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Converting Your Old Mill or Lathe to CNC
For many mill owners, do-it-yourself projects provide a relaxing way to escape day-to –day pressures. For some, the idea of turning a manual mill into a more efficient, metal spinning CNC operated tool seems like the next perfect project. To learn what’s involved in converting a mill, visiting several websites with step-by-step instructions may prove helpful. Below are several different ways to go about the process.
Converting a manual mill into a CNC machine
The instructions that follow are for converting a Taig mill into a CNC mill—for more specific directions and additional help, visit the link provided.
Turning a manual Taig mill into a CNC run machine:
For a different and very detailed account of converting a manual mill into CNC, complete with pictures, the following site may be helpful:http://www.silverkatt.co.uk/CNCMill/
For many mill owners, do-it-yourself projects provide a relaxing way to escape day-to –day pressures. For some, the idea of turning a manual mill into a more efficient, metal spinning CNC operated tool seems like the next perfect project. To learn what’s involved in converting a mill, visiting several websites with step-by-step instructions may prove helpful. Below are several different ways to go about the process.
Converting a manual mill into a CNC machine
The instructions that follow are for converting a Taig mill into a CNC mill—for more specific directions and additional help, visit the link provided.
Turning a manual Taig mill into a CNC run machine:
- First, loosen the gibs and the leadscrew all the way.
- Next, remove the leadscrew mounting bolts and remove the leadscrews.
- Remove the tables from their tracks and replace brass brushings with bronze adjustable ones, then replace the tables.
- Replace the leadscrew, add the leadscrew mounting bolts, and tighten all the way.
- Remove the leadscrew mounting bolts and remove the leadscrew.
Install the new leadscrew (in this case, from Taig; wwwtaigtools.com), and then replace and tighten the mounting bolts. - Next, attach motor mounts, the motor, and the control system. The control system used here is the SP-3/HT from Stepperworld.
For a different and very detailed account of converting a manual mill into CNC, complete with pictures, the following site may be helpful:http://www.silverkatt.co.uk/CNCMill/