Anyone have machinist experience?

[Overpowerrc]

I recently got this lathe for free from a friend. It is semi functional but the computer it uses runs windows 95!!!!!
Fromwhat I can tell the software it usesis hard to come by now. I would like to pick some brains on what I’d broken and what isn’t also what software is best for designing.
Thanks

 

[Mongoose]

I don’t know much about the lathe but I can help on the design software. What kind of design are you wanting to do? Just single parts and export files or the ability to create assemblies and drawings as well?

 

[Steve B in Vegas]

Check out this website: https://www.practicalmachinist.com/

Excellent source of info. I'm not familiar with that model of machine unfortunately.

s

 

[LibertyMKiii]

I hope you get it up and running! I have a dinosaur Emco Unimat Lathe that came out 30 years before computers lol
Maybe @Jimbobjr could help?

 

[Camaroboy383]

Good score! Cant beat free with a stick...

Cad/cam , I would go with fusion 360.. it's free for hobbyist's and very intuitive... the cam side will be the toughest to learn if you have no experience in cnc... getting used to what feeds and speeds the machine is capable of..

As a side note you should be able to control everything manually through the control panel/pendant.. probably best to start there to make sure the machine steppers, spindle, and d.r.o's work..

I'd plug in the PC to see what its using for motion control.. it all may be old, but it probably all still functions fine... without knowing the software it's running it's tough to help on that side of things...

So first and foremost is get it all hooked up and powered on..

 

[Mongoose]

@Camaroboy383 can you create assemblies and drawings with Fusion360? I need a software program at home. Usually I just bring my work laptop home.

 

[Camaroboy383]

Of course... fusion 360 is the wave of the future... most current machine shops run it in thier arsenal.. huge learning curve ahead so be ready for it... that's why I had mentioned manually running the machine, just like we all used to, our fingers and a dial caliper...

 

[LibertyMKiii]

I use Fusion 360 at home also, although I have yet to actually produce anything with it (hoping to get in to 3d printing soon)
We used PTC Creo in college Engineering classes, but I found that I like Fusion 360 just as much if not more.

I cant believe people draw parts up in TinkerCAD, the functions are so limited!

 

[Camaroboy383]

@Camaroboy383 can you create assemblies and drawings with Fusion360? I need a software program at home. Usually I just bring my work laptop home.

Straight off fusion.. phone holder for a flysky gt3b... took some hours to design this one.. but was worth it...

 

[Mongoose]

Of course... fusion 360 is the wave of the future... most current machine shops run it in thier arsenal.. huge learning curve ahead so be ready for it... that's why I had mentioned manually running the machine, just like we all used to, our fingers and a dial caliper...

Ok, I didn’t know if the whole 360 suite was available for free. I know with programs like NX and Solid Edge which I a familiar with each package is separate. You have the modeling, assemblies and drafting packages separately.

 

[Camaroboy383]

Ok, I didn’t know if the whole 360 suite was available for free. I know with programs like NX and Solid Edge which I a familiar with each package is separate. You have the modeling, assemblies and drafting packages separately.

Its imo the best all in one package out there... cad/cam/blueprint all in one.. it also has a portion of software for functional load testing your designed parts.. as a hobbyist you can gain access to everything you will ever need for free... the only thing you wont be able to access as a hobbyist is the 5th axis cam, 4th is limited but there.. both things you will never need with a lathe so your in...

But we need to see what the software is and how it runs, back a while ago there were some funny software's that ran thier own proprietary code's which would suck if that's what it is... but it would be easy enough to slap a mach 3 or mach 4 breakout board in it, and run mach 3 or 4 software, which runs the typical gcode..

 

[Overpowerrc]

Ok thanks for the help I think I already downloaded fusion I’m planning on making titanium axles for my truck if possible also may start doing paid design and contracting

I want to say my friend said the hard drive is dead in that computer so I will need to find a new copy of windows 95

From what I can tell the actual g-code software is very hard to find so I will have to do some digging for it.
I’m thinking of contacting the producer for help

 

[Camaroboy383]

Ok thanks for the help I think I already downloaded fusion I’m planning on making titanium axles for my truck if possible also may start doing paid design and contracting

I want to say my friend said the hard drive is dead in that computer so I will need to find a new copy of windows 95

From what I can tell the actual g-code software is very hard to find so I will have to do some digging for it.
I’m thinking of contacting the producer for help

Was the original motion control software disc included with all the goodies? If the harddrive is dead, and you don't have the software you will need to search it out and get one or convert it...

As a side note for any interested in fusion you must have a 64bit computer to run it..

 

[Overpowerrc]

Yes I have a Mac mini to do the designing

 

[jondilly1974]

Whatever you do, don’t plug that XP PC into the Internet or connect it to WiFi.

 

[3d-rc.myshopify.com]

Whatever you do, don’t plug that XP PC into the Internet or connect it to WiFi.

I have to ask why? Lol
I have to give fushion a try I always used master cam

 

[jondilly1974]

I have to ask why? Lol
I have to give fushion a try I always used master cam

There are security vulnerabilities remaining in XP that will never be fixed. Support ended a while ago. Leave it offline and use a flash drive to move data to it.

 

[Mongoose]

I’m going to give Fusion a go. If for anything to have another CAD platform under my belt. But, they’re all virtually the same anyway. I’d say a week of use and I’ll be up to speed on all of it. That’s been my experience in the past anyway.

 

[LibertyMKiii]

I’m going to give Fusion a go. If for anything to have another CAD platform under my belt. But, they’re all virtually the same anyway. I’d say a week of use and I’ll be up to speed on all of it. That’s been my experience in the past anyway.

Larz Christianson has some good tutorials on YT. Certain functions I had to see them demonstrated before I understood how to use them correctly.

 

[Mongoose]

Larz Christianson has some good tutorials on YT. Certain functions I had to see them demonstrated before I understood how to use them correctly.

I will definitely check that out. Much easier than wasting time trying to figure something out.

Here is the next revision to my fan shroud. What is nice is this covers the entire can with a single fan rather than using two.

Edit - that strange looking groove is for the fan wires.