Does anyone own a CNC lathe milling machine?

[CAL]

  Smart-Resins said:

All very interesting points indeed! I have minimally used a wood lathe. I know what it feels like to angle a chisle the wrong direction!! No farther comments needed on that one! As for metal work, not very much in that. Its like with the laser cutter. It can do wonders. However I would need CoralDraw or a top grade photoshop. Now I used to use autocad many years ago, but I am scared of the idea of learning new sophisticated programs! There are other things like other tools, stock ect. It may just be out of my reach still. However I am content on the idea of starting a home based business that I would like to entwine with my hobbies! So I will continue to search and research!! Jody

I think you just output autocad to your cnc

[Pete J.]

Several mentions have been made of accessories. You really can't beat Sherline in this category. The lathe has a thread cutting attachment(inside and outside), a cross slide(for tapers), a jig for doing ball ends(originally designed for the maker of prosthetic eyeballs), a series of followers, etc. You want to see the type of work it does, Robert Bentley of RB motion does his work on a Sherline. Other notable owners include Gerald Wingrove and Augi Hagasano. If it is good enough for them, well.........

[E St. Kruiser50]

  Art Anderson said:

All true of course, but I think some of what you suggest is a bit overkill for machining for scale model parts. For example, when making say, an axle housing, a wheel, a brake drum, that sort of thing, for what is essentially a static model, a micrometer really isn't necessary, but a decent dial caliper sure is--the tolerances for a model car that isn't going to run just aren't that tight.

As for lathe chucks, again we are talking about scale model parts, not high-precision industrial tooling or production parts needing a wide variety--if nothing else, the swing of a Sherline or similar miniature lathe isn't that large, their 3-jaw, perhaps their 4-jaw, even their Jacobs chucks will work for 99.9% of all scale model machining. Even the now-retired, legendary Gerald Wingrove (he of those magnificent 1/15 scale scratchbuilt masterpiece miniature cars) used a Unimat 7, which dated from the middle 1970's, with NO CNC, and no more sophisticated attachments than you might find in a well-equipped high school metal shop (see his various books that he wrote on his profession).

As I think I alluded to before in this thread, CNC, all the modern rapid prototyping stuff and technology is neat, but really overkill for what we do, frankly--both in price AND complexity. Even the tooling masters for the model kits we love to build is STILL done the old fashioned way (although the Chinese pattern makers like using ordinary styrene for making tooling mockups for model cars, and the Japanese at say, Tamiya still use wood for body patterns), given the low investment in equipment needed compared to high-tech, and the emphasis on as much the artistry rather than the science of it all. And pretty much that is the way of the model car aftermarket industry.

Also, one simply has to consider not only the per-part unit cost to manufacture (and that is in both labor and materials) AND the amortization of any and all equipment used to make such aftermarket parts. Were price no object, ceiling unlimited, we wouldn't be having much of this discussion, and I wouldn't be making these comments now. However, there is a limit to what modelers will pay for aftermarket stuff, be they complete resin kits, body shells, conversion parts or body sections, or detail parts, pure and simple. Most are likely unaware that Don Holthaus was a tool and die guy before he went into resin casting, for example. However, very little in the way of machine-created masters show up in his product line, beyond wheels and tires. The legendary Chris Etzel of Etzel's Speed Classics (whom I have known since he was about 3' tall) did all the mastering of his fabulous Indy cars (and before them, his Medallion Models series of 1/48 scale aircraft transkits) by two methods--Sherline Mill and Lathe (with all the appropriate attachments for what he was doing), and the time proven, tried and true "hand and eye coordinated with knives, files, Dremel and sandpaper" method. It's all in the artistry, when you get down to the bottom line--not micrometer accuracy, and to do that, a learning curve that doesn't really need CNC to accomplish.

Art

Great post Art

I enjoyed reading it all .

Sounds like you know these guy's from the past pretty well, and definetlty have a certain mind set about how far to go with this hobby.

ME!! I'm a different kinda animal than the guy's from the past, and so are many other's here, and the hobby and the builder's have their sight's on the future.

I believe the level of this hobby will be unrecognizeble, in ten years as more and more guy's here step it up, to have more fun and enjoy what we do, more with new technology.

Most of us enjoy a good challange, and the adventure of new horizon's, even if these are nothing more than plastic toyz, most of us are just little kid's at heart .

For me, I want more accuracy, precision, technology and art - NO ART, NOT YOU This is a very inexpensive hobby, even if you invest in some high end equipment, most hobbies are much more expensive and not nearly as much fun, to me - LOL.

I personally never want to stop growing, learning and reaching out to new adventure's.

Over the years I have invested heavily in multiple chrome systems, multiple urethane paint systems, a full HOK supply of paints, a full machine shop, a walk in spray booth that is heated, lit,

and ventilated, etc, etc - well, you get the idea.

Some of us are just nut's enough to spend whatever it takes to "LIVE ON THE EDGE AND HAVE FUN WITH NO BOUNDARIES OR RESTRICTIONS BY OTHER'S - EEEEEHAH" .

WE ONLY DO THIS LIFE THING ONCE, SO WE MIGHT AS WELL ENJOY THE RIDE!!

I have a passion for life and living, and I plan on going out in a blaze of CHROME, PEARLS, METALFLAKES, and BEAUTIFULLY MACHINED PARTS - LOL .

See ya'll - dave

[Smart-Resins]

Yes, I am impressed with that 3d prnting thing myself!! Oh the possabilities with it. Mastering new models that can be molded and produced!! That would have to be much easier for the model manufacturers. May be a initial exspens, but there are so many good engineres graduating from college, they could use the programs to draw new parts and bodies, "print" them out, then they could make the molds for them! Even good for retooling old models!! I totally agree that in 10 years this hobby will be quite different in deed. Now R.I.P. Augie!! He was one modeler I used to look up to!! Well, still do. I yearn for the day I can be as good as some of those guys. I may never get there, but it will be fun trying and be nice to improve my modeling at any rate!! I am starting to lean towards the cutter/engraver. But if there is room, the Sherline or Unimat looks to be my choice of machinery for sure!Jody

[Aaronw]

  Treehugger Dave said:

Great post Art

I enjoyed reading it all .

Sounds like you know these guy's from the past pretty well, and definetlty have a certain mind set about how far to go with this hobby.

ME!! I'm a different kinda animal than the guy's from the past, and so are many other's here, and the hobby and the builder's have their sight's on the future.

I believe the level of this hobby will be unrecognizeble, in ten years as more and more guy's here step it up, to have more fun and enjoy what we do, more with new technology.

Most of us enjoy a good challange, and the adventure of new horizon's, even if these are nothing more than plastic toyz, most of us are just little kid's at heart .

For me, I want more accuracy, precision, technology and art - NO ART, NOT YOU This is a very inexpensive hobby, even if you invest in some high end equipment, most hobbies are much more expensive and not nearly as much fun, to me - LOL.

I personally never want to stop growing, learning and reaching out to new adventure's.

Over the years I have invested heavily in multiple chrome systems, multiple urethane paint systems, a full HOK supply of paints, a full machine shop, a walk in spray booth that is heated, lit,

and ventilated, etc, etc - well, you get the idea.

Some of us are just nut's enough to spend whatever it takes to "LIVE ON THE EDGE AND HAVE FUN WITH NO BOUNDARIES OR RESTRICTIONS BY OTHER'S - EEEEEHAH" .

WE ONLY DO THIS LIFE THING ONCE, SO WE MIGHT AS WELL ENJOY THE RIDE!!

I have a passion for life and living, and I plan on going out in a blaze of CHROME, PEARLS, METALFLAKES, and BEAUTIFULLY MACHINED PARTS - LOL .

See ya'll - dave

I agree with you, I love learning new techniques for modelling. Only bad thing about threads like this is I keep learning about more neat toys I'd like and each one seems to cost more than the last.