[saabaero]

Heres a question for you Slant Pro owners with the turret option.

When I aligned my turret (to eliminate the pip) the centerline of the spindle was aligned with the top of the tool which was aligned with the top of the tool pocket on the turret (i.e. cam under tool - the tool orientation matched the photo in the manual and the shim height was in the range mentioned in the examples). For reference I used a .012" shim in front and .010" shim in rear. However, when I go to set a tool or use the conversational options the tool is shown upside down with the spindle rotating in the forward direction. This is opposite of how I was instructed to set the tool so as not to get a pip and puts the cutting edge near the middle of the tool pocket rather than at the top. If I were to use a tool as shown for the + X direction I'm guessing I would have to shim the turret up ¾" more (the height of the tool shank).

To use the same cemented tool that Tormach supplied for the turret alignment the spindle need to turn in reverse. The conversational programs do not seem to allow for that option.

So how does this all work??????

[compunerdy]

The machine is designed to be used with the tools facing down in the turret. It makes absolutely no sense that Tormach decided to give directions showing to use it with the tool facing up. Put a tool facing down and align and shim as needed. I only needed a very small shim on the bottom side of the turret.

[saabaero]

The machine is designed to be used with the tools facing down in the turret. It makes absolutely no sense that Tormach decided to give directions showing to use it with the tool facing up. Put a tool facing down and align and shim as needed. I only needed a very small shim on the bottom side of the turret.

Were your cam blocks on side of the tool near the cutting edge of the carbide or the other? It would seem that the bottom side of the tool (opposite the carbide cutting edge should seat against the solid part of the tool pocket rather than the cam! Is that correct?

[compunerdy]

Block should be on the bottom of the tool like the picture here SBL Lathe Update 2: Tooling Options | Milling Around

[saabaero]

Thanks compunerdy. I'll give it a try this evening. I do NTL have a difficult time understanding how I will be able to eliminate the pip without shimming the turret up and additional ¾" to compensate for the cutting edge now being on the opposite side.

[compunerdy]

It would not be 3/4" off.. If the tool is facing up it is on the bottom with the block on top. If the tool is facing down the tool is on the top with the block on the bottom.. either way the tool tip should be in the same location.

[saabaero]

It would not be 3/4" off.. If the tool is facing up it is on the bottom with the block on top. If the tool is facing down the tool is on the top with the block on the bottom.. either way the tool tip should be in the same location.

I just looked at a photo of my machine and you are absolutely correct. I thought my cam block is currently underneath the tool but it is on top. So I will just be rotating the tool 180 degrees about the cutting face of the carbide.

[saabaero]

The machine is designed to be used with the tools facing down in the turret. It makes absolutely no sense that Tormach decided to give directions showing to use it with the tool facing up. .

Well, now I know why I aligned it the way I did. They supplied a left hand cemented ¾" carbide facing/turning cutter. I couldn't cut a pip if I put it face down.

I'm guessing they had a reason for that though. Possibly that they felt that once aligned with the carbide up, reversing it with a RH cutter would prove to give the same alignment. I'm guessing that it would have been visually easier to shim if the shims raised the face of the cutter closer to the centerline (reducing the pip). If the cutter was face down the carbide face would have been past center without any shims and one would have to shim until the pip appeared and then remove shims until it went away.

I wasn't thinking that far ahead when I did the alignment though.