# NEW ACRA 1640TE



## Firestopper

The machine was ordered mid December of 2017 from ACRA Machinery. The machine took a few weeks to arrive from Taiwan and was shipped to the port of LA, then onto Ranch Cucamonga where ACRA is located. The machine was then delivered to my location via flatbed. The machine sustained a fair amount of paint damage due to poor handling on the truckers part. I ended up loading that machine and hauled it back some 500 miles back to ACRA for a different unit and returned the same day. I did end up getting a taper attachment for a decent discount for my troubles, but more importantly, the machine was handled with care and arrived unscathed.  I had already posted about the saga in "members hangout" under "New  machine arrives in used condition" so I won't double post.

I wanted to start a specific thread to document the modifications as well as review this machine to share with others who might find interest in the work performed and overall quality of this machine. I will end up posting some pictures found on the other thread, but they'e part of the inspection/review process and feel its important to include them.

The machine was coated with with just enough comsoline to protect the exposed surfaces so clean up was fairly easy with minimal spirits. Once cleaned the  quality fit and finish became apparent. The painted surfaces where equally impressive with no evidence of any overspray. The blue is a textured power coat finish.

The motor is 5 hp that drives three belts. I was pleased how clean and smooth the inside casting is as well as the quality of motor. The belt tensioning system is also very nice. The foot brake bar linkage is well done and the friction brake is located on the motor.











Some detailed information:
*FEATURES:
BED & STAND*
One Piece Cast Iron Floor Stand With Foot Brake
Front Move Chip Tray Floor Stand Or Rear Chip Floor Stand Selected
Bed Width 10 1/4 " Bed Meehanite Casting, Vibration Stress Relieved
Induction hardened And Precision Ground Bed Ways
Precision Hand Scraped Removable Gap Bed

*HEAD STOCK*
Dynamic Balanced Spindle
Spindle Is Supported By 3 Points Precision Dearings-2 Taper Roller And 1 Ball Bearing
Housing Are Properly Stabilized And Deflection Free
All Gears And Shafts Are Made By Chromium Molybdenum Steel With Segmentation And Precision Ground
EVS Models Forced Lubrication System
Nylon Safety Gears In End Train

*SPINDLE*
Machined From Forged Alloy Steel, Hardened Ground & Dynamically Balance
Three Point Support By High Grade Precision Machine Tool Taper Roller & Ball Bearings

*UNIVERSAL GEAR BOX*
Induction Hardened And Ground Gears And Shafts
Wide Threads Cutting Capacity For Imperial, Metric, Module Pitch And Diametrical Pitch

*APRON*
Right Hand Side Or Left-Hand Size Apron. Hand-Wheel Available As Requested
Integrated Automatic Device For Longitudinal & Cross Feeds, Forward And Reverse Feeds

*CARRIAGE & SLIDE*
Anti-Float Design, Backlash Eliminator Fitted In Cross Slide Nut
Safety Clutches At Feed Shaft Lever
Dual Reading Dials
One Shut Lubrication For Carriage And Tops Slide

The Black collar on the spindle is a harmonic balancer with multiple tapped holes.The upper drive pulley is also balanced. The blue nylon gear is the safety gear mentioned in the previous features.




The end cover is made of fiberglass with two lower adjusting pins.
Very versatile selection of pitch/feed options.




Carriage operates smooth with no notable backlash due to the anti-float design. The brass push knob is the one shot lubrication.
The lower push/pull round knob allows the operator to reverse direction on both carriage and cross slide on the fly.




The dials are crisp and easy to read. The indexing collars rotates 180º to change viewing from metric to decimal.
	

		
			
		

		
	








Very nice fit and finish.




The lead screw measures 1.125" diameter. Feed rod, fwd/rev rod and lead screw share the same lubrication block.




The heavy cast aluminum end cover houses the FWD/REV switches.




A shot of the bed.




The tail stock is a MT4 nice crisp dials.




The Meehenite  bed measures 10.250" across with substantial webbing.




Now for some verifications on the the cross feed, compound, carriage and tailstock. I set up a magnetic test indicator to compare the dial graduations to actual movement. I was especially surprised with the carriage and tailstock results. The cross feed and compound where spot on but that should be expected.
The carriage was moved towards the head stock and both indicator and carriage dial zeroed.




The carriage was moved one tic mark (.010") and the test indicator reflected the exact number.




Next up was the compound verification. One tic= .001" Moved  dial .005"




Good to go.




Cross feed. Had to turn off the overhead light due to glare but you can still make out the zeros.




.010" read .005 on test indicator.




The set up for the tailstock test. I re-checked the compound since it shared the same set up.




Set the tailstock dial to zero and zeroed the test indicator.




Again, the tailstock had surprising accuracy.




The second compound test using this set up. (.005")




Test indicator reading.




Uncrated the taper attachment and spent three hours cleaning and lubricating. I took it completely apart and reset the gibbs.
A very heavy unit and well made.




After reassembly and gibbs adjusted it floats smoothly back and forth. Used No.2 way oil.




OOPS! it seems I've exceeded the 30 photo limit per post.

To be continued....

Paco


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## Firestopper

More on the tapper attachment,
The taper adjustment knob works very smooth in both directions. The threads has to be completely free of cosmoline. The taper attachment was labeled for a 1640 RML. Sun Master makes the same machine badged as Southbend, RML and ACRA. Painted different shades and with different data plate color schemes. I chose the ACRA based on Mark's (mksj) mill quality and his input as well as future support from ACRA.








Cleaned and applied some anti-seize to the six leveling bolt in preparation. The fork lift will be used from the bottom to position the machine. The manual provides exact measurements  for fork placement so that will make it safe vs picking. 







I found this by the front door last night. It seems the UPS guy didn't need a signature and the hell hounds didn't indicate a visitor,
No snacks for them....Kidding!, they get their snacks.
Its a 3 axis EL 700 touch screen with magnetic scales. 




Mark is coming over on Saturday to help with the install. While the backsplash is removed, We'll install the taper attachment as well.
More to come later. still have a lot of work/mods to complete before she will make chips but I'll keep on documenting.
Any ideas, comments are always welcomed.
Thanks for visiting.
Paco


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## f350ca

Very nice machine Paco. 
You'll like that foot brake, had one on a 14 x 40, would stop the spindle instantly at just about any speed. Great for threading to a shoulder. 
The one shot lube on the carriage is a nice touch. My Summit has a knob to divert the pressurized oil system to lube the ways and lead screw. I forget it on and have oil every where.
Is the third scale on the DRO for the compound?

Greg


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## Bamban

Impressive machine, it looks like it was built to live in a production environment . Looking forward read projects done on that piece of jewel.


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## Firestopper

f350ca said:


> Very nice machine Paco.
> You'll like that foot brake, had one on a 14 x 40, would stop the spindle instantly at just about any speed. Great for threading to a shoulder.
> The one shot lube on the carriage is a nice touch. My Summit has a knob to divert the pressurized oil system to lube the ways and lead screw. I forget it on and have oil every where.
> Is the third scale on the DRO for the compound?
> 
> Greg



Thanks Greg,
The 1440 has a foot brake that works via an upper pulley drum brake with two shoes. Great for tapping large threads too. I like both the one shot and feed reversal knob. Better to have more oil than not, I say.
The third scale is designed to be used on the compound and when activated works with the other two scales to display combined movement
( Axis Summing and Vectoring). I originally was entertaining using it on the tail stock, but that gets complicated with the fixed reader head and sliding scale.

The DRO also features things like zero approach, job timer, feed rate and shrinkage factor but these my not apply in lathe mode. The display is easy on my eyes.
Paco


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## Firestopper

Bamban said:


> Impressive machine, it looks like it was built to live in a production environment . Looking forward read projects done on that piece of jewel.



Well built for sure but no machiing production done here. I will have the ability to take much deeper passes saving time tough.


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## f350ca

You'll like the scale on the compound Paco. I have it on the Summit. It either sums the compound and carriage or shows either indipendantly.  I keep the compound dialed in parallel to the bed. When machining to a shoulder I can kick the feed out close to the shoulder then feed the compound the last bit.

Greg


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## Firestopper

Yeah, looking forward to using the compound without eye strain.


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## Bob Korves

I like the foot brake arrangement.  My 13x40 also has the two internal shoes at the other end of the belts.  It works great, but yours appears to be a design fairly easy to copy for anyone interested in a retrofit foot brake, if there is room to move the motor a bit to allow modifications to the pulley end.


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## DoogieB

If you get a chance, I wouldn't mind seeing a clear picture of the lathe's threading chart.  Looks like it has a really neat QCGB.


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## Firestopper

Bob Korves said:


> I like the foot brake arrangement.  My 13x40 also has the two internal shoes at the other end of the belts.  It works great, but yours appears to be a design fairly easy to copy for anyone interested in a retrofit foot brake, if there is room to move the motor a bit to allow modifications to the pulley end.



Bob,
Its much more direct like you mentioned, the motor shaft would have to be long enough to support the added flywheel. The brake band has a riveted (I think) flexible braking shoe along the rear contact surface.
Should work well.


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## Firestopper

DoogieB said:


> If you get a chance, I wouldn't mind seeing a clear picture of the lathe's threading chart.  Looks like it has a really neat QCGB.



Here you go. The letters L and H represent Low and High speed position followed by the gear selection combinations.





The QCGB.




The lead screw threading dial rotates to to disengage when not in use.




Rotated in position for use.




Paco


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## mikey

Congratulations, Paco - really, really nice machine!


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## Firestopper

mikey said:


> Congratulations, Paco - really, really nice machine!



Thank you Mike,
Looking forward to making chips!

Paco


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## jcp

Wow!! What a great looking machine!


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## f350ca

Check if low and high makes any difference in the feed rates Paco. My Summit has three ranges of spindle speed, and the thread and feed chart is broken into three sections corresponding to the ranges but I can cut any thread in any range and feeds certainly don't change with the range Never figured that one out.
Makes no sense that you would have to cut 2 tpi in high range and 72 tpi in low.

Greg


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## Firestopper

jcp said:


> Wow!! What a great looking machine!



Thanks tcp,
Hope it runs as good as it looks.


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## Firestopper

f350ca said:


> Check if low and high makes any difference in the feed rates Paco. My Summit has three ranges of spindle speed, and the thread and feed chart is broken into three sections corresponding to the ranges but I can cut any thread in any range and feeds certainly don't change with the range Never figured that one out.
> Makes no sense that you would have to cut 2 tpi in high range and 72 tpi in low.
> 
> Greg



Greg, 
The gearing is obvious way different at the two extreems,but once I get it powered up, I'll check it out for sure. Got me scratching my head now hahah.


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## Firestopper

This 12vdc low profile light came in today. I found it on eBay for under 50 bucks. It has snap-in magnet clips so no drilling required.








The 52" strip tucks nicely under the top return on the backsplash.




Puts out hella light with the right temp for my liking. Tuned off the shop lights to set the mood.




Started milling the DRO head unit mount as well.




Mocking up for measurements. I needed to allow space for the tach and speed control box that will mount below the readout unit.




Still profiling the block of aluminum. for the read head arm to mount to.




Pretty stoked about working with Mark (mksj) tomorrow. 

Thats all amigos.

Paco


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## kd4gij

Acra makes good equipment. We had a 16x60 lathe at my last job. Where I work now we have an Acra 2j mill BP clone.


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## Z2V

Paco, that’s a great looking lathe sitting in great looking shop! I wouldn’t know how to act with all that room. Really nice.
In post 2 you mentioned that Mark was coming out to help with DRO and taper attachment, are you doing his VFD control upgrade also? I’ve looked at some of the electrical drawings he’s posted, he’s designed a really nice controller. 
What other mods do you have planned before you put her to work? Oh, really like the light in the back splash also.


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## Silverbullet

Great machines acra , good luck with it , I'd be afraid to run and put the first marks on her. Shoot I'd make covers for the charts even in chip pan I'd put pans. Ya know protect her. But they're there to be used. YUPP she's pretty


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## Ray C

Really nice!  I'm making Tim Taylor toolman grunting noises just looking at yours!

I've got my eyes on a new lathe myself and am just waiting for the right time to rearrange the shop and order it.


Ray


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## Firestopper

Z2V said:


> Paco, that’s a great looking lathe sitting in great looking shop! I wouldn’t know how to act with all that room. Really nice.
> In post 2 you mentioned that Mark was coming out to help with DRO and taper attachment, are you doing his VFD control upgrade also? I’ve looked at some of the electrical drawings he’s posted, he’s designed a really nice controller.
> What other mods do you have planned before you put her to work? Oh, really like the light in the back splash also.



Thanks Z2V,

So Mark (mksj) spent the day installing a new control system while I milled new DRO brackets for the display unit. The cheesy OEM brackets weren't  square and would have drove me nuts. Mark does stellar work and his attention to detail is over the top.
I be sharing photos soon.
Thanks for visiting.
Paco


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## Firestopper

Thanks Silverbullet,
Sun Master does build a fine machine. I will get her dirty soon enough.

Take care,
Paco


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## Firestopper

Ray C said:


> Really nice!  I'm making Tim Taylor toolman grunting noises just looking at yours!
> 
> I've got my eyes on a new lathe myself and am just waiting for the right time to rearrange the shop and order it.
> 
> 
> Ray



Hi Ray,
Depending on what size lathe your wanting, take a look at what ACRA has to offer. They are nice man.
I make the same grunting noises 

Paco


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## Firestopper

I got started at dawn today and first order of business was to get the lathe on the floor. Yesterday I dealt with the additional 8" of hight and it was a pain to get accurate measurements. I milled new support brackets for the DRO display head. For such a nice quality DRO their brackets leave a lot to be desired. Mark arrived and brought along a new control system. I don't think he sleeps much either, his schematics are the cleanest I've ever seen and his wiring is also impeccable.

New hour meter added, I like to keep track of service hours for maintanace intervals. The compressor, and plate roller also utilize hour meters. The retails for $72 but was had for $20 +4 bucks in shipping (eBay). You can see the magnetic pickup just to the lower right. This will be for the Tach.





Look at this work of art! Mark modified the carriage micro stop with a proximity sensor and 2 stage safety micro switch in case the proximity sensor fails. The micro switch will use motor braking in  E-stop mode programed with VFD to halt in just over a second. The dial is smooth as silk.
I especially like the profile work he did to match the V-way angle.I need to make a trigger plate and plan on the same profile. I will also make some thumb lever screw to eliminate the need for an Allen wrench.




Mark's clean work with labels to follow his schematics. I provided him with a sheet of aluminum and he brought it back fully assembled and tested saving time. He also brought along all new front switches and better wiring. He works alone during this time so I kept on milling.
The panel seems a bit short on components because the wall enclosure houses the rest of the system including the VFD.




Installing the taper attachment required the two of us. This thing is heavy and requires fine adjustment for the cross feed led screw to turn smoothly. It normally takes an hour per the instructions but we did manage to beat that time but did have to fuss with the final adjustments.




The quick claps are are holding the magnetic scales I was working on. Have a little more milling to get this one done.




Here's a shot of the front switch panel. better quality switches and wiring. The far right joy stick for jogging FWD/REV and programed to 20 HTZ for power tapping and general jogging. The green push switch is dual purpose. Its a power on indicator (pilot light) and push bi-pass for the proximity stop. The blue flood switch is a two stage switch that can provide constant flooding or flood only while the spindle/motor is running. The far left micro toggle switch is for two stage motor braking. #1 (up) motor brakes in just over 1 second, same as E-stop and #2 (down) for motor braking in 3-5 seconds. The foot brake will also activate the E-stop I believe but will mostly be used for large manual tapping.




Below the DRO is the Tack/sfpm and speed control pot. Mark built this from kit  soldering the individual components and modified the voltage. He also milled the box and lexan for a flush fit. Absolutely a custom work of art. This is the backside. Notice the cover is to the rear for a clean front.




I drilled/tapped the rear cover to mount under the DRO.




Close up of the Tach box.




The naked lathe as it sits tonight.




We both put in a long day but getting closer to making chips. More on the DRO scales tomorrow.
Thanks for looking.
Good night fellas.
Paco


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## jeff_g1137

Hi
A very very nice lathe. 
jeff g


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## Firestopper

Thanks Jeff,
Getting closer to firing up.


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## .LMS.

Wow!   Watching you guys create these works of art is really enjoyable.    And loving those plates on your truck.


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## FOMOGO

That's a really nice machine, and the upgrades just put it over the top. Enjoy my friend. Mike


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## Firestopper

.LMS. said:


> Wow!   Watching you guys create these works of art is really enjoyable.    And loving those plates on your truck.


 Thank you but my work pales compared to Mark's (mksj) electronic's wizardry. This man has taught me so much over the past couple of years. I try  hard to find answers to questions without bothering him but when I can't find the answer, he's always willing to help me. He's defiantly a mentor and older brother I never had.

Funny story on the front license plate "GAS HOG". Back in the early 90's,I had a ford F250 4x4 with a 460. My brother-in-law (BIL)  and I would go camping with our families. That truck had two fuel tanks for a total of 38 gallons. He would get annoyed at the frequent fuel stops I required durning our travels and him being a State Prison Deputy Warden at the time instructed an inmate to press out an official plate and gave it to me that following Christmas.  Funniest gift yet!  Anyway,  AZ only requires one registered plate on the rear so its handy to annoy those  liberal  Prius drivers Hahah!  Back in 95 I took my family to White Sands Missile Range in that F250 and a Japanese tourist asked me in broken english if he could take a photo of the of the front view of the rig. I'm sure the truck was a topic of discussion on wasteful American resources. My BIL eventually retired as a Warden but the plate will never retire.
True story...All of it.

Paco


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## Firestopper

FOMOGO said:


> That's a really nice machine, and the upgrades just put it over the top. Enjoy my friend. Mike



Thanks Mike,

Its coming out nicely, 
I gotta walk the kids and machine some scale mounts. I'll update tonight.

Paco


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## .LMS.

firestopper said:


> Funny story on the front license plate "GAS HOG". Back in the early 90's,I had a ford F250 4x4 with a 460. My brother-in-law (BIL)  and I would go camping with our families. That truck had two fuel tanks for a total of 38 gallons. He would get annoyed at the frequent fuel stops I required durning our travels and him being a State Prison Deputy Warden at the time instructed an inmate to press out an official plate and gave it to me that following Christmas.  Funniest gift yet!  Anyway,  AZ only requires one registered plate on the rear so its handy to annoy those  liberal  Prius drivers Hahah!  Back in 95 I took my family to White Sands Missile Range in that F250 and a Japanese tourist asked me in broken english if he could take a photo of the of the front view of the rig. I'm sure the truck was a topic of discussion on wasteful American resources. My BIL eventually retired as a Warden but the plate will never retire.
> True story...All of it.
> 
> Paco



Awesome.   My son had a Prius, but he also had a Mitt Romney for Prez sticker on it to confuse everyone!


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## Firestopper

.LMS. said:


> Awesome.   My son had a Prius, but he also had a Mitt Romney for Prez sticker on it to confuse everyone!


Good one!


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## Firestopper

Got some time after repairing the washing machine. The wife was getting a "PE" code on the front loader. Turns out the water supply solenoid valves where plugged with what I call sand rubies. After flushing them out and blowing shop air the machine was back in service. Now onto some fun. I was able to get the X Axis scale mounted. The brackets required machining to center the reader head and bring it toward the magnetic scale.
I opted to use all SAE SS button head Allen screws. I don't care for the metric screws provided, beside I have a larger selection of standard drill and taps. On the reader head, I used 1/4-20 screws, the scales 8-32, cover 8-32 and cable clamp 8-32. I broke a tap on the second reader head hole. I must be living right because enough was sticking out to purchase with a needle nose mini vice grip. Sprayed some Free-All and it turned right out. Pulled a second starting tap and finished the read head. The read head bracket has four jackscrews for fine adjustment. The final adjustment is 0.020"clearance from the mag scale a plastic shim is supplied to help achieve this. The lathe has provisions machined into the carriage for the use of scales.

The tailstock was removed and the carriage was moved to the far left to drill/tap.





Two 2x4 stacked blocks provided a straight shot for tapping.




The 3/8" extension really helped reach the hole. The tap wrench is made by Irwin (Home Depot) and has a removable T handle and a 3/8" drive.




The magnetic scales can be cut to size unlike the glass counterpart.They are only 3/8" thick so very compact. 8-32 screws secured the scales to the cross feed. I had to be careful as this is the gib side so drill depth was a consideration.







Adjusting the "air gap" using the shim. This scale is a 1 micron scale.




The plastic shim.




The taper attachment block was drilled for a 8-32 to secure the cable clamp. Here you can see the machined groove to nest the read head armored cable just to the left of the tap.









The groove really helps keep the cable secured.




Next up was to drill the cover to screw onto the ends of the scale. These too where re-drilled and tapped to 8-32 for all hardware to match.




I still need to locate and drill a access hole of the cross feed lock set screw. I'll probably make a custom levered screw that fits tight though the cover to keep out swarf.




I think it turned out clean.




Powered up the DRO adjusted the scale resolution and selected to 1 micron and tested the operation. The numbers where very stable throughout  the travel range. I really like the LCD touch screen, very easy on my eyeballs.




Back to work tomorrow so won't get to the other two scales until Tuesday.
Thanks for stopping by.
Good night fellas.
Paco


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## Firestopper

Yesterday, I had 1/2 day in the shop and was able to get the Y/Z axis 5 micron scale mounted and dialed in. Still need to mount the cover shield.
The machine has a nice machined flat surface on the rear bed that allows for a direct mount of the scale. Only three drill/taped holes (8-32) where required for the scale. The second pair of drilled/tapped (1/4-20)  holes are located on the rear carriage for the reader head bracket. The read head bracket required shortening and slotted holes to keep it compact and close to the bed ways.

I laid-out the scale and used 3M double side tape to mock up the long 46" scale. Working alone, this was helpful. I watched a couple of DROPRO's videos last week and saw the 3M trick. The long scale kit also came with two support clamps that index into the middle groove of the extruded aluminum scale housing.  Only one support clamp (bottom) was used to support the center as it had a .0015" sag found when sweeping using a test indicator. The scales end cap grub screws where not needed since the mounting surface was true. The magnetic scales are pretty forgiving considering the tolerances provided in the installation guide. I was able to get it within .0015" in 46" along the top and achieved .0005" along the face (probably the paint). The read head bracket was cut and two holes drilled. These holes where then transferred to the rear of the carriage drill/tapped. The bracket was then back on the mill for slotting .100" towards the top and .200" towards the bottom for final reader head centering.
The last step was to use the supplied .020" shim to set the gap between the read head and scale. Ran out of time for the cover shield. All armored cabling will be routed and secured with supplied clamp once the backsplash in in place and all travels are considered.

Initial scale lay-out. Here you can see the machined surface allowing for a direct mount.




The 3M double side tape worked almost too good. I had to use dental floss to cut it loose prior to drilling.




Transferring the hole location. I purposely transferred at the bottom of the slot. This allowed me to drop the scale down to make clearance for the cover shield. Unfortunately, I needed a little more clearance but wanted the scales as close to the bed ways as possible. Trimming the cover or adding spacers should work fine.




Used the Noga and test indicator to verify the top and face of the long scale.




Sweeping the top and making adjustments. The test indicator was used to secure the slight sagging found at 22.5"(center) using the supplied center clamp.




This took some time working alone as traversing the carriage is done from the opposing side.




With the scale dialed in the reader bracket was was next. Here you can see the close proximity of the scale to the bed way, this improves accuracy by keeping the brackets short. You can also see the center support clamp on the scale (bottom). Not necessary to use a top clamp as the scale was held tight and a top clamp would hinder the cover shield fit. 




The full travel towards the head stock showed the read head wiper 3/16" from the end of the scale.




Full travel toward the tailstock also has 3/16" clearance from said wiper to end of scale.




Overall view.




The display now responds to two of three axis.




Compound scale is on deck. Any of you guys running a compound scale, please post up some photos. I this will be the most challenging part of the install and I need some ideas keeping thing compact.
Thanks for viewing and lets see some compounds

Paco


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## f350ca

Nice clean instal Paco (as expected)
This is the one I installed on the Colchester. Mounted the scale on the chuck side because of the gib adjusters. Think this side is best. I keep the compound parallel to the bed all the time, on this side its away from the action and clears the tailstock.













The one on the Summit was installed at the dealer, they put it on the same side. 
Sorry this is the best picture I could find, can take more if you want.





Greg


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## pdentrem

Maybe your “sand rubies” are the remains from the anode rod in the hot water tank. Just went through this at the girl friends place. Flushed the tank via the bottom drain and got a couple cups of sand!


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## Firestopper

Thanks Greg,
I was hoping to see your setup. If you wouldn't mind a close up on the Summit would be helpful when you have time.
Those are two fine machine you have there, very nice.


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## Firestopper

pdentrem said:


> Maybe your “sand rubies” are the remains from the anode rod in the hot water tank. Just went through this at the girl friends place. Flushed the tank via the bottom drain and got a couple cups of sand!



Nah, These are tiny red granite sand looking spheres very consistent in shape and size.
I recently replaced the water heater, The well we're on is notorious for depositing these tiny sandy red spheres. I often have to flush the main inlet strainer as well as the aerators on the facets. First time the washer got plugged. What I probably need is a main inlet filter. I suspect the water level has dropped in the aquifer and is stirring up sediment, or the inlet filter/strainer on the well pump needs replacement. The "PE" code (clothes washer)  indicated a water level pressure sensor/switch error. I opted to check the solenoid valves first and found the issue on the cold side.  I'm sure some technician would have remove and replace the pressure switch charge us a stupid price then called it good only to throw the code again.
I got seventeen years out of the last water heater by flushing it quarterly. Definitely need to flush this appliance as the occluded solenoid valve was the cold supply so the water heater is trapping the rest.
Tip of the day (TOTD)
Like pdentrem states fellas, flush your water heaters!


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## Ray C

Will you please hurry up and put a big greasy paw print on that thing already...

Chips!  Now...



Ray


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## Firestopper

Haha, trust me Ray, I'm chomping at the bit to do so.

Paco


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## f350ca

My memory is beter than I thought, remembered to get some photo's .
You need enough slack in the cable to swing the compound.






They added a spacer at the end of the scale to keep it back of the t-slot.










The readout sums the compound and the carriage or displays either, with that Zs button, The DRO Pro's one I had on the Colchester read the sum all the time but you could unplug one and read the other by itself.





Hope that helps, can get more detail if you need it.

Greg


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## Firestopper

Thanks Greg,
That helps, man that Summits a beast, nice !  Appreciate you sharing. The EL 700 can turn off the summing feature so thats cool. Gonna study different options tomorrow when I get off work. Probably post up efferent options and request opinions from you all. 
Paco


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## f350ca

Thanks Paco. Its been a great lathe. Made in Poland. Nice fit and finish as yours. Weighs 6400 pounds, 15 3/4 wide bed, 20 - 2000 rpm so it will do the big and small stuff. 10 hp motor, loves to eat metal though I rarely work it to its capacity. 60 - 1/4 tpi or .5 to 200 mm thread pitch. Even has a rapid feed motor on the carriage , good thing its heavy to crank, the scale on the compound is essential when working to a shoulder.

Greg


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## Firestopper

Awesome machine Greg.
Thanks again for your feedback. 
Paco


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## ronboult

firestopper said:


> Here you go. The letters L and H represent Low and High speed position followed by the gear selection combinations.
> View attachment 258364
> 
> The QCGB.
> View attachment 258365
> 
> The lead screw threading dial rotates to to disengage when not in use.
> View attachment 258366
> 
> Rotated in position for use.
> View attachment 258367
> 
> 
> Paco



Hi Paco
That sure is a nice lathe. Would love to own a Taiwanese machine of that quality.

One particular thing that caught my eye was the layout of threading and feed chart. Why don't all lathes set it out like this. So easy to choose and set up a required pitch. I am going to make a similar chart for my lathe.
I am enjoying your journey setting up your new lathe
Cheers
Ron ( from Downunder)


----------



## Firestopper

Hi Ron,

Thanks man,
This chart is laid out different than my 1440 which I have gotten use to over the years.
The vertical chart on the Arca does seem less busy.

Paco


----------



## Firestopper

Just got home from work and mocked up the scale on the compound. I wanted to get some outside observations and feed back.
Fist off, the scale will need to be cut to size, no big deal. I will need to cut the aluminum extrusion 25/32" shorter the the overall length if the compound. Once the end cap is screwed back on the scale will run end to end with just a slight setback. The gib is located on the headstock side when the scale is perpendicular to the spindle so the scale will be mounted on the right side or farthest from the chuck in this  position.
The other consideration is the large  tool post T nut.  I want to have enough clearance for the shield/cover (installed)  to remove slide the said T out from either side. The reader head cabling will also come from the front of the machine like Greg's (f350ca) lathes. This should provide better cable management when the compound is used parallel (0º) to the spindle and keep the cable from harms way.
Here are some photos. I hope I'm making sense to you guys. Please opine any and all pros/cons.
I'm not in a hurry to start drilling/tapping and cutting but would like to get started by noon.

Besides the tool post T nut, I also need clearance for the 14mm box wrench to loosen/tighten compound  seen here.
In this photo, I have room to lower the scale to make way for the cover/shield.




I rotated the compound parallel to the bed and used two 1.5" parallels to set the scale on. This put the top of the scale a solid .125" below the T-nut but the bottom of the scale closer to the 14mm nut (still useable). The gaol here; I want the maximum amount of access to the 14mm nut and still have clearance to remove the tool post. The cover measures .053" thick and mounts to the top of the scale so a pair of feeler gauges set with .063" where used between the parallels and the scale, clamped and a reference line marked on the compound. The scales end caps mounting holes are slotted for final adjustment during install. I think I will remove the compound and drill/tap on the mill. The depth of the hole to be tapped is critical as the dove tail is within .450-.500" (eyeballing).




The read head  mounting bracket will be designed once the scale is mounted and should rest solid to the fixed lower portion of the compound.
Let me know what you good folks think. I believe I'm on the right track, but the more eyes to better.

Thank you in advance for any opinions.

Paco


----------



## f350ca

The smaller magnetic scales are sure a lot nicer to mount.
When you have the compound  to the bed will the scale interfere  with the tailstock.
Think you'll find you have the compound parallel most of the time. I hardly ever even swing it to thread now.

Greg


----------



## Firestopper

Hi Greg,

Had to go get provisions for the lap dogs, 180 pounds worth of dry food and two flats of wet. I figured you'd appreciate this Greg.
Those four GSD's like to eat good hahah. I have to make this run every six weeks. As far as the waste, well its around 30#'s a week (TMI!!!)

Anyway, Thanks for getting back to me. Yes, this magnetic scales are compact with only .375" of protrusion. When you ask "compound to the bed" I'm assuming parallel to the bed (forgive my ignorance). If this is what you mean, Yes, all sorts of room.

The first photo shows the cross feed travel all the way forward. Plenty of room left for the carriage towards the head stock but the long scale is sticking past at the moment.





In this shot the cross feed is in with plenty more room to go inboard. I had to stop there as the extra long scale (sticking out towards the chuck)  had not been cut yet and will contact the chuck. I plan on using a CXA QCTP, that should give me more clearance when arranged the same way you have yours.




On my 1440, I have been threading with the compound at 90º for years since I use robust threading inserts. The 29.5º was the way I learned in HS, but discontinued this some years back with excellent threading results using only the cross feed.
I'll get the scale cut to size and see how close to the tailstock it will get.
Thanks again for your input. I'll have my phone to monitor any other questions or recommendations for the compound scale mount.

Paco


----------



## f350ca

Yah I understand the grocery run. Saddie goes through a 30 pound bag in 3 or 4 weeks along with a half can a day.  As for waste, she wanders back into the bush behind the house, thankfully I don't know where. 

Greg


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## ronboult

Paco
Before you mount the compound scale & reader have you considered the new mini Electronica scales that are even smaller than the S1 scales you have. I have read that DroPros can supply them but the following website will give you some info. There is also more details on the Electronica Website
http://www.ems-i.co.uk/EMC14 Datasheet (V2).pdf
http://www.ems-i.co.uk/G1 Lathe installation.pdf
http://electronicaems.com/EMC14_reader_head.php
Cheers
Ron


----------



## Firestopper

Hi Ron,

Thanks for responding, at the time of purchase of the EL700, I asked Dan about other options for a smaller scales & reader heads. He told me the S1  was the smallest  combination that would work with the EL 700.
Those are some cool options though.

Wouldn't it be cool to have a wireless read head (bluetooth) system.

Paco


----------



## extropic

Paco,
I would ask you to reconsider putting the scale on the spindle side of the compound as you've mocked it up. I try for minimum tool overhang to keep the set-up as rigid as I can. You're adding an accessory that will increase your minimum tool overhang and will put the scale/cover in close proximity to the cutting action (danger zone?)
I don't understand why you chose to do it opposite to what Greg pictured. Why not put the scale on the other (operator) side of the compound? What am I missing here?


----------



## ronboult

Interesting advice from Dan
Had a look at the Electronica website and as far as I can tell the signal output from the EMB readhead used with the SI is the same as the newer EMC14 A or B used with the newer stick on mini scales.
 I purchased a S1 to replace the Glass scale on the cross slide of my 330 x 1000 lathe as it gets in the way of the cross slide lock but I am now investigating the mini scales as they are shorter and narrower which will totally solve my problem.

Will probably have two new S1 scales and read heads to sell (150 & 170 mm travel)

The other option is Ditron magnetic scales available from http://www.dcoee.com.
Cheers
Ron


----------



## Firestopper

extropic said:


> Paco,
> I would ask you to reconsider putting the scale on the spindle side of the compound as you've mocked it up. I try for minimum tool overhang to keep the set-up as rigid as I can. You're adding an accessory that will increase your minimum tool overhang and will put the scale/cover in close proximity to the cutting action (danger zone?)
> *I don't understand why you chose to do it opposite to what Greg pictured. Why not put the scale on the other (operator) side of the compound? *What am I missing here?



*The gib and compound  lock is on the left side*. I have not drilled/mounted as of yet. Something tells me I should have stuck to my original plan on using the third scale on the tailstock......I've already cut the scale to fit the compound.

Gonna have to figure this out....
Thanks for the input.
Paco


----------



## petertha

Some of my 14x40 compound DRO pics for potential mount/layout ideas. But its Newall.


----------



## f350ca

The scale looks quite a bit shorter on mine, does your compound have that much travel to need all that scale Paco? If you can shorten it it might mount above the lock screw and behind the t-slot.

Greg


----------



## Firestopper

ronboult said:


> Interesting advice from Dan
> Had a look at the Electronica website and as far as I can tell the signal output from the EMB readhead used with the SI is the same as the newer EMC14 A or B used with the newer stick on mini scales.
> I purchased a S1 to replace the Glass scale on the cross slide of my 330 x 1000 lathe as it gets in the way of the cross slide lock but I am now investigating the mini scales as they are shorter and narrower which will totally solve my problem.
> 
> Will probably have two new S1 scales and read heads to sell (150 & 170 mm travel)
> 
> The other option is Ditron magnetic scales available from http://www.dcoee.com.
> Cheers
> Ron



I guess not knowing better about the available mini scale options at the time of purchase, I put stock into the advise I was given at the time. Dan was kind enough to include a 10" scale for the cost of a 8" but the entire system wasn't cheap. Todays been a bummer and it seems it still sucks knowing what I'm now learning. 

Thanks for the information Dan.

Paco


----------



## Firestopper

petertha said:


> Some of my 14x40 compound DRO pics for potential mount/layout ideas. But its Newall.



Thanks for sharing your set up. How's it working out on the right side of the compound?
Clean install. 

Paco


----------



## Firestopper

f350ca said:


> The scale looks quite a bit shorter on mine, does your compound have that much travel to need all that scale Paco? If you can shorten it it might mount above the lock screw and behind the t-slot.
> 
> Greg



Hey Greg, I originally got a 10" to use on the tailstock but after reading more on the capabilities of vector and summing I opted to put it on the compound. Since the scales can be cut to size, I thought I would try it. Right now its sitting in place via double side 3M tape and I have access to the 14mm nut as well as t-slot clearance for the cover,  but its on the right hand side as the compound lock and gib is on the left.
The total compound travel is 5" and need the full length shown to prevent contacting the readhead  (2.375" long) at both extremes.
It does fit nice but I'm second guessing mounting on the right side for reasons mentioned by extropic. The CXA tooling has always provided a little extra clearance from the work and compound and has proven rigid on the 1440. This machine should be more rigid.

Cut the scale.





This is how it sits now (mocked up). The readhead would be fixed towards the lower rear about .750" from the front end providing about .250" clearance from the end of the scale when compound is inward and the same clearance at the opposite end when the compound is cranked out.
Plenty of room for the 14mm wrench and clearance for the cover and t-slot.




A close up with the cover resting on scale.




Access to the lower nut with cover in the same location.




Hope this makes sense.

Paco


----------



## petertha

firestopper said:


> Thanks for sharing your set up. How's it working out on the right side of the compound?
> Clean install. Paco



DRO on RHS of compound is no problem. Its always a lesser of evils type decision. A small PITA thing is I remove the angle guard via 2 cap screws to get at the RHS compound bolt in the casting lug to adjust compound angle. Takes me 5 seconds. From that perspective it didn't matter anyway because the bolts are symmetric on either side. I just have to be careful about blindly man gripping the compound dial because the end of the carbon fiber encoder tube pokes out in the extended position. The whole 3rd axis was a bit of 'do I really need this?'. But the DRO box had a 3rd port & price was right & now I use it.

I was more concerned by placing the cross slide encoder on the LHS. That decision was driven by 2 things. Utilization of existing threaded casting holes for the travelling steady. And my knob for tightening the cross slide is on RHS. That could have been re-drilled by removing the cross slide assembly. But I didn't fancy myself reaching my hand on the chuck side to lock the carriage which I do pretty much every traversing pass so often its force of habit. 

If I did a lot of travelling steady work I'd probably be regretting it. Although I have seen some neat adaptations to the toolpost or bolted to the cross slide table. That encoder install was one of those 'lets just see how it goes' type jobs. And it ended up never moving. 

That is a really clean looking big boy lathe btw. I'm sure you will enjoy working on it


----------



## Firestopper

petertha said:


> DRO on RHS of compound is no problem. Its always a lesser of evils type decision. A small PITA thing is I remove the angle guard via 2 cap screws to get at the RHS compound bolt in the casting lug to adjust compound angle. Takes me 5 seconds. From that perspective it didn't matter anyway because the bolts are symmetric on either side. I just have to be careful about blindly man gripping the compound dial because the end of the carbon fiber encoder tube pokes out in the extended position. The whole 3rd axis was a bit of 'do I really need this?'. But the DRO box had a 3rd port & price was right & now I use it.
> 
> I was more concerned by placing the cross slide encoder on the LHS. That decision was driven by 2 things. Utilization of existing threaded casting holes for the travelling steady. And my knob for tightening the cross slide is on RHS. That could have been re-drilled by removing the cross slide assembly. But I didn't fancy myself reaching my hand on the chuck side to lock the carriage which I do pretty much every traversing pass so often its force of habit.
> 
> If I did a lot of travelling steady work I'd probably be regretting it. Although I have seen some neat adaptations to the toolpost or bolted to the cross slide table. That encoder install was one of those 'lets just see how it goes' type jobs. And it ended up never moving.
> 
> That is a really clean looking big boy lathe btw. I'm sure you will enjoy working on it




Thanks for the reply, yup I get the less of two evils. I could rotate the scale 90º facing down with machined blocks, this would raise it up further and mount it on the LHS. I'm back on shift today, I can think about it further. On your Newall, are the cross slide and compound scales 1 micron?
Again, thanks for sharing.

Paco


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## petertha

Microsyn10 on the compound & cross slide. Spherosyn on the long axis.
http://newall.com/products/?name=Spherosyn/Microsyn+Encoders&catid=1&prid=17

I don't have much other DRO experience to compare, but based on pictures & whatnot, I really appreciate the Newall mounting hardware. You can readily make independent direction tweaks so it sits perfect relative to movement axis, avoiding a lot of weird & I would think less stable shimming. And these encoder mount end posts then double as fixture points for guars, which for me was just simple pieces of angle aluminum with 2 mounting holes in them. Doesn't get any easier  figure. 

I'm not sure of any other DRO systems that utilize these very compact (but robust) mini tube style encoders. The price & reliability of DROs iin general have improved so much since I installed my system, hard to say if I wouldn't venture down that path. But Newall has been rock solid FWIW.


----------



## Firestopper

Originally, I was looking at Newall 300 package offered by Acra for the reasons you stated, but that particular system, although affordable only offed the cross slide in a 5 micron scale. The next Newall upgrade that supports a 1micron was north of $2K for a 2 axis system. 
Newall is proven and well respected.


----------



## Firestopper

After considerable consideration I have decided to abandon the compound scale application. The real benefit to a compound scale would only be used on a limited basis but the cable would always be hanging out there waiting for something bad to happen. I had considered rotating the scale 90º (facing down) and placing it on the left hand side  well above the gib lock but then I would have a cable draped across the dial full time with a fairly big loop to allow rotation of the compound. What I do use a lot like most of you is the tailstock. This machine has 6" graduations but travels a bit further. I started taking measurements and designing a bracket system that would allow the application of the third scale on the tailstock (TS) quill.
The scale would be fitted to the front side of the TS. I would have liked to use the rear but the two clamp levers don't provide enough clearance for this. I used some angle block to determine the angle of the TS body and set up the mill head accordingly and face milled the profile needed to bring the scale plumb. I feel by doing this it will make things easier to align the quill clamp arm to the scale leaving only lateral adjustment to set the air gap between the readhead and scale.

I set the X/Y in absolute and took readings prior to adjusting the nod. I had never had the opportunity to use the mill with the nod adjusted  in the past as I was always able to set the work piece to the desired angle and go from there. The bar stock I was profiling would have required some creative clamping and it was much easier and safer to set the angle on the mill head. The initial readings using the co-axieal indicator was used to set the mill head back to neutral. I also used another dial indicator to double check the table as well. By setting the absolute, meant I was checking the same area for reset.




The set up.




I then milled a channel for the scale to to nest in.




The thicker top portion of the scale bracket can be drilled/tapped for a cover if needed. The scale face is now vertical.




A close up side by side. The holes in the bracket will be slotted after transfer punching. I find it easier and more precise than trying to find the center of a slot when working alone.




So this design will make the readhead dynamic and the scale static. I did consider mounting the readhead to the TS body and scale to the quill bracket but felt this would be more secure and cleaner. The cable will loop around the back of the TS below the quill crank dial. I plan on incorporating travel stops into the arms by milling profiles into the male/female tracks. The stock for both scale and readhead brackets are .625" x 1.5" aluminum rectangular bar stock I already had. The quill arm profile will fit over the scale and have clearance to ride along the top and bottom portions of the scale bracket. At least thats the plan. The quill arm will have a pocket milled for the readhead to nest in with two threaded mounting holes. The lateral adjustment will come from the connection (two counter bored/slotted holes between the arm and quill bracket.
I need to finish up the quill clamp bracket and mount it prior to final design of the readhead arm.

Cut a piece of 1/2" x 3"x 6" from some flat bar I had and laid out for boring the quill diameter of 2.046". The rear if the clamp will be drilled/tapped for a single countersunk Allen head cap screw. The cold saw will provide the .120" wide slit. I bored the quill hole .004" oversize for a decent slip fit.  I figured the slit provided would give enough to clamp up well.

Used the largest annular cutter I had to save time. Working with aluminum is so much nicer with the soft chips and the nice surface finish comes easy.
Most of the machining to this point had been dry with an occasional shot of WD-40 on final passes.
Annular speed was 325 RPM.




With the 1.8125" hole provided the boring operation went quick. Boring was done at 250 RPM using a carbide tipped cutter.
The surface finish was very nice.




A super spacer rotary was set up next to the vice to cut the radius profiles. The end mill used was a three flute 7/16" at 1500 RPM.
I did use plenty of WD-40 and low PSI shop air for this operation. I also took no more than .040" DOC since the chuck was gripping the bore with just enough clamp force to prevent marring.  Also used .125" parallels to set clearance between the work piece and top of jaws.
Having a long table saves time from having to remove the vice  and re-tramming for the following operations. I had slight chatter but not surprising due to the setup.

Using the co-axeal indicator to find center. I really like this instrument. My wife and son gave it to me for Christmas two years ago. I use it often and it beats getting an ugly sweater for Christmas 




With the center located, the X/Y absolute where set once again. The protoTrak system really helps and with a return to absolute button it makes it easy for me to keep track. This mill is capable of  milling the entire bracket without the use of this setup but I'm still learning the CNC functions and mostly machine via commands by inputing numbers for power feed rates and jog. Honestly, manual milling forces me to get creative and use more of my pee brain.
I do appreciate the potential of this machine and will probably hire a tutor to come in and teach me how to use this machine to it full potential.
I'm a metal fabricator first and a novice machinist second.
Once set to center, the cutters offset or compensation was set moving the X feed (locked X/Y on the table), the piece was rotated to both starting/end points for each cut taking notes on where the degree pointer where before the fist cut was made  . The final .020" clean up pass provided a real nice finish seen here.




pretty happy with the results so far.




The setup. I'm gonna need to save up for one of these rotary tools. Mark's (mksj) been kind, trusting and generous with me. Rest assured, when he gets it back it will be clean and serviced like it was never used.





I also got the Y scale cover cut and installed. The compact scale looks/fits nice. To cut the cover I used a cheap electric hand shear from HF along the bottom length. The cover is extremely soft but too thick for hand shears.




The clearance between the readhead bracket and cover is just under 1/16".





I would like to thank everyone who chimed in on the compound. I take your time seriously and ask
opinions from those who care about helping.
That said, thanks again, I'm learning everyday so your time was not wasted.
In the end I will use the TS DRO way more than compound vector/summing and the proximity carriage stop also plays an important role in precise depth stop.

No shop time today, I have to sit in class all day for a recertification, I'll be day dreaming about what I could be doing in the shop.....I mean learning prehospital trauma management (PHTLS) ...again. You know you'r old when this is the ninth recertification for this course. The state/ fire department requires nine different certs (every two years) to work as a medic. Oh well, at least they pay me to learn on my time off.

Thanks for looking and Turn and Burn!
Stay safe out there.

Paco


----------



## petertha

The DRO cables draping off my compound & cross travel encoders is something I scratched my head about too. When I bought my lathe I naively did not get the back splash included, now of course I'm regretting it. Recently I was about to fabricate something & thought - but how are these  cables going to traverse along without getting hung up on anything if the splash is (typically) attached to the bottom tray or lip on the stand or whatever, where its basically sealed off? Maybe a slit? Any good ideas to pass along?


----------



## Firestopper

petertha said:


> The DRO cables draping off my compound & cross travel encoders is something I scratched my head about too. When I bought my lathe I naively did not get the back splash included, now of course I'm regretting it. Recently I was about to fabricate something & thought - but how are these  cables going to traverse along without getting hung up on anything if the splash is (typically) attached to the bottom tray or lip on the stand or whatever, where its basically sealed off? Maybe a slit? Any good ideas to pass along?



When you make your back splash, make it with a return at the bottom that allows the swarf to fall into your chip pan (at least 1"). The smaller 1440 lathe has a fairly deep removable chip tray that has never hindered/snagged the cables while traversing. On the headstock end, the cables are ran up the inside (vertical) of the back splash and secured with cable clamps back to back. as shown in the photo below.




I do have to lift up the cabling when sliding in the chip drawer back in or they will get pinched between the backsplash and drawer. Not a big deal since I have to lift up the coolant hose as well.
On the New machine, I think I might use some cable tie brackets along the lower bed and use some 3M double side tape. This stuff really sticks well if you clean off the area toughly.  A photo of you machine might help spawn some ideas for your backsplash cable management. 

Paco


----------



## Firestopper

Since I wasn't impressed with the DROpros display mount and arm, I made my own. The arm is .625" x 1.5" aluminum bar stock and the mounting bracket was made from a scrap chunk of 1.5" aluminum, cut and finished to 4" base x 5" tall. I wanted to have the ability to swing the entire display out of the way to remove the headstock top cover. I also wanted it at a comfortable working hight. The base is drilled and tapped for two 5/16-18 mounted atop the electrical cabinet. A piece of 1/4" x 3" flat strap (same hole layout) was used as backer to prevent the cabinet from flexing. Two bolts secures everything from the inside if the cabinet.






I like the working hight. The speed control is the left knob while the smaller knob on the right switches between SFM or RPM.
The DROPRO's bracket/arm had the display rotated to the right about 1/3 bubble off on a 8" level driving me nuts.
This looks much better.




Here you can see the swing clearing the way to remove the top cover on the headstock.
The backer plate really prevents any flexing. The cantilever weight is enough to flex the 16 ga, enclosure and would more than likely bounce/vibrate with the machine running. The whole assembly is very solid.




The head also rotates right to left. This is the extreme rotation to the left keeping slight slack on the cables.
The power cable will straighten up some when rotated to the far right while the two armored cables will slacken.




The rest of the cables will be secured after the backsplash is reinstalled.
The tool post  T-nut was removed and drilled out for a 3/4-16  tap. The Aloris uses a larger stud than what the machine came with.
The benefit of a long table, two projects at once. A push of a button and the machine will be back on center over the rotary table project.




The CXA really fits nice. I wanted to get more measurements for the tailstock DRO quill bracket with the QCTP in place. Plenty of room even with a short live center.




Looks right at home.








Next punch list item was to indicate in the taper attachment. I got it within .0005" in 12.5" I need to drill two holes and pin in place ensuring it stays located. Any movement will result in cross feed leads screw binding. The deadman clamp and lineage rod also were installed for indicating.
The taper was set as far as possible, the carriage traveled smoothly by hand. A pice of tape was marked prior and after travel and matched up with the DRO readings. The 1440's taper attachment works well too but, it required the cross slide nut to be removed and the deadman clamp. The ACRA only requires the deadman clamp and is much smother.




Another view. The clearance between the Y scale/cover and the deadman clamp worked out well.




I'm hoping to make real progress on the TS scale tomorrow, then pin the tapper attachment and get the back splash back on.
I see chips in the near future.

Thanks for stopping by.

Paco


----------



## f350ca

Coming along nicely Paco. Soon be making chips.

Greg


----------



## jeff_g1137

Hi
It a great getting a new machine, and setting it up the way you like it.
It is like a old pair boots, just right, & you now it will fit for a long time.
It is -5 *C outside, but i need to get in the shed. lol 
Have a great time on the Lathe, i will be there, all the way. 

jeff g


----------



## Firestopper

Thanks Jeff,
All the modifications will make it a joy to work with.

Yikes!,-5ºC  Stay warm. 
Our high today is 70ºF with a low of 40ºF.  Your summer moths are way better than ours

Paco


----------



## jeff_g1137

Hi Paco
70 F is high summer in the UK  80+ & it is to hot. lol

jeff g


----------



## Firestopper

Got the last scale installed and its working as intended. Overall I think the tail stock install looks as good as it works. 

The two halves of the sliding bracket.




The match up.




Checking the shim clearance.




The quill clamp was too large for the cold saw to cut the slit, so it was setup on the Ellis band saw. This actually worked out better since the band saw blade width is only .035".




Laid out the TS to mount the scale. It critical that the readhead doesn't contact the end blocks on the scale. I should have full travel range from stop to stop without crashing the readhead. It appears I only have .125" of clearance at both ends of the scale.




The readhead is in place with the correct .020" gap. 




Drilled/tapped the scale onto the TS body. Making fine adjustments to get it true. It was less than .0005" in 13" when done. The magnetic scales are way more forgiving than glass scales.




I needed to drill/tap the readhead arm to secure to the quill clamp. The arm was too long to use the vice so an angle block was used to secure the arm vertically. The setup worked fine and I was able to power tap the holes using a two fluted 1/4-20 tap.




A clamp was used at the bottom portion of the angle block via the readhead window. You can see the machinist square to the right of the lower clamp.




I used transfer punch threaded inserts to locate the holes on the quill clamp. I ran the QCTP up against the quill clamp to support the the transfer process.




All finished and working well. It was imperative to use heavy stock to keep everything rigid for a reliable reading.
A nose shot.




Overall side protrusion is 1.375", not bad considering the readhead is dynamic. The large TS helps absorb the beefy bracket.
The two holes are access to the 8-24 x 1" caps screws securing the readhead.




Full quill travel to stop. Just a hair over 6". A cable clamp was added to the rear lower portion of the TS body. The cable was looped under the TS and dropped down the second web opening on the bed. This allows full travel of TS without cable binding/snagging. I plan on adding another clamp/strap over the relief groove on the arm.




Another shot of the extended quill.




An easy loop on the cable when the quill is fully retracted.




"Houston we have numbers"! 




A fair amount of design work went into this portion of the DRO install but overall I'm pleased with the results. I don't think a cover/shield is required as the track system is fairly tight. 

Thanks for looking.

Turn and Burn!

Paco


----------



## extropic

The TS (and everything else) looks great. Nice work.


----------



## f350ca

Very nice instal Paco.

Greg


----------



## Firestopper

Thanks fellas, 
pretty satisfied with the overall performance. 
Still need a trigger plate for the proximity stop and pin the taper attachment. Then swap out with the 1440.
Back on shift today so back on Monday.
Have a great weekend guys.

Paco


----------



## Firestopper

Got the taper attachment pinned in place. The taper attachment came with two tapered pins that require a 17/64 pilot hole drilled into the rear of the carriage via two provided holes (bushing) already in the main taper bracket. These 17/64 holes would then require a tapered #6 pin reamer to provide the correct taper for the provided taper pins. The pins would then be hammered in place to prevent any movement resulting in
misalignment. This would make it difficult to remove the taper attachment in the future if for some reason the cross feed lead screw thrust bearings needed attention. I decided to use two 5/16-24 X 1.25" socket cap screws instead of the provided tapered pins.
I drilled into the rear carriage trough the provided pilot holes .375" deep.
The 17/64 drill bit = .265"
The minor pitch diameter of a 5/16-24 screw is .282"
The taper attachment bracket thickness is .875" and required a letter I drill bit (.272") for a 5/15-24 tap. Now I had a stepped hole for the screw pins.
The first .375" (tip) of the socket cap screws where turned down to .263" to act as securing pins into the carriage when threaded into the taper attachment bracket.

The taper attachment bracket pilot holes didn't allow access with a regular drill so I used a custom made chuck extension.




The holes needed to be as straight as possible for this to work as the clearance for the pins where only .002". Working alone made it a bit difficult eyeballing the long extension but in the end the screw pins went in. I did use a dab of anti-seize on the tip and threads.
The right side hole showed the close proximity to the bracket with just enough room for the smaller chuck on the extension.




Here's a shot of one the modified socket cap screw.




These are the tapered pins that came with the taper attachment. The instructions indicated they should be driven flush with the surface of the bracket.  Again, I wanted the ability to remove the taper attachment for any unforeseen reasons. The screw pins will index the bracket to the carriage on reinstallation. The four mounting socket cap screw holes are slotted slightly and the cross feed lead screw will bind if not aligned properly.




With the tapper attachment install completed, I added a strain relief strap to the TS readhead cable and added a second cable clamp.
Drill/tapped two 6-32 X 3/8" SS button head screws.




The second cable clamp shares a screw for the bed wipe.




The last item completed was a trigger plate for the proximity sensor and secondary safety micro switch. I wanted to follow the same profile on Mark's design. I used a pice of .375" CR bar cut entirely on the horizontal band saw with some creative clamping. The two screws used where
8-32 x .375 and counter bored for a sub-flush fit.




I was stoked to have the last holes tapped on the machine. A total of 20 holes varying from 6-32, 8-32, 10-24, 1/4-20 and 5/16-24 where required for the modifications and braking a 1/4-20 tap early on (second hole) made it a little stressful but it all worked out.
The profile match.




The last item to address is a magnetic pickup bracket for the tachometer. I don't think I'll need to tap any holes for this so thats a relief

Hopefully swap out the machines on Friday, level and run some test cuts....Finally.
Thanks for stopping by.

To be continued....

Paco


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## f350ca

Your showing incredible self control Paco. I would have had to see in make chips long before now. lol

Greg


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## Firestopper

Greg,

I wonder if thats the reason I'm not sleeping lately. hahah I should sleep like a baby come Saturday.

Paco


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## f350ca

Thats no doubt the problem.

Greg


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## Firestopper

The machine is ready to be moved  to its permanent location. The magnetic pickup bracket took about an hour to design and make. What took the longest was routing/securing the DRO cables. The Y axis cable was way longer and required looping. I used zip tie clips and 3M two sided tape to secure to the backsplash.

The Hall sensor uses a magnet to trigger the internal switch. These are quite accurate and commonly used for tachometer applications.
The balance collar on the spindle will have a magnet (polarity sensitive) imbedded to trigger the reading.





Schematic. 




The bracket is mounted using the same stud that secures the fiberglass end cover. Thread sealant was used as the threaded hole goes through into the wet section (above the oil level) of the headstock. The sensor is set to about .040" gap.




The angled ear the sensor attaches to was TIG welded and blended for a single piece look.
Just to the right of the sensor you can see the the small magnet. Red loc-tite will be applied to once the correct magnet arrives (5/16" x .125").




With the backsplash back on the cables where routed and secured. The carriage travel was constantly checked and adjustments made prior to securing the plastic tie holders. 3M double sided tape was used to secure the plastic clips.




Along the rear shows how long the Y axis cable was requiring looping.




All the cables where secured above the chip tray allowing for sliding in/out without pinching the cables. On the 1440, I had this issue and so I decided to address it on the new machine. 
Back on shift today so the machine will be moved tomorrow and wired for power.  I will post photos of the leveling, power setup and finally test cuts. If the machine performs to the tolerance sheet, It should be impressive.

Thanks for visiting and be carful out there .

Paco


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## Richard King 2

Acra is owned by Tom Dou a naturalized American Citizen, he came here from Taiwan.  He is a great guy and knowledgeable on all machine tools.  He was a partner in Goodway Machine Years ago.  One of the first lathe builders who made fine machines 30+ years ago.   Tom travels to Taiwan to tour the factories that build his machines.  I have met Tom several times, met his daughter who is a lawyer and born in the USA, a fine family...  Tom is a smart man who loves our country.  I used to buy and sell his machines plus used to sell him machines he would export to Asia.  He does have a few machines built in China too, but I suspect they are high quality .

I do have to say, I also had issues with the trucking companies his staff used.  So I would suggest you tell them  you want a quality trucker or you hire your own.  If you use a LTL trucker to tell them no chains, just nylon straps and tarp the load.   I started to use a company up here who travels the USA and they have new and modern equipment.   http://longhaultrucking.com/   They don't tarp they use Conestoga trailers that have roll back sides.  They are usually a bit more expensive, but you get what you pay for.


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## f350ca

Nice attention to detail Paco. Lets see some oil on that machine.

Greg


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## dlane

Outstanding work on the mods Paco I like the way you think things thru, a long time ago I used to use those stick on cable ties and found that after time with oil/heat on them they would fail ,maybe there better now, just a heads up.
I worked out there ( in Tucson ) at the big computer Co. in the 80s and spent most of my free time on mt lemon,just woundering if sumerhaven ever recovered from the fire I heard about.


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## Firestopper

f350ca said:


> Nice attention to detail Paco. Lets see some oil on that machine.
> 
> Greg


Thanks Greg, come Friday evening you’ll see some swarf and oil.
Paco


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## Firestopper

dlane said:


> Outstanding work on the mods Paco I like the way you think things thru, a long time ago I used to use those stick on cable ties and found that after time with oil/heat on them they would fail ,maybe there better now, just a heads up.
> I worked out there ( in Tucson ) at the big computer Co. in the 80s and spent most of my free time on mt lemon,just woundering if sumerhaven ever recovered from the fire I heard about.



I pulled off the original cheap foam tape and prepped with lacquer thinner and used 3M double sided tape. The same stuff used to secure exterior molding and badges on vehicles. I will keep a clos eye on them tho.
MT Lemmon  (Summer haven) is now littered with million dollar cabins (insurance claims) but the landscape still bears the scar from that devastating fire. Thanks for the kind words dlane.
Paco


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## Firestopper

Well fellas, after a long day we simply ran out of time. I had to move back other equipment after locating the lathe. I still need to level her out before I can make chips but we hit a couple of minor snags. The tach pickup need to be modified. It seems the balance collar is slightly magnetized although I'm inclined to think the multiple threaded holes around the circumference 12 total (for balancing ) have something to do with the erratic pickup. The second issue is yet to be confirmed, but we suspect a bad 3 pole breaker (3Ph) that feeds the Dc power supply and the 240vac 3 ph flood pump where we pulled 110 to supply power for the hardwired DRO. The lathe was running great with everything working as it should with the exception of the tach but foam strips and electrical tape allowed us to make it work for now (insulator). Then without warning, everything went dark except the VFD. The 24vdc led's, the 110vacDRO and the rest of the control system relies on 24vdc. The 3 pole breaker that supplies juice to the said components is a Siemens so not junk but things happen. I will conform bad breaker tomorrow and get the machine level. Wait for new part and start test cuts ASAP.  Mark was able to auto tune the VFD to the motor via laptop prior to the power loss.

The wall enclosure. Top left: AC Choke, three pole 240v 3ph breaker (possible problem), through cover disconnect, VFD, fuse blocks and DC power supply. The brake resistor can be seen behind the fuse blocks and breaker. The cooling fan also runs from the dc power supply.




How she looked running, impressively quiet at 1200 RPM.




How she sits DIW. She looks right at home. 




When I think of the amount of work that went into this and all the replacement components a couple of snags are minor nuisances.
Mark really knows his stuff, he's super helpful and generous.
Stay tuned guys, I'm now without a working lathe so It will be top priority to get her operational ASAP, then we can begin the performance evaluation.

Take care,

Paco


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## f350ca

Come on Paco, spin the chuck by hand, we need to see chips. lol
There's always a couple of little glitches when you dive into a project like this. 

Greg


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## woodchucker

firestopper said:


> Well fellas, after a long day we simply ran out of time. I had to move back other equipment after locating the lathe. I still need to level her out before I can make chips but we hit a couple of minor snags. The tach pickup need to be modified. It seems the balance collar is slightly magnetized although I'm inclined to think the multiple threaded holes around the circumference 12 total (for balancing ) have something to do with the erratic pickup. The second issue is yet to be confirmed, but we suspect a bad 3 pole breaker (3Ph) that feeds the Dc power supply and the 240vac 3 ph flood pump where we pulled 110 to supply power for the hardwired DRO. The lathe was running great with everything working as it should with the exception of the tach but foam strips and electrical tape allowed us to make it work for now (insulator). Then without warning, everything went dark except the VFD. The 24vdc led's, the 110vacDRO and the rest of the control system relies on 24vdc. The 3 pole breaker that supplies juice to the said components is a Siemens so not junk but things happen. I will conform bad breaker tomorrow and get the machine level. Wait for new part and start test cuts ASAP.  Mark was able to auto tune the VFD to the motor via laptop prior to the power loss.
> 
> The wall enclosure. Top left: AC Choke, three pole 240v 3ph breaker (possible problem), through cover disconnect, VFD, fuse blocks and DC power supply. The brake resistor can be seen behind the fuse blocks and breaker. The cooling fan also runs from the dc power supply.
> View attachment 261362
> 
> How she looked running, impressively quiet at 1200 RPM.
> View attachment 261363
> 
> How she sits DIW. She looks right at home.
> View attachment 261364
> 
> When I think of the amount of work that went into this and all the replacement components a couple of snags are minor nuisances.
> Mark really knows his stuff, he's super helpful and generous.
> Stay tuned guys, I'm now without a working lathe so It will be top priority to get her operational ASAP, then we can begin the performance evaluation.
> 
> Take care,
> 
> Paco


minor set back I am sure.  Things are looking good.


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## Firestopper

f350ca said:


> Come on Paco, spin the chuck by hand, we need to see chips. lol
> There's always a couple of little glitches when you dive into a project like this.
> 
> Greg



Haha, can't guarantee what kind of surface finish a 1Paco horse (1PH) would provide. But I have a feeling my wing would quit me.

Paco



woodchucker said:


> minor set back I am sure.  Things are looking good.




Hey Jeff,

Your right, The machine underwent a complete control makeover. A couple of minor bugs really didn't take the wind out on my sail. It won't be long now.

Paco


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## Firestopper

Got home this morning and got the power issue worked out. Mark had suggested powering on the DRO (rear switch) after powering up the machine reducing the initial load. A new higher amp rated 3 pole breaker will solve this issue. The new magnets arrived yesterday while I was at work so I replaced the smaller magnet with a 5/16" x .125" magnet for the hall sensor. It took care of the problem the tachometer was having. I then leveled the machine, This took longer than I expected but got the bed lined up. I had to repeat this several time as the sensitive level would change over time. I think the cast was relaxing as time past. I'll re-level in a weeks time.

Began with the headstock and worked in a counter clock wise fashion ending up with the two outboard leveling feet.









The tailstock end.




I then chucked up the set bar Mark loaned me. I was surprised to find the 8" 3 jaw chuck only had .0015" of runout.
Even more surprising was the readings I got with 16" of travel.




1/2 way to the tailstock, same values.




At the tailstock, same values.








Time to take a test cut. I pulled a new piece of 2" CR and faced the end, then took two .0625 passes. I tried two different speeds and feeds to get familiar with the machine, both speeds/feeds yielded a decent surface finish using a used insert.
The second cut proved to be accurate throughout the cut. I used a 0-2" micrometer to measure the diameter  in three places.
The DRO was used for both passes to verify the accuracy of the cuts. I'm glad a 1 micron scale was used for the X axis. Both .0625" (.125") passes gave this result.




No more sneaking up on final passes I spent the rest of the day getting familiar with the gear box, controls, feeds and speeds.  It looks like I will only need to use two speed selections for the most part with the VFD infinite speed control. The old 1440is a nice machine, but damn this baby is sweet.
This photo shot is for you Greg.  




Got the first hour on the lathe.




The first job will be to turn two new back plates, one for the 8" 4 jaw Bison combo chuck and one for the 5C scroll chuck.
I'm confidant I will be "turning by the numbers" from now on.
Thanks for looking.

Turn and Burn!
Paco


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## mksj

Impressive, glad it is up and running. One sweet machine.
Mark


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## Firestopper

mksj said:


> Impressive, glad it is up and running. One sweet machine.
> Mark


Thanks Mark,
I couldn't have done it without your expertise and help.


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## f350ca

Congratulations Paco !!
Thanks for getting that chip pan soiled, now it looks like a machine lol
Those back plates will really break it in with some cast iron graphite.
Nice machine.

Greg


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## Firestopper

f350ca said:


> Congratulations Paco !!
> Thanks for getting that chip pan soiled, now it looks like a machine lol
> Those back plates will really break it in with some cast iron graphite.
> Nice machine.
> 
> Greg



It was about time Greg,
BTW, the swarf is still in the pan hahah.

Here's a couple of quick videos. I am no videographer, but you get the jist.









Paco


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## f350ca

Some very impressive features Paco
Having the travel reverse on the carriage is nice.
Love that jog function.
Thanks for the videos.

Greg


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## Firestopper

f350ca said:


> Some very impressive features Paco
> Having the travel reverse on the carriage is nice.
> Love that jog function.
> Thanks for the videos.
> 
> Greg



The reversing feature will come in handy and save time. The Jog is set to 20 htz or close to 30-35 RPM for power tapping larger holes.
Thanks for following along Greg, Your input is always appreciated.
Paco


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## Bamban

Impressive machine you got there, Paco.

Nez


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## zmotorsports

Hey looky there Paco, CHIPS!!!

Looks great my friend.

Mike


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## Firestopper

Bamban said:


> Impressive machine you got there, Paco.
> 
> Nez


Thanks Nez, 
To say I'm very pleased with it, would be understated. 
Paco


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## Firestopper

zmotorsports said:


> Hey looky there Paco, CHIPS!!!
> 
> Looks great my friend.
> 
> Mike



Yea, finally made some. 
 Every machine has their own idiosyncrasy/personality. I could control the 1440 with ease after 17years. I got some learning to do.

Thanks Mike!

Paco


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## extropic

Thanks for posting the process Paco. She's a beauty.
Nothing left to do now but make parts.
Just wondering, did the machine come with a jog function or is that something Mark added via the VFD?
Like you indicated, that joy stick will be a joy to use in a number of scenarios. I would like to try it for indicating parts in a 4 jaw. No need to shift to neutral and drag the chuck around when the RPMs are that low and controllable.
I know you won't mind the reminder, keep safe.

When do we get the next installment on the brake?


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## machinecode99

How much did that 1640 cost you? I found a 1660 on penn tool co for 10k.


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## ddickey

machinecode99 said:


> How much did that 1640 cost you? I found a 1660 on penn tool co for 10k.


More than likely what you saw was a Chinese made Acra.


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## Firestopper

extropic said:


> Thanks for posting the process Paco. She's a beauty.
> Nothing left to do now but make parts.
> Just wondering, did the machine come with a jog function or is that something Mark added via the VFD?
> Like you indicated, that joy stick will be a joy to use in a number of scenarios. I would like to try it for indicating parts in a 4 jaw. No need to shift to neutral and drag the chuck around when the RPMs are that low and controllable.
> I know you won't mind the reminder, keep safe.
> 
> When do we get the next installment on the brake?



Hi extropic,
I turned the first project yesterday. Machine ran very nicely. The jog (joy stick) was added as was all the front control switches. The entire rear control board was removed and replaced with Mark's 12 24VDC system. I think the only original switches that remain are the fwd/rvs, micro safety switch for the end cover and the foot brake. I had mark remove the chuck guard micro switch as well.

More on the finger brake comping soon!

Paco


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## Firestopper

machinecode99 said:


> How much did that 1640 cost you? I found a 1660 on penn tool co for 10k.





ddickey said:


> More than likely what you saw was a Chinese made Acra.



So the 1640TE ran us close to 13K base machine only. Going from 1440 to 1640 was a $900 difference.

The machine you found on Penn tool is a completely different machine. The 1640TE weighs 400# more than the 1660 found on Pends website.
Richard King stated Arca offers some machines made in ML China. The Acra TE series are the same as the RML sold by Kent tool. These machines are build in Taiwan by Sun Master. I posted a video of Sum Master on the first page. I also can confirm that Tom provides machines to other dealers, in fact they (Acra)  where preparing several machine headed to Sterling machinery while I was picking up my lathe there at Rancho Cucamonga.

Cant tell you much about the ACRA FEL-1660-GCY. 

Paco


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## Firestopper

I posted this up yesterday, but this morning after several attempts to log in to HM only to have an error messages and finally after successfully logging in, I noticed everything I posted including PM's where nowhere to be found. Weird....anybody else lose posts/messages?

Yesterday, I turned the first project on the lathe. It's an aluminum collar that secures to the balance ring. The balance ring has 12 threaded holes evenly spaced. Only two holes (next to each other) have set screws. These holes where confusing the mag pick up sensor.  I verified the ring was not magnetized so that only left the holes to blame for the unreliable RPM reading. 
The Collar started out as 1" wide x 5" diameter disc. The piece was secured in the 3 jaw by the OD first to face, core, bore and chamfer. The piece was then rotated and rechucked by the ID. The second side was faced to final width and turned to final OD.  During the boring operation, I plugged in the numbers in the DRO and took .060" per pass and one final pass twice using the reversing feed knob. The cut difference on second final pass was crazy low like .00004" The new collar first almost too tight but will slide if pulled evenly. I normally would have snuck up on the final ID/OD with the 1440, but those days are over.

The fist side faced. The surface finish was impeccable using old inserts. 





Use the largest annular cutter I had to save a little time.








Bored bt the numbers including final pass.
Test fit was almost too tight. 




Flipped ring and scored it by the ID. Faced to dimension and turned Diameter  then Chamfered.







OD.




Almost done.








Set up the mill to create two magnet pockets 180º apart. The depth was .125" for a flush finish. Also rotated the ring 90º and drilled/tapped for a single SS set screw. The set screw will secure over the only blind hole on the ring.







Red loc-tite was tabled into the 5/16" pockets and the magnets where set with north pole up. Two center punch strikes stake in the magnet while the red loc-tite cures. Using two magnets will provide a lower PRM reading. 




The SS set screw.





The tach now works in all ranges, although the last digit still hunts +/- 2. We have a better quality sensor on order.

Here's a short video of the two stage motor brake in action. The E-stop will always brake in 1.2 seconds regardless of switch position.
Position 1 = brakes in 1.2 seconds
Position 2 = brakes in 2-5 seconds





Thanks for looking.

Paco


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## mattthemuppet2

looking great Paco!

for something like that ring, I'd suggest grinding or buying a trepanning cutter. It's like a cut off tool, but with one side curved underneath the cutter to match the ID of the ring you need to cut. 1 inch is quite doable. Then all you do is plunge cut into the face of the disk a little smaller than the final desired ID and finish bore to size. Saves a load of time and you get a nice slug to use for something else.


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## Firestopper

mattthemuppet2 said:


> looking great Paco!
> 
> for something like that ring, I'd suggest grinding or buying a trepanning cutter. It's like a cut off tool, but with one side curved underneath the cutter to match the ID of the ring you need to cut. 1 inch is quite doable. Then all you do is plunge cut into the face of the disk a little smaller than the final desired ID and finish bore to size. Saves a load of time and you get a nice slug to use for something else.



Man, I didn't even give that a thought. I could have had a nice 3.5"+  disc when finished. I will remember this the next time I have a similar task.
Thanks for posting, I'm always learning.

Paco


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## jeff_g1137

Hi
It is one nice lathe 
jeff g


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## Firestopper

jeff_g1137 said:


> Hi
> It is one nice lathe
> jeff g



Thanks Jeff, 
It runs as good as it looks too. The 1440 ran well too, but this one is like a sewing machine at any RPM so far.


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## mattthemuppet2

firestopper said:


> Man, I didn't even give that a thought. I could have had a nice 3.5"+  disc when finished. I will remember this the next time I have a similar task.
> Thanks for posting, I'm always learning.
> 
> Paco



you're very welcome. Trepanning is a win all round; less time, less mess and more material left to play with  It should be especially so on a lathe like that, which has the rigidity and power to make the most of a trepanning tool.


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## Firestopper

Cut the register on the new backplate for the Bison 4-jaw combination chuck. I measured four times and determined I needed to take .0825", I set up the DRO and took .0255" re-measured, had .057" remaining and took that amount off for a excellent fit. The Bison looks right at home on the Acra.

Taking the second and final pass.





The old backplate for the 1440 (D1-4). Those pins are .625" diameter.




The newly fitted D1-6 backplate. Those pins are .875" diameter . The heavier back plate adds 16 pounds to the Bison.




Looks good and runs smooth.




Turning at 625 RPM. I luv this chuck...Back in business.




With the Bison on the lathe, a new spider is on deck. I'm hoping to shoot some paint on the break first thing in the a.m., and turn the spider while the paint dries.
Turn and Burn!

Paco


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## zmotorsports

Looks great Paco.  I'll bet your glad to be back up and spinning again.

Mike


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## Firestopper

Thanks Mike, I sure am. Still trying to find the correct back plate for the 5C scroll chuck. I hate not having that in service.

Paco


----------



## zmotorsports

firestopper said:


> Thanks Mike, I sure am. Still trying to find the correct back plate for the 5C scroll chuck. I hate not having that in service.
> 
> Paco



I hear ya.  Once you talked me into that collet chuck I try to use my collets as much as possible and would be lost without them, especially since purchasing a full set of Hardinge a while back.

Mike


----------



## Firestopper

Worked on the spider yesterday. I used a piece of 3" round salvaged from a home made drilling rig from way back. The 3" round bar was a drive axel for a large 43" gear and friction brake.





Facing and cleaning up the OD.








Center drilled and stepped drilled to 1-3/16" for boring.
















This video shows the accuracy of the proximity carriage micro stop. The repeatability is equally impressive. Jacobs systems work great.





The second short video shows the repeatability.





Almost finished.








Thats all folks....

Paco


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## jeff_g1137

Hi
I need to go & clean up lol
jeff


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## Firestopper

Been working a lot of overtime (92 hr/week) so not as much time in the shop as I like, but did finish the spider yesterday morning.






Mounted up and secured with blue thread lock.








Running smooth.




Thanks for taking a peek.

Paco


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## NoobCanuk

Dang my phone says Paco is no longer a member.   That is horrible.  I loved all his pics and videos.  Super nice to drool over his lathe and see everything he did to it.  Was looking forward to a lot more posts from him.


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## myfinishingtouch

Just finding this thread and loving the work done to upgrade the lathe


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