Gang tool on a Dorian toolpost

[Lamachina58]

I just discovered this forum and am enjoying it immensely so I thought I'd share a little tool we made and are using today.
Gang tooling is common on CNC machines without a turret. I like to use the gang tools on my lathe, in the toolpost or mounted to the cross slide.
Dorian has an awesome gang tool set up for their larger toolpost but I have the smaller 25AXA. Sam used the lathe to drill the locations spot on.
Recovering from an appendectomy so I am watching my friends make stuff in my shop.

 

[Tin Falcon]

Nice I am thinking of doing similar to that on my little cnc lathe

Have a front a and rear tool holder A2ZCNC and have the gang holder held by both when in use then pop of for turning facing and parting with the appropriate tool(s) in place. what do ya think.
full build thread here.
http://www.homemodelenginemachinist.com/index.php?topic=8452.0
Tin

 

[kuhncw]

Interesting post. Thanks.

Please tell us more about the lathe in the second photo you posted. I think I see Haas on the name plate. Would you please post an overall photo of the lathe?

Regards,

Chuck

 

[Lamachina58]

Hi, the lathe is the Haas HPCL. I do not believe it is still offered for sale but it is perfect for small parts, limited production and I love the machine! It was cheaper than a hardinge toolroom lathe and the CNC is easy to operate.
I had a few Haas TL1 machines and they are very good for bigger work but the drawback is the tailstock. Heavy and hard to line up.
I never see the HPCL for sale but they were put in a lot of Tech schools. As I approached "retirement" I wanted something that had a precise manual operation with CNC. I personally do not like driving a lathe in manual mode when it is servos. Something about turning knobs.

Still sitting here watching my protege' making tiny medical parts. Kids, don't tell them it can't be done! I can't even see the parts without my loupe!

Here is an older video of the HPCL turning a diameter with a bigger gang bar I have. This is often set up with parting, turning and roughing.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvQKEn1X9J8[/ame]

Note the cardboard coolant shield! This is a messy machine and the guarding was not really well thought out.

And good luck with the little gang tool on the Sherline. I don't know if you can set each tool on the Sherline, like tool # one offset location etc.? Is it absolute or incrementally programmed? In either case it is easy to tweak each tool in, well harder incrementally.

Oh, this little block can be put in the milling vice too, point it to heaven and use the mill as a lathe if you have a part you can put in the collet. Just move to each location and Z down. If I have to drill deep holes less than .030" diameter I like using the mill.

 

[RonGinger]

In the video I see you are turning on the back of the work. I have heard of this for parting off, but not general turning. Why do you do it? There must be some reasons you like it.

I also didnt see any gang tool in the video, do you have a video of it, Id like to see that at work.

 

[mu38&Bg#]

My vote goes for the fact that they were turning an acme screw. Turning the normal direction might want to pull the tool in. The other possibility, is no left hand tooling was handy at the moment. On a flat bed like this it makes no difference. On a worn slant bed, it offers more rigidity.

I like the gang tooling in the tool holder. I want to build a small 5C CNC lathe and am trying to determine how I was going to do gang tooling without getting too large a cross slide.

 

[Lamachina58]

Good questions and guess as to why!
I think if you click on the youtube video, right in the middle it should run. That gang tool bar was purchased and nicely ground but gives you a good idea what can be done on the small cnc. I like my dorian but the tool bar is very accurate and repeats.
The backside turning is due to space on the bar and that acme did pull the work in! That is a good point about worn out cnc's too. The other end of the acme gets many steps, for bearings, a gear and such. That end used the finishing tool and thread tool so the bar is set up for the whole job.
So, I don't mind running it in reverse and using the right hand turning tool. Just a matter of space on the bar.
I can see that the small lathes would be conducive to the gang tooling and you have the bed with T slots to anchor nicely.
I'm glad it gives you some ideas on the 5C lathe! That would be a fun project. I've always wondered about bearings on such a projects, how good is good enough, lubrication, preload etc.
Thanks,

 

[Lamachina58]

And Tin Falcon.... Is that two tool posts independently driven?
I will have to look this over. Very nice!

 

[Tin Falcon]

Right now it is just set up with the one tool post in the front position . I realy need to get going and learn the basics of this thing before getting fancy . But it was not an expensive build it fits in my shop and has potential.
Tin

 

[New_Guy]

wow i love the size of that Haas and the paint work is impeccable you say you run Medical parts what sort of repeatability do you expect with your QCTP? i know its not a cheapy but i have wondered about human error and dirt interference on machines that need manual tool changes

how did find the center of your drills?

 

[mu38&Bg#]

I have a Dumham 5C spindle that was used in some fashion for turning in the past. It's currently apart for service. I hope to work out a CAD drawing of the lathe in the next few weeks. To see what I come up with. I don't expect 1-2 tenths accuracy and repeatability so it will be OK for my needs.

I'll guess again that the holes for the drills in the gang tool holder were drilled with cutting tools in the spindle.

Greg

 

[Lamachina58]

Yes the holes were drilled with the tools in the spindle BUT when we take it out to align and set our tool offsets again we indicate around the head of a mold ejector pin (a pin with a larger diameter) so we can get the vertical and horizontal axis right on.

Ahh, starting with a 5C spindle, how nice!

 

[Lamachina58]

Oh, to answer New Guy, I use the gang tool because the quick change isn't repeatable enough. I can't say how much out though. I should check it! I keep things really clean but you know how that is!
I'd guess it is within tenths repeatability but on a .010" dia I look at it like how much percentage out am I.

 

[New_Guy]

interesting i had guessed that you had machined it on the lathe i am very surprised you do not believe your QCTP to be very repeatable, do you find using a QCTP on a CNC to be limiting for the work you do?

 

[Lamachina58]

Don't get me wrong, I think the Dorian is very repeatable, like a tenth but I should say I doubt MY repeatability. Cleanlines and such. I have been known to load the wrong holder and the results are predictably bad!
Employees were more likely to load the wrong holder or mutiny if I had to make more than 50 of something.
I made a bunch of numbered little caps that go on top of each holder, 1-10 to help with organizing them.

 

[New_Guy]

i know what you mean the mill i run at work no longer has a working tool changer so i have to manually change every BT50 it makes even the low quantity jobs we do go forever tool i dont put the wrong tool in anymore but used to put boring head in the wrong way so when it got to the bottom of the hole and the table would move negative in Y instead of clearing the bore walls it would rub the insert edge off oh man did the boss love that lol