Improve your Control Gear!
One of the first things that one discovers when using the RS3000, is how important accuracy is. One thing that can improve accuracy and speed of decorating with the RS3000 is to improve the controls for the cutterbody.
Available from Robert Sorby as an option, extra controls are available, and are illustrated below. (Alternatively, making and adding these controls should be within the scope of any competent engineer.)
The extra controls consist of: -
- A 'dead stop' depth control.
- A lateral movement control screw.
This is seen fitted behind the standard feed control wheel, and can be set to prevent the feed screw passing a desired position. This control can be used to ensure that all the cuts in a design finish at exactly the same depth, without having to stop the lathe to check each set of cuts. The stop is adjusted on the first set of cuts in a pattern, and then used as a reference for all the other cuts in that pattern.
This can be used to position the cutterbody guide accurately by using the screw advance to 'measure' the movement. When making multi- cut designs, it is often the case that the cutterbody guide is moved sideways by a regular repeating distance. The screw can be used to do this accurately and quickly.
By using of these two extra controls, along with the facility that the control box has for being 'adjusted' without stopping the lathe, means that after the first set of cuts has been made, the remainder of the design can be cut in one session.
This means that virtually whole designs can be cut 'ON THE FLY' for the first time.