Metal Lathe loading challenge

[daddo]

I would certainly appreciate the CNC for many projects, but for those other times, nothing beats learning the fine skills by doing it manually.

[BloomingtonMike]

Yes this Microkinetics/Birmingham 12x36 is just CNC Only.

I am adding a VistaCNC P2-S Pendant to it.



I definately agree, you want a manual lathe long before a CNC lathe. I actually have two manual metal lathes.

A few years ago I bought a Atlas "Craftsman Commercial"12x36 from a retiree in my woodworking club (along with aRF30 MillDrill). I got a ton of tooling for it and the milldrill in the buy - About 30 years worth of tooling.



I then won a 1981 CNC screw chucking lathe on ebay for $126.50. Yes, One Hundred Twenty Six dollars and two quarters. It actually cost me $100 to rent a drop deck trailer (3000lbs) and $30 in gas to go get it so $256.50. I did not have the cash or desire to change out the controls to Centroid at the time but it worked with the Dynapath controls and I could demo it.



I then found a guy locally that wanted it, and he and I traded even up for brand new in crate 1340 Baileigh PL-1340E manual metal lathe (it was his 3rd PL-1340E) with Sinpo DRO. So the Baileigh is my second manual lathe that I have along with my Atlas Craftsman. The Atlasis just so fun to use I can't bring myself to sell it. I love teh more modern lathes though and the DRO is sweet.



The Microkinetics/Birmingham 12x36 and the Baileigh 13x40 share a D1-4 headstock, MT5 spindle nose and MT3 tailstock size so all the chucks and tooling I have for the Baileigh can be used on the Microkinetics. Both will have a BXA sized quick change tool post as well so the tooling holders will interchange as well.

[daddo]

I need your button switches.


 I had to wire in safety lockout relays and stop lockout buttons for mine. Would like to find the originals and wire them in. I have the harnesses.





 What does that lightning bolt switch button do?

[BloomingtonMike]

The lightning bolt is a On/Off selectable rotating latching switch on my baileigh. Mine has a green lamp to the left of that that lights when the lathe has power, the then lightning bolt on/off switch, then the pump on and off, then an E stop mushroom switch, then the jolt/bump switch used to just turn the headstock just a smidge


Got the lathe jogging on controller rebuild #1.

[daddo]

Someone had messed with the 3 phase controls and wiring, I guess as they converted to single from three phase, and it was all wrong and had no safety shut downs. I made a temporary new box with controls for my purpose at the time, but I'd like to spend some time getting it back to the original design and clean up my sloppy mess. I'll have to start from scratch and do a new schematic. The red light (ha) shows power is connected. I made a separate lockout emergency stop button and reconnected the pedal brake/stop switch.  


 Reversing is done via a 6 way arm switch on top of the lathe- I like this arrangement and will keep it.


 Thanks for the info!

[BloomingtonMike]

PM sent. I have a Baileigh manual I could email you that might help you better than others.

My Baileigh has a start and stop handle on the carriage that does the reversing. It rotates the lower of the three bars and is always close at hand.