I love machine tools and control projects. This is a project that I have been wanting to do for a while and its just time to do it. All I need is a plan and commit to work on it regularly. So I will devote 3 hours Monday through Thursday every evening after the kids go to bed.
Its an old teaching lathe, not made for any large production jobs but it will be a great place to start. I actually have a larger EMCO lathe that I’ll be working on next. That being said, this smaller lathe will still be a great shop addition for small cuts and parts.
Its very simple as you can see in the picture here:
Two axes and a spindle, each with an encoder. The motors are brushed DC and the plan is to get everything working correctly first, then upgrade to brushless.
My plan is to first remove each piece, clean it, identify the material and create a CAD model. This will help me build up a BOM to the last screw and know the machine thoroughly. I will also end up with a complete virtual copy that I might be able to use in a simulation for assisting in developing the controller.
Let’s start with the carriage assembly. Onward!
Bobby in the Shop 