The sows ear, a Clarke Metalworker Mill / Lathe conversion to cnc

[FatFreddie]

Well, I've decided to really put a shine on this turd so it's getting ball screws on the X and Y axes (the Z axis is probably beyond redemption so the plan is to use this to build a gantry mill and then just use it as a lathe).

The current Y axis leadscrew is in such a bad state it's missing steps even at very slow feed rates so I'm making some rough brackets for the Y axis and then I'll make some better ones when it's going.

During testing last night I was bitten by the ballscrew demon - ran the nut off the end of the screw and ball bearings dropped out of the end! I tried poking them back in but there are three separate loops on the ones I have so I had to stick them in place with grease and then gently insert the holding tube - much quicker to describe than do!

Hopefully get a metal cutting test in tonight - pictures to follow.

Mark

[m_c]

then just use it as a lathe

That's what I'd recommend!
I think I had the milling head on mine for about 1 month, used it once or twice, bought a proper milling machine, and the milling head has lived in a box under a bench somewhere since (I don't even know what bench it's been that long!).


Regarding the Y-axis (in lathe terms it's actually the Z-axis), have you ever had the carriage of?
I had lots of problems trying to adjust mine, and I eventually found out the gib strip was bent, which was causing all the problems. I made a new gib strip from a bit gauge plate, and it made a huge difference (could adjust play out, without it starting to bind). I also converted it to use a couple angular contact bearings at the handle end, to replace the cheap and nasty bush set-up.
I used to have a website which showed all the mods I'd done, but I fell out with the webhost and have never reuploaded them anywhere. If you want to see them, I should still have the pages on a disk somewhere.

However, I've got no plans to convert mine to CNC, as I find it ideal the way it is for what I use it for.