More on my lathe conversion

[dadolson]

I enjoyed reading of your excellent work and enjoy the engineering that lead to your articles.

Can you provide links to the software for the ESP32?
I have a CNC machine I built from a kit that uses the ESP32 processor assembly and I want to have comprarable software in my shop.

If you need help in putting it out for folks to access we can discuss a number of different methods that are possible, the most common is a GIT repository.

Thanks,
Dave
Belmont, NC USA

[tonyfoale]

I enjoyed reading of your excellent work and enjoy the engineering that lead to your articles.

Can you provide links to the software for the ESP32?
I have a CNC machine I built from a kit that uses the ESP32 processor assembly and I want to have comprarable software in my shop.

If you need help in putting it out for folks to access we can discuss a number of different methods that are possible, the most common is a GIT repository.

Glad you enjoyed the read.

There is no link to the software. It is of no value on its own. It is written around the specific hardware configuration. As for GIT HUB that would be the last place that I would want to put it. In any case I have no wish for wider distribution, the more people who have it the more support I will be asked for and I do not have the time for that. I am currently helping two people copy the system and that is taking more time than I would like.

[hemmjo]

I always use 63/37 solder for electronics it is 63% tin and 37% lead. It has a melting point of 183°C (361f), slightly lower than the more common 60/40 blend. The primary advantage of this solder is not the lower melting point, but its eutectic property. Non-eutectic solders, like the 60/40 solder, have a semi-solid state between solid and liquid.

[tonyfoale]

I always use 63/37 solder for electronics it is 63% tin and 37% lead. It has a melting point of 183°C (361f), slightly lower than the more common 60/40 blend. The primary advantage of this solder is not the lower melting point, but its eutectic property. Non-eutectic solders, like the 60/40 solder, have a semi-solid state between solid and liquid.

It is so hard to get leaded solder here that I am glad to get it with any composition.

[Saltfever]

Tony, I completely understand about not wanting to be dragged down the rabbit hole of endless support for your lathe "conversion". You have shared a great idea, shared the electronics, and demonstrated the actual lathe build. Your gift to us is all that is needed for the "ee"-talented among us to arrive at a similar system. However, there are many of us whose neurons are running about 1/2 a watt when it comes to electronics! Have you considered, or been approached, by others that could take your design and produce boards and software support for a small royality?

James (Clough42) developed an ELS based on an Tektronics board that has become quite popular. I have often wondered why he stopped at just a single axis. Although, its clear his motivation was getting rid of the miserable change gears. I think he is now batching his boards a few hundred at a time. Have you talked to him? While a ball screw conversion and other physical features of a machine are as diversified as the world and bring the associated problems, I suspect your electronic system, or its logic, is fairly adaptable. I don't need or want full CNC, I just need an ETA (Electronic Taper Attachment or ball turner). LOL

[tonyfoale]

However, there are many of us whose neurons are running about 1/2 a watt when it comes to electronics! Have you considered, or been approached, by others that could take your design and produce boards and software support for a small royality?

You do not actually need any electronics knowledge to build this. Just some manual soldering skills is enough. I did have some boards made. Before getting any made I did say that I would add on to the order any that were ordered before the order went. I had only a few takers. Since then I have had quite a few others who have indicated a desire to make a similar conversion so I may get some more done. First I need to produce a document explaining things so that I can say "here are the instructions, here is the BOM and here is a PCB, you are on your own now. Maybe you should all start a self support forum" Finding the time to do that is proving difficult. I have no secrets and I am happy to share anything that I do with others, but I just do not seem to have any spare time to prepare stuff to a stage suitable for others to follow. Only this past week I realised that I need a dynamic balancing machine, not a large project but that is on top of a dozen others. I generally work without drawings for mechanical stuff and without schematics for electronic stuff. In the case of the lathe conversion the PCB is the schematic in effect.

Click for full size
Front and back of the PCB. Constructing it requires no electronics knowledge, just place components and solder. These are the only boards that I have had made professionally. Although I have made my own since the early 1980s. It was all manual wiring from the 50s to the 80s but now things have got much simpler with the advent of micro based circuits. Far less electronics knowledge is needed today in order to make very capable devices.

Evolution.
Left: 1980s, manually drawn with ink resist pen. The aluminium pieces are drill jigs. Right: 21st century, CNC isolation milling.

James (Clough42) developed an ELS based on an Tektronics board that has become quite popular. I have often wondered why he stopped at just a single axis. Although, its clear his motivation was getting rid of the miserable change gears. I think he is now batching his boards a few hundred at a time. Have you talked to him? While a ball screw conversion and other physical features of a machine are as diversified as the world and bring the associated problems, I suspect your electronic system, or its logic, is fairly adaptable. I don't need or want full CNC, I just need an ETA (Electronic Taper Attachment or ball turner). LOL

Yes I contacted James some time back just after he had started on the ELS suggesting we look into a form of collaboration. He did not respond with enthusiasm. However, I did initially take his idea of using the ready made control and display unit. Amazing and very cheap base for a controller. However I soon found it tedious and slow to use and quickly changed. His focus seems to be producing a money making video channel and making the rather expensive ELS for profit. Nothing wrong there but that is not my priority. I do not particularly like making tools, I like making the stuff that I make with tools. So first I have to make the tools but only for myself and my needs.

BTW When I started with the lathe I did join an ELS forum, but it seemed to me to be a closed shop neither welcoming newcomers nor new ideas. This is the only way to do it period.

[tonyfoale]

I meant to include links to the BOM and a list of connections on the PCB.

BOM https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/u2vri...dx8nrb9pa&dl=0
Connections https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ldt1k...pm56fod4v&dl=0

[Saltfever]

Thanks Tony, for the fast reply. I will revisit this and take a new look based on your reply and encouragement.

BTW, James is one of the rare you tubers who has no advertisements! There is the obligatory one that You Tube wedges in there at the begining but that is not James' fault.

[tonyfoale]

2025 UPDATE.
The PCB described above worked flawlessly but about two years after fitting it I made some more modifications to the lathe to be able to use it as a cam grinder. I saw that with some small changes to the PCB design it could be used for both normal lathe work and the cam grinding. I only had to run different firmware on the ESP32. So it was back to JLCPCB to get some more boards made, but this time I was not in a rush and selected the slow shipping option which was much cheaper. The PCBs are very cheap but shipping is not.

As I needed a new PCB design I took the opportunity to use opto-couplers to isolate all the external inputs, these replaced the level shifter that I previously used and give more flexibility over the type of inputs that can be used.

To make the change over easy I have two ESP32 breakout boards, one programmed for the lathe and the other for the grinder. So it is quick and easy to swap the controller logic between different tasks. The first PCB design was purely a lathe control only, I designed the replacement as a general purpose two axes controller and I have a new very different project coming along and the latest PCB design will be suitable for that also, with different firmware loaded.

Following are pix of the original PCB (left) and the latest (right).