling machine and found it was almost too powerful. My main fear with flood coolant (or a heavy mist coolant for that matter) is moisture getting into the electronics area. You've intrigued me with the "micro edition" talk though. I may look into it more and see if I can come up with a "drip coolant" system :P. Thanks for following Christopher! Greg

[@SmallShopConcepts]

hlaps1990 like know it's a little bit late, but down the road if you want to add some other really cool micro production features, you could use the shaft from a 5c spin indexer as the spindle and add a pneumatic collet closer. this would gain back a little z axis travel as well,. it's pre precision ground outside and inside and they can be had for around $40-50. just a brain teaser to ponder!

[@SmallShopConcepts]

hlaps1990 ooh, and then if you wanted you could use a 5c lathe Chuck real quick for any parts that need facing that wouldn't fit in a standard 5c collet!

[@TabletopMachineShop]

Funny you should say that, the very first rough spindle I made was a cut off 5C collet indexer shaft! The only issue is that it didnt leave much room for the bearings, but I'm playing with a design now for a 90mm spindle cartridge (which would require a new headstock) with an electric collet closer and a bar feeder. But first things first! I have to get this guy running soon!

[@DArsov.]

Is there a way I can get the documentation for the lathe? Looks amazing and I want to build one as well!

[@CurtVanFilipowski]

Awesome machine! I'm impressed with the single turret setup to say nothing about the fact that you jammed 2 turrets in there! Great work! Please keep us update on the progress.

[@TabletopMachineShop]

Thanks! Hopefully the two turret idea works out -- I still have to write the code (working on it!) and find something that's like between 0 and 2 inches long that needs a hole in the middle that I can test!

[@barebooger]

Nice! You may already know this, but Reprap 3d printers can use an sd card to run G-code without a computer attached. The RAMPS 1.4 boards are Arduino based and could provide step and direction signals to your servos. Very small and low energy.

[@TabletopMachineShop]

I've never tried RAMPS for CNC, maybe I will one day. MASSO seems to be doing the trick for now!

[@JanBinnendijk]

Ah.. now i see, a second turret for axial tools.. Controlwise, i don't have any clue as to what you are using, my lathe and mill both run in EdingCNC. With that it is really easy to write the code for a toolchanger, and even writing parametric cycles is easy as well.. complete with dialogs to make a teach-in control.

[@richardallankellogg]

What a great looking machine. Please do more videos on its construction. with more details on how you made it. Also, you say it's 1 HP, but isn't the Clearpath 3441 drive only 1/2 HP continuous (160oz-in x 3150RPM x 0.00074 = 373W = 0.5 HP)? Thanks and I can't wit for more on this spectacular lathe.

[@jarppax7690]

he has 1:2.5 gear ratio lol it output 1hp to spindle. i guess.dunno,but if it spin 7000 when servo only spins 3100,but it should make it worse.any way it cuts even hair thin is good xD

[@nostamine2567]

this is a fking beast my dude

[@t6nu69EST]

Hey, very good video!! How much was budget for this machine? How about accuracy for this kind of machine!

[@ruizvial]

The Headstock need more functional like Taig 5C, the turret need more big. Need a tailstock. But is a piece of art.

[@darkracer1252]

this thing is absolutly beautiful.

[@TabletopMachineShop]

Thanks!

[@darkracer1252]

it just reminds me of the 500,000 dollar dmg mori's at work. en.dmgmori.com/products/machines/turning/horizontal-production-turning/nzx/nzx-2000 kzbin.info/www/bejne/jp_IpYqcrNShqLM

[@darkracer1252]

that said. our's do not have 3 turrets.

[@darkracer1252]

we don't do milling on it though. kzbin.info/www/bejne/rXKXmGaepcicpck this represents what we do alot more

[@tobyw9573]

I am thinking about getting a Taig. Can you sturdy them up and use a bigger motor? The XY on the mills and some lathes look really sturdy. I was thinking of a half to one HP 3-phase motor and a VFD. Have you considered buying some T-head Allen wrenches? :) You should likely tighten fasteners half as tight as it takes to strip the threads or break the bolt and not tight enough to plastically deform things. Or you could read the specs and use a torque wrench. :) You do NOT want one of those hardened cap screws to come loose and jam up the works. Probably 150+ psi tensile strength hard. Metric tends to be harder.

[@TabletopMachineShop]

You can actually buy it at 1/2 hp, so it can handle that. I'd go for high RPM and hopefully low cutting forces. I always wanted to try one of those air cooled chinese spindles--the RPM range (5-20K) is about right for the Taig with carbide tooling. The X and Y are very sturdy, but the Z actually pivots at the back (that will be the first thing that gives), so I'd reinforce that first. I really should get some nice allen keys :P

[@farmerandy82]

Looking great! So you say we can see this beast running next week? :D

[@TabletopMachineShop]

Yeah, why not!

[@germanstefanocarrenorojas6052]

Did you use foundry to make the body of the lathe, if not, what did you use?Did you check any book to make calculus? How heavy is the lathe? Amazing job btw 👍🏼

[@lukaradakovic5463]

Great vid mate! LIVE TOOLING! \o/

[@TabletopMachineShop]

I actually got as far as making a live spindle before realizing that without any kind of brake or a direct drive spindle I can't use it. Ready fire aim!

[@lukaradakovic5463]

Well what about some kind of a disc brake from or like a bike and maybe controlling it with a levered pneumatic cilinder? O.O Thats what i did on my lathe, although i just milled a clamp to go around a large diameter pulley attached to the spindle, and inserted a threaded rod to do the clamping and made a little lever on the side, manualy operated though :/ Heres a pic - www.image-share.com/ijpg-3480-70.html and never mind the christmas decorations, that was.... the gf -.-

[@TabletopMachineShop]

a disc brake from a bike is a really good idea... fortunately the whole thing is modular enough that I could make a live-tooling compatible spindle cartridge if I had a mind to, so I'll jot down the idea of using a brake, even if I can just do radial drilling that would be cool. The original plan was timing pulleys and locking the spindle, but there's just enough play in the belt that it wouldnt work.

[@lukaradakovic5463]

hlaps1990 yeah, i trusted the belts too much aswell. I think i saw a nifty jig that Atlas or Myford built for their lathes to incorporate precision dividing. they use an expandable collet that goes through the hole of the spindle, and locks the spindle to the worm geared dividing mechanism thats attached to the back. It would be an awesome thing to have on a lathe. You could do your own timing belt pulleys \(`°`)/

[@robmckennie4203]

plastic makes a great precision shim, because you can adjust the exact shim thickness with the torque on the clamping screw ;P

[@TabletopMachineShop]

Agreed, you just have to use loctite or something that will stop the fastener from loosening

[@thenet0120002]

Nice CNC but a little to small for me unless you do model building . The design if it was larger would be nice.

[@VId_Kok]

Are these 1/8 HP Clearpath servos on the X and Z axis? Are they powerful enough? What is the ratio between the timing pulleys? I am building about the same size lathe and I am thinking about installing HC-PQ13 100W Mitsubishi servos. Used ones are pretty cheap on eBay.

[@TabletopMachineShop]

The axis motors don't have any issues with the cuts, it's the spindle that gives a warning first. The reduction in the timing pulleys is only about 1:2 on Z and 2:3 on X (I forget exactly what they are). Most of the power in a cut comes from the spindle, and the axial and radial forces on the tool usually aren't that bad (I'm planning a video on this, so stay tuned!). To be on the safe side, the bigger the better :)

[@Basement_CNC]

man, i miss your content, if you still have the insert tool problem, justuse the aluminium inserts , the work for steel as well ,especially for shallow cutdrpths

[@backyardcnc]

what angle did you slant the bed at ?45? Nice build, thanks for sharing!

[@TabletopMachineShop]

+backyardcnc yep 45... reduces the footprint

[@backyardcnc]

thanks, love what you have done so far. Trying to decide if I should go a similar route and build a machine or just bite the bullet and order a new loaded TAIGTURN , I love the new 5C collet headstock they have and I already have a full set of 5C collets is 64ths :-). ready to go right out of the box is kinda nice..... just build an enclosure.

[@somebodyelse6673]

I'm watching your videos in order, and until this point I just *assumed* the second turret was a tailstock turret. You've got both on the carriage which kind of de-rails my tiny brain. No turning between centers? I has a sad. My lathe project is not as 'from scratch' as yours; I'm slowly replacing assemblies from an old Craftsman 6x18 lathe. The goal is to modernize from the bed up, its gonna take a while :)

[@TabletopMachineShop]

Sorry I didn't reply sooner, this comment got put in the "awaiting approval" bin! how rude! Its funny you mention no tailstock; I figured it out about half way through the build too... it's actually a fairly major design flaw. If I don't have a tailstock, why are the rails so long?? Will I ever even be turning things using the whole length of the rails? Oh well, lessons learned. Any chance you're putting your lathe project up on KZbin or IG? I'd love to follow along!

[@somebodyelse6673]

Based on your shooting related turning examples, my theory was that you made your lathe specifically to turn bullets and shells, and didn't need a tailstock. I know a fair number of manual micro-lathes are dedicated to that purpose. Regarding my project, the stuff I'm (very slowly) doing has already been covered well dozens of times. I'm not innovating anything, just executing ideas that people much more talented than me have already worked out. Should I ever manage to have an original twist on something, I"ll put it out in the world. None of my projects have any of that yet ;)

[@mannycalavera121]

Could you run an Arduino setup? Might help portability and fully customization.

[@TabletopMachineShop]

Yeah, arduino is nice, but I'm just not good enough at electronics to get exactly what I want. I know arduino can run GRBL, which is a G code interpreter, apparently its at the absolute limit of the arduino's memory, so customization would be really hard! Masso purports to be exactly what I want, so hopefully that works out!

[@GrossGeneralization]

That m3(?) stainless cap screw sitting on top of the x axis nut is just killing me

[@TabletopMachineShop]

+GrossGeneralization i dont see it!

[@GrossGeneralization]

Scrub to 8:50, look above the nut holder just to the right of the vertical lead screw. Sitting roughly horizontal with the head toward the lead screw. You can see it move around as you rotate the nut slightly.

[@TabletopMachineShop]

I see it. Another victim of Greg's clumsiness...

[@srj2783]

😊

[@TheWatchMker]

"My girlfriend" uh huh sureeeee For real, good job. I mean holy fasteners Batman but definitely looks good.

[@TabletopMachineShop]

Yep, fasteners and components in general. I guess that's what happens when you make things out of off-cuts

[@xenonram]

I don't get it... Are you implying he's gay? So what if he were.

[@xenonram]

Why do I always hear skateboard bearings called "608" or "6008"? Which one is it? You could do "quick change turrets," and have a few turrets that you can swap in and out.

[@xenonram]

Why not use a Windows tablet? You could write a program to run your code.

[@TabletopMachineShop]

As far as I know, 8x22x7 bearings are called 608 (bearing trade number or something). I do believe you've read my mind with the quick change turret idea :P

[@yusdiy]

question..if you were to build another one for sale.How much would it be roughly? Thank you.

[@TabletopMachineShop]

Expensive :( . Assuming I got the design the way I wanted, it would probably come in around $7k-$10k.. I got a quote for one turret (qty 10) and it came in around $750 USD. Everything adds up so quickly!

[@tyggerjai]

But you could sell CAD drawings cheaper, right?

[@yusdiy]

Thanks for sharing.I hope after you have complete and perfected your magnificent machine you would share the total dollar(if it isn't much to ask about).Keep up the good.I envy your endeavor hlaps1990.

[@TabletopMachineShop]

+tyggerjai yeah for sure, if i ever get around to making drawings :p

[@wilsonchin8307]

whats the overall material? aluminium or mostly steel?

[@TabletopMachineShop]

Yeah its mostly aluminum but the load bearing chassis in the middle is hot rolled steel

[@arnljotseem8794]

No its not British, Its how the rest of the world spells it!

[@marshalcraft]

more like micro cnc turning center.

[@Stukennedy1]

Can you link the MASSO controller your buying/have to return due to the Girlfriend ;)

[@TabletopMachineShop]

www.hindtechnology.com/product/lathe-controller/ I'd will you mine once I'm dead, but if I like it maybe i'll get buried with it

[@Stukennedy1]

hahaha, ok, but i think i might just get one instead ;)

[@pyk_]

What lathe did you start with?

[@TabletopMachineShop]

I did most of the turning for this project on a precision matthews 10x22 lathe

[@pyk_]

@@TabletopMachineShop Oh I thought you said this was a modification to an existing mini lathe, but I definitely misheard which is why I was asking.

[@em-tek]

Did you ever finished this build?

[@TabletopMachineShop]

even worse! I restarted it!

[@mhe0815]

@@TabletopMachineShop Let there be plans! This thing is beyond gorgeous! I'd love to have plans and start building one myself!

[@Rohdelu]

can you give me this cnc lathe cad dwg? thank you

[@TabletopMachineShop]

+Kuo-Yuan Lu its not ready yet, when it is ill probably make it available!

[@rowanwatson5254]

@@TabletopMachineShop also keen on this, i have a sudden need to also add more things to my shelves

[@bencesarosi7718]

You could probably use a Raspberry Pi for portability.

[@TabletopMachineShop]

Sorry for the delayed reply Bence. I have heard of using raspberry pi and beaglebone black (machinekit) but it's just a bit over my head for programming:(. I think there's a lot of room for improvement in the low cost 32 bit CNC controllers--they certainly arent turnkey yet, but the future is bright!

[@bencesarosi7718]

@@TabletopMachineShop You won't need any programming skills. You can install Linux on the Rasp PI and use it just like a regular computer. Except it fits in the pocket of your shirt (or you can mount it on the machine itself).

[@sacriptex5870]

Hipster machinist jezz i cant stand this

[@TabletopMachineShop]

Where are you getting "hipster" from?

[@vasyapupken]

this linear bearing blocks must not be packed full of balls. at least one ball in each of four ball loops must be absent to prevent premature wear.

[@TabletopMachineShop]

Yep these blocks don't fit a full compliment of balls, theres always around 1/2 of a ball's worth of space left

[@barbaca2254]

pagas y no hay nada para descargar, solo la torreta, y poco mas pero del torno nada, una estafa

[@paulanthony873]

no instagram 1

[@joesosnowski7568]

Bro did your girlfriend murder you? Can I get an email to ask you some questions? I'm modeling a small CNC lathe just like this one...

[@kirkgeahlen5532]

You REALLY need to get a girlfriend that's "into" what you do,or at least is understandable,or you'll be pussywhipped your whole life.....NOT a good thing.Took me 3 wife's to find one that gets what I do(did,I'm disabled now,but still tinker,and am a packrat),but I got a good one now and all is well.I wish the same for you.Your vids are entertaining,you gained a sub!

[@TabletopMachineShop]

Im just kidding about her :p. Shes actually very supportive haha... shes let me commandeer large portions of the house for my hobbies. Thanks for subscribing Kirk!

[@kirkgeahlen5532]

Then treat her WELL,it's hard to deal with people like "Us",lol