Do I NEED another CNC Lathe Project ?

[awemawson]

Today I went to view an elderly CNC lathe. A Colchester 350 CNC with a Fanuc OT control. Not mine yet and may never be mine - seller and I are circling each other waiting for the other to crack  I'm certainly not paying his asking price 

Happy to say Dave Spicer came with me on the viewing as he has had some contact with these machine in a past life. We managed  to put power on, and get the controller up and running, however the axis servo drivers are coming up with an error code probably due to parameter corruptions / low back up battery so we couldn't move the axis or spin up the main motor drive.

Vendor claims to have all the documentation, and indeed we found a paper tape and two print outs of the original parameters in the electrical cabinet, albeit in a very oily state.

If I do go for it no doubt it'll be an interesting journey, starting with a major clean up and identify program, followed by months of diagnose and fix 


... ponder ponder ponder 

[NormanV]

I've got my comfy chair and beverage of choice all lined up for another epic journey!

[Spurry]

Oh, go on Andrew. You know you want to, whether you actually need to, is another matter. 
Pete

[Joules]

It's something to tie the Emu to.

[seadog]

Please buy it Andrew. The last project one you refurbished was a fascinating read.

[Pete W.]

Please buy it Andrew. The last project one you refurbished was a fascinating read.

 

But I asked Andrew where the last one is now and what its new owner is doing with it - Andrew didn't reply!!! 

[charadam]

Will it fit in the new "tractor shed"?

Your public needs to know.

[awemawson]

Please buy it Andrew. The last project one you refurbished was a fascinating read.

 

But I asked Andrew where the last one is now and what its new owner is doing with it - Andrew didn't reply!!!

I'm sure I replied !

It's on an industrial estate near Shoreham Airport making bits for high end optical telescopes - oh and it paid for a big chunk of the Tractor Shed 

[AdeV]

Hey Andrew,

Are you sure you wouldn't like to practice on a poorly Mazak first? You know, to get your hand back in 

Of course, access is a bit of a pain right now, you can get to the back easily enough, not so much the front...

Plus it's a bit of a trek... but I do have a pool table to while away those "thinking" hours 

 

[awemawson]

In Parliamentary Parlance :

"Can I refer the Honourable Gentleman to the reply I gave earlier" 

[AdeV]

In Parliamentary Parlance :

"Can I refer the Honourable Gentleman to the reply I gave earlier" 

One of these days I'm just going to leave it by your gate with a note attached "Please feed (bar stock) and care for" 

[Pete W.]

Please buy it Andrew. The last project one you refurbished was a fascinating read.

 

But I asked Andrew where the last one is now and what its new owner is doing with it - Andrew didn't reply!!!

I'm sure I replied !

It's on an industrial estate near Shoreham Airport making bits for high end optical telescopes - oh and it paid for a big chunk of the Tractor Shed 

 

Andrew,

Please forgive me if I missed your reply to my question.  But I do agree with Seadog that your commentary on that restoration was absorbing and educational. 

[PekkaNF]

If I were you friend, I would say "RUN AWAY FROM IT". It reeks trouble of all sorts.

BUT if you buy it, it will make entertaining reading. Netflix documentaries will be distant second.

Pekka

[mattinker]

It's not even a question, you need another CNC lathe for your well being solving all the problems!

Looking forward to the build, there will be one even if it's not the lathe you've found!

Good on you mate, cheers, Matthew

[tom osselton]

Well at least you know what your doing mine is on the back burner for a few more days until my Haas tm1p gets delivered on monday from what they say trying to sync up the riggers and tech guy who has to pull off the feet and replace them once inside the garage.

The lathe powered when we got it and seemed ok but now everything passes but stops on a "HOST CONTROL INITIALIZING " with just the fan running.

[RotarySMP]

Where do you find time to farm?

I hope you get it, for our entertainment
Mark

[awemawson]

Well I decided not to proceed with the Colchester 350 - various reasons but largely  due to the high cost of the faulty bits of the controller.

But today I've committed to another project  pile of junk to try and bring back from the dead 

It's an early Denford Mirac. I like the Miracs as they are a small foot print machine yet very sturdy and have a slant bed. This one has obviously not been loved in recent years, and from the pictures seems to be in quite a state. I've not seen it in the flesh as it's in Stoke St Michael in Somerset.

Being an early Mirac I suspect it has a PC mother board inside, apparently it runs Windows 98. It may well be a candidate for installing a new controller, but that's all in the future - just need to work out how to shift it the 170 miles home 

[RotarySMP]

I think we all appreciate you doing this solely for our entertainment.  Thanks. 
Mark

[mattinker]

 More fun!

Cheers, Matthew

[awemawson]

Thanks chaps 

Collection arranged now for Tuesday 5th Feb - crack of dawn (well actually before dawn !) start 

[seadog]

Looking forward to another project to rival 'Project Binky.' 

[AdeV]

Honestly Andrew, you didn't need to be going to get any tiddly old slant-bed, when I've got a gert big one right here awaiting your attentions 

Seriously, looking forward to it... if you want I can put you in touch with a Man with a Crane - but he ain't cheap (on the other hand, he hasn't dropped any of my stuff.... yet....)

[AdeV]

I can put you in touch with a Man with a Crane

Hang on a cotton pickin' minute! That Denford looks tiny!

Are you sure you bought the right machine?

[awemawson]

Just giving you a chance to catch up Ade . . . . . . . . 

[DICKEYBIRD]

It may well be a candidate for installing a new controller, but that's all in the future -

Nice!  Can't wait to watch the metamorphosis.

If you decide to ditch the original control, take a look at the new Acorn controller from Centroid.  Pretty nice piece of kit that's gaining popularity.  Genuine encoder threading and solid software.  I have 2 and am well pleased with them and the support.  http://www.centroidcnc.com//centroid_diy/acorn_cnc_controller.html