Facing they say no. But face profiling?

[Boydage]

Hi. So in my extreme wanting to CNC everything. I modified a small metalwork lathe. Used it for the challenge of threading. A couple of other small jobs and its been in storage.

I need some help though please. I run a joinery workshop and have been asked to make 32 buttons for a restoration on a very old home. I immediately thought I will use some Jarrah I have which actually turns up really well on the metal lathe.

But Cambam, if I am correct, only works on profiling from the side? Is this correct? I want to profile on the front, the way we would when facing. I am here just asking if it can be done with Cambam, or if it cannot. I would be able to do everything from the side, all except for the very centre where there is a ball. I have attached a JPG of a roughly drawn up sample.

This is a paid job. Not highly paid but paid enough to buy some DIY software if anyone can let me know which to create the g code to face this part to shape. Sorry - not a machinist.

[kvom]

For lathe I'm using eCAM, and I'm pretty sure it will do what you want.  There's a 14-day free trial download.  Lathe version is 150 euros.

http://www.e-cam.it/

[10bulls]

How urgent do you need to make them?

I have been working on adding facing to the lathe operation, which is starting to come together.

I would like to do a bit more testing on it before inflicting it on anyone else just yet, but if I pull my finger out, that could just take a few more days.

I would love to help...  Just the mention of the word Jarrah made me terribly homesick and I bet that shape would turn out great.

[Garyhlucas]

Boring too!
For those of us that have a vertical lathe with an extra Y axis (CNC mill with the work on the spindle) it would be really nice if CamBam could generate that code. I have done lathe work this way on every CNC mill I have ever used. I made 12” diameter hose pulleys, small button washers, a 12” gasket mold, lifeline rail bases for my sailboat, valve adapter fittings etc. At work I have a plate mounted to the front of the table holding an Aloris QC toolpost on it’s side. Another block farther down the table holds Cat 40 toolholders allowing the use of any mill tool like drills,  boring bars etc. We have a 5” 3 jaw chuck on a Cat 40 arbor to hold parts too.

Programming involves swapping axis with a text editor and adding code to position the Y axis. If CamBam did this everyone here now has a CNC lathe too!

[stevehuckss396]

I have been working on adding facing to the lathe operation, which is starting to come together.

Thats great news. I am hoping to convert a lathe to CNC so . . .

Bi directional cutting would also be handy. Hint hint

[Boydage]

Hi. Am currently downloading ECam to try out. Thanks for that. I will buy it if needed as $150 seems a good price.

Also keen to be a tester for any software. My whole world is trying new stuff. The job is for a 1920s house here in New Zealand that the owner is rebuilding back to exact from day one. A massive task considering its a monster, and was changed in the 50s to a dorm for wayward young girls.

Jarrah. I have a pack of it. And its like machining rock. I actually needed a tool for a job. I used Jarrah, and tapped a m10 thread into it. Yep.

[Boydage]

Just posting back re this job. I downloaded Ecam and spent a bit of time learning it. Encountered a few issues which were dispatched well enough.

Final results were satisfactory and to anyone looking for a CAM program on a budget I would recommend Ecam. Unlike Cambam, I managed to perform a facing/grooving operation and am well happy with it.

As for support. I was unable to install Ecam onto one of my workshop computers encountering some stupid windows problem. Couldn't rectify the operating system problem in time so installed it onto my lappy and its great. To note, I did contact the author of the Ecam software and got a response within a couple of hours.

Ecam comes with a simulator which is good for trialing for collisions.

Ecam is available for $150 Euros each for Lathe/Mill function or $300 Euros for the two of them in a package.

[Boydage]

How urgent do you need to make them?

I have been working on adding facing to the lathe operation, which is starting to come together.

I would like to do a bit more testing on it before inflicting it on anyone else just yet, but if I pull my finger out, that could just take a few more days.

I would love to help...  Just the mention of the word Jarrah made me terribly homesick and I bet that shape would turn out great.

Hi. Hey I was wondering how you are going with the code for this? I managed to get my project sorted but if you need someone with another machine to trial something I am here and willing.

[pietvr]

How urgent do you need to make them?

I have been working on adding facing to the lathe operation, which is starting to come together.

I would like to do a bit more testing on it before inflicting it on anyone else just yet, but if I pull my finger out, that could just take a few more days.

I would love to help...  Just the mention of the word Jarrah made me terribly homesick and I bet that shape would turn out great.

Hey all,

Does anybody know if the "facing" lathe operation was added to CamBam? I am using ver1.0 build date 29/02/2020 and it is not available in Lathe MOP. I don't see any newer version under downloads.

[dh42]

Hello

No not yet.

++
David