Quote Originally Posted by JAZZCNC View Post
You can buy purpose built 4th axis from Arceurotrade or make your own using a stepper and pulleys. Then use the spindle to cut material while the 4th axis rotates or holds the material as an indexer for engraving/carving. This is the common setup for wood turning.
Also On bigger stronger machines it's possible to put the metal to be turned in the spindle and mount cutting tool on the frame then program then Y or X axis to move the spinning material into the static tool. . . . just youtube mill as lathe and you'll find examples.
If only it were that easy.

I tried exactly what I think Tenson wants using my milling machine and a 4th axis I made, see here:

http://www.mycncuk.com/forums/showth...illing-machine

Even in my milling machine, which is obviously significantly stronger than that router it was hard to get a good finish. A more rigid toolpost would help, but still play in the quill/slides will ultimately limit it. The wood lathe I have will fit along the bed of my CNC Router if I drop the bed down so I've considered doing the same with my router. I think it is strong enough, but not yet needed to try it.

I tried the other way here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wGDMSiZpyg

That worked very nicely...

You could probably sharpen pencils with it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W37My..._order&list=UL

But you'd have to cut the pencil in half first as the critical speed of a pencil is... oh nevermind.