by Tyler Jarosz
Problem: I first came up with the idea to turn my milling machine into a lathe out of sheer desperation. I needed to be able to manufacture long parts with both left- and right-hand threads, and my only option to complete these parts was to drive an hour and a half away to utilize a rented lathe, sleep in the bed of my truck, and work long hours.
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Solution: I decided to utilize the full capabilities of my Haas VF2 CNC milling machine and determine if I could use it as a lathe. To do this, I decided to chuck some 3/4″ diameter round bar in my mill’s ER 32 style toolholder. Then, I mounted one of my lathe turning tools to the table of the mill, using my Kurt vise. After finding centerline of my lathe turning tool, I turned on the spindle, tried cutting the material, and it worked…I was ecstatic! Although the 3/4″ diameter round bar cut, the part I needed to turn stuck out of the collet 5x the diameter of the material. From my past machining experience, I knew that if a part stuck out of the collet that far, it would need a centering or supporting device such as a live center or steady rest.
“Using your Haas CNC Milling Machine as a Lathe – AKA: “The Mill Lathe” appears in the Spring 2009 issue of Digital Machinist. If you’re already a subscriber, stay tuned! Your issue will be in your mailbox soon. If you are not a subscriber, and would like to read the rest of the article, request a no-obligation issue now! If you do so by May 1st, you’ll receive the issue with this article in it! You can request an issue by following the links below or by calling 1-800-447-7367. Make sure you tell our circulation representatives that you’d like the Spring 2009 issue!
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