Anyone have machinist experience?

[Mongoose]

Use this same one for work every day! They also work for PC gaming, or at least used too. Hard for most to get used to, but once you do... what a diff it makes.

Me too. I can’t imagine working without it. Makes working so much faster. I started using one when it was actually a ball rather than a puck about 14 years ago. Co-Ops come in and use the mouse and buttons because that is what they were taught in college but I stay on them and make them use it because of how much time it saves. They appreciate it when all said and done.

 

[MaddogMikeD]

Me too. I can’t imagine working without it. Makes working so much faster. I started using one when it was actually a ball rather than a puck about 14 years ago. Co-Ops come in and use the mouse and buttons because that is what they were taught in college but I stay on them and make them use it because of how much time it saves. They appreciate it when all said and done.

Yup, I'm going on about 20 years using one... and back then (Catia V4 on Unix) it was a ball, like the size of a baseball!!! LOL

 

[Jimbobjr]

Looks like a 6 station turret, 3 od tools 3 id. Have you tried turning the machine on? The hope is that you can program right on the control. The “pc” in the name may mean no. In the olden days you had to either edit on the machine or use a pc editor than use a cassette or real type tape, or punch paper tape. The tapes were for storage as there was only run for one program in the machine memory. Hopefully you can find someone with windows 95 and also someone still running his Emco.
Those were popular at Techschools and community colleges because they could get several into a class room and they do pretty much what a large machine does on a smaller less expensive scale. Looks like this has a cam software package to add in programming. This will create the code after the model is made using what’s called a post processor or just post for this particular machine. Any modern software could possibly be used but you will need the “post” to run your code. If the Emco has a Fanuc control you may be able to find one for it. Two axis Fanuc programs made for ‘90’s control will still work in modern machine with just a little editing at the machine and vise versa.
Like I said earlier it’s been many years but I do remember running one of this machines earlier versions. The Emco 5. No pc for that an all editing was done on the controller. No turret either. Yours looks much better, hope you can get it going.

 

[PPS-RC]

These old emcos are cool. You will need the factory license key that matches your machine. The most important thing is that you have the interface card in your PC.

There's an Emco yahoo/groups.io email forum you should join. In three you'll find information how to get it up and running. It used to be a yahoo group. There's many years of information there, access will be your best resource.

There's also an Emco CNC group on Facebook. You'll find people who have upgraded and modernized the machine controller. It is quite a project, but overall not too bad.

 

[PPS-RC]

Oh and it's a LONNNG shot, but you might find the software and license info inside the back of the machine.

I didn't have the PC with my PCTURN. When I started the retrofit, I found all of that stuff in the back cabinet of my machine. It did me no good without that interface card though.

 

[Overpowerrc]

These old emcos are cool. You will need the factory license key that matches your machine. The most important thing is that you have the interface card in your PC.

There's an Emco yahoo/groups.io email forum you should join. In three you'll find information how to get it up and running. It used to be a yahoo group. There's many years of information there, access will be your best resource.

There's also an Emco CNC group on Facebook. You'll find people who have upgraded and modernized the machine controller. It is quite a project, but overall not too bad.

Umm I don’t have a key...........?‍??

 

[PPS-RC]

Umm I don’t have a key...........?‍??

https://groups.io/g/Emco-CNC-Users

That group has all the info you need. Searching/ browsing will get your answers fastest. It's a little tedious but worth the effort.

If you can't get it to run on the factory controls through the antique (yet adequate) Winpc... then you'll need to do a retrofit. It's about a $500 project.

 

[Overpowerrc]

What do I need for the retrofit?

 

[PPS-RC]

Stepper motors, motion controller, VFD, small odds and ends, wire, time and patience.
Here's a couple photos of mine, and what it ended up with inside the cabinet.

If you decide to really get it running, that emco cnc groups IO has everything.

 

[Overpowerrc]

Hey @Havoc where were those manuals supposed to be?

 

[PPS-RC]

Hey @Havoc where were those manuals supposed to be?
View attachment 65134

Like I said, it was a long shot. Mine were laying inside on the left. They're clearly unfortunately not in your machine.

 

[Overpowerrc]

@PPS-RC i pm’d you on exact parts for retro fit