johnsmachines

Our model engineering club has been locked out of our club rooms because MOULD has been detected in the building.   Apparently a lengthy process to reduce the mould to acceptable levels.  (note to self…. make sure that the inspectors never set foot in our house).

So our meetings have been held in various locations, including a sports centre and a basketball building.   I feel quite virtuous when I enter these buildings, but for some reason I do not feel any fitter when I exit.

A recent day meeting was held at my farm workshop.  Not my farm anymore, just the buildings.

Not that one….   the other one.

And one of our more senior members requested a display of CNC machining, from design to product.

So, I drew up a finial which was required to complete a bookcase which I had built 30 years ago.  Then imported the DXF drawing file into “Ezilathe”.

Showing Stuart Tankard, the author of Ezilathe, scrutinizing my drawing ….  and offering excellent suggestions for improvement using Ezilathe.

Then used Ezilathe to generate the G codes…..

Then to the CNC lathe…..

CNC turning the finial in 51mm brass rod.  1600rpm, 100mm/min.  Controlled by Mach 3 Turn.  I removed the tailstock shortly after this photo was taken, to permit completion of the ball.

Some GSMEE members watching the CNC turning.  I spent 3 days clearing up the workshop so the 16 members could fit in.   Amazing how much space was revealed in the workshop.   This is the Taiwanese lathe which I converted to CNC.  See old posts for details of the conversion.

I watched anxiously as the part was gradually revealed.  Admittedly, I had had a test run in wood to check the parameters, but this was the first run in metal.

The finial.  The bar stock was parted later.

Bookcase finally finished, after 30 years.

If you are interested in CNC lathe work, you should take a look at “Ezilathe”.  It is superb.

If you are on Facebook, (of course you are if you are reading this), you might like to take a look at the GSMEE Facebook site.