SM 10" Utilathe tweaks

[slow-poke]

I'm really getting ahead of myself, my lathe is to arrive tomorrow but I like to ponder and would like to hear thoughts on my pondering. Obviously I will run it as it is for a while to evaluate.

I enjoy tweaking my machines to improve them. DRO and 3-P motor with VFD almost for sure.

Now the pondering part.......
I'm thinking that I might want to do the same mods that I did to my existing BB CX706 10x22:

1) The gearbox on my CX706 is fairly noisy it's now silent because I removed it. No need as I have an ELS.
No more noise, no more drips, zero downside.

2) I replaced the lead-screws with ballscrews to all but eliminate the backlash. This is more of a nice to have because backlash is not all that important most of the time with a lathe.

3) I added Servos to drive the Z and X ballscrews, This does more than simply allowing things like threading to be fully automated it also allows you to eliminate the need for the compound (it's just a bit of arithmetic) to emulate the compound at any angle. This was a big deal on my CX706 because the compound is a major contributor to the lack of rigidity on a small machine, it just cuts and finishes so much nicer now. It now cuts as if it gained 300lbs.

4) I added nice MPG controls graduated in 0.001" increments for when I want to use the lathe in manual mode and a switch to flip to 0.0001" for close tolerance cuts.

The gear box on my CX706 has no effect on spindle speed, all those gears are simply to control the leadscrew. I don't think that's the case with the Utilathe, so I might need to maintain the spindle drive gears but possibly not if I up the motor HP and use the VFD to compensate.

Lots to ponder. I would like to hear thoughts from the brain trust.

 

[Mike R]

Are you planning on keeping the CX706?
If so I'd plan to keep the Utilathe fully manual.
Yes, DRO and 3PH+VFD are a must in my books.

Does it have a quick change tool post? Other tweaks are locks and stops on the carriage if not present.
As for quieting the gearbox, I need to find a solution too, my lathe is ok in high and low but mid has a high pitched whine.
After that all I can think of is accessories, dozens of them!

If it's going to be your only lathe, then it sounds like you're going to miss the things that you've done to the CX706, so lots to consider if you go that route.

 

[slow-poke]

If I love the SM, I will sell the CX706 (after the SM is tweaked).

If that's the case, need to decide if I transfer the servos and electronics to the SM and put the CX back to the way it was when I purchased it. I have all the original stuff so pretty easy to revert back, or do a partial reversion keeping the ELS.

I forgot to mention I have a quick change tool post and a lot of tooling.

Lots to ponder.