Re: New people welcome !! Come in here and introduce your self!
« Reply #1259 on: September 13, 2011, 03:15:40 AM »   

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Hello
I have been getting interested in CNC machining and am considering converting my Colchester Master to a cnc mill as follows.
X axis cross slide
Y axis vertical slide vice held where toolpost fits on top slide
Z axis top slide
All tools to be held in headstock chuck
Any thoughts? and is it possible?
Graham
 

H Graham,

I am sure anything is possible and this would make a very interesting project.

Tweakie.

Another option is to keep it as a "lathe" but fit a Y axis onto the cross slide ( X axis).

The spindle would be a C axis + live tooling.
You would keep your lathe functionality but now with milling.

ATB
Derek.

It is possible and has been done in home workshops on small manual hobby machines for 50 or more years  but it is not the best, in fact it is rather poor.
The lathes axis were designed for the direction of  forces involved in turning.
Hood