On Sat, 21 Aug 2010 13:05:07 -0500, Ignoramus25139
wrote:

On 2010-08-21, Karl Townsend wrote:

Karl, maybe next year, I still have a lot to do. So tell me, those
Hardinge HNCs, which I also saw selling for $1k, can be refitted with
a new control easily? (easily, to me, means, not harder than my
Bridgeport). Docs available? Do they have an indexable turret?

Hardinge has great docs, and gunner has forgot more about them than
you'll ever need to know.

FWIW, I'd start looking now. You get better deals with a long time
frame. And machinery is on fire sale now.

Look at gunner's video. That's called gang tooling, no turret. For an
omni refit of a hardinge they pull the turret off. Refitting a
hardinge to gang tool would be a smaller job than your mill.

If you want to keep the turret, you'll have to learn how to handle
more I/O and PLC type logic in EMC. Its a sure bet somebody has
already done a hardinge. I like having the turret, all the tools I use
are all set up and ready to go, up to 16 is not a problem. You can
quickly swap entire turrets out You also can more easily make long
parts with a turret.

P.S. Gunner's right, its time for you to eat crow on your words about
never needing another machine. Don't feel bad, I'm addicted too. I
REALLY want another lathe, got my heart set on a Leblond servo shift

Karl, I am starting to like this idea. I know nothing about CNC
lathes. I believe that some people on the EMC2 IRC channel refitted a
Hardinge CHNC or some such. I know that EMC2 handles ladder logic and
can do tool changes, though I am sure that it is complicated.

So, let me say something and you would say if it is true or not. I can
buy a Hardinge NC lathe, in a decent condition, throw out the entire
cabinet with electronics, refit it with EMC2 and parallel port I/O
controller (like Jon's), do some configuration work like on the mill,
and I will end up with a decent hobby CNC lathe. No need for taper
attachments and other B/S. Right?

i

Id not toss the cabinet...thats where all the relays and control lines
are. Id GUT OUT the stuff you dont need though.

And yes.

G

Gunner


I am the Sword of my Family
and the Shield of my Nation.
If sent, I will crush everything you have built,
burn everything you love,
and kill every one of you.
(Hebrew quote)