Q about Lab Volt 5300 CNC lathe
 

Anyone familiar with this?

http://dallas.craigslist.org/mdf/tls/2126003075.html

Is it obsolete?

Is it capable of doing anything worthwhile?

Can it be run from a PC with MACH3 or other standard software?

--
I can see 2012 from my front porch

Q about Lab Volt 5300 CNC lathe
 

RBnDFW fired this volley in news:ievspp$kot$1
@news.eternal-september.org:

Can it be run from a PC with MACH3 or other standard software?

The simple answer is that any machine that will accept g-code can be run
"from a PC". Most any competent CAM package could be configured to
output the correct g-codes for it. But the pc doesn't _control_ the
machine, it merely sends the list of machining operations to the
machine's own control. The internal controller on the machine does the
"running" of the lathe.

Mach3 is a control, not a g-code generator, per se. This machine already
has its own control, but the seller doesn't know (or won't say) if it
works.

LLoyd

Q about Lab Volt 5300 CNC lathe
 

RBnDFW wrote:

Anyone familiar with this?

http://dallas.craigslist.org/mdf/tls/2126003075.html

Is it obsolete?

Is it capable of doing anything worthwhile?

Can it be run from a PC with MACH3 or other standard software?

--
I can see 2012 from my front porch

It looks a bit like a Sherline lathe in that package. As a simple
stepper driven mini lathe it certainly could be converted to run from
Mach3 or EMC2. You may need to scrap most of the rest of the controls on
it though.

The manufacturer's site lists it as a current product. I expect it's
capable of doing worthwhile things if you're into model work or other
things within it's small work envelope. I don't think it's worth the
price they're asking. You could buy a mini lathe and add steppers to it
for half of what they're asking.

Q about Lab Volt 5300 CNC lathe
 

On 2010-12-23, RBnDFW wrote:
Anyone familiar with this?

http://dallas.craigslist.org/mdf/tls/2126003075.html

Is it obsolete?

Is it capable of doing anything worthwhile?

Can it be run from a PC with MACH3 or other standard software?


I would say, give labvolt a phone call at 1-800-LAB-VOLT and find out
for sure.

i

Q about Lab Volt 5300 CNC lathe
 

On Thu, 23 Dec 2010 10:19:02 -0600, RBnDFW
wrote:

Anyone familiar with this?

http://dallas.craigslist.org/mdf/tls/2126003075.html

Is it obsolete?

Is it capable of doing anything worthwhile?

Can it be run from a PC with MACH3 or other standard software?

http://www.labvolt.com/downloads/datasheet/dsa5300.pdf

Price sounds a bit high if it doesn't work.

Q about Lab Volt 5300 CNC lathe
 

Jon Anderson wrote:

On 12/23/2010 8:19 AM, RBnDFW wrote:

Is it capable of doing anything worthwhile?
Can it be run from a PC with MACH3 or other standard software?

It's a Sherline in a nice cabinet. There's more than a few companies
selling Sherline mills and lathes in cabinets as CNC trainers. I see
nothing in the listing to indicate it has a 'control'.

It definitely does have a control of some sort onboard. It has an LCD
display, and the limited documentation available indicates it does
indeed operate standalone, only downloading code via serial or Ethernet
connection. What is not clear is whether the download consists of
standard G-code, and whether that download capability is married in some
way to their software, or you can load standard G-code from any
software.

Q about Lab Volt 5300 CNC lathe
 

On 12/23/2010 11:41 AM, Pete C. wrote:

It definitely does have a control of some sort onboard. It has an LCD
display, and the limited documentation available indicates it does
indeed operate standalone, only downloading code via serial or Ethernet
connection. What is not clear is whether the download consists of
standard G-code, and whether that download capability is married in some
way to their software, or you can load standard G-code from any
software.

Oops, you're right. That black panel is so dark, I didn't realize it's
the same panel I saw in an image on the Lab-Volt site.
Yeah, being a stand alone unit with no docs, no telling how much work
it'll be to run under anything but Lab Volt software.


Jon

Q about Lab Volt 5300 CNC lathe
 

On 12/23/2010 10:19 AM, RBnDFW wrote:
Anyone familiar with this?

http://dallas.craigslist.org/mdf/tls/2126003075.html

Is it obsolete?

Is it capable of doing anything worthwhile?

Can it be run from a PC with MACH3 or other standard software?


Haven't had a chance to lay hands on it, but I've about decided it's too
light-duty for me to have interest.

thanks for all the input.

Rex