hello
i was wondering about the CNC lathe from http://www.sherline.com/millinst.htm
would this type of lathe be able to cut out a rotor like the OC MPMM Whipmag?
also how hard is it to learn this g-code they use with this machine?
They are free software that handle this for you but your CAD plan need to be converted and be compatible with the software that do the conversion,
By the look at it I think not, this machine seam to be more controlled by hand then computer :)
If you want to build your own machine, here a page where I put all good link related to cnc
http://www.cncfreak.com/links.php
These little hobby lathes only swing 3.5 inches so they will not cut a wipmag rotor which is about 6 inches. The largest one of Sherline's mills has only seven inches of cross travel so it might be able to cut a rotor.
G code programing is easy to pick up if you have a fair understanding of geometry and Cartesian coordinates (x,y,and z) and basic machining operations.
I have used Bob Cad for years. You can draw the tool path you want to cut and then convert it to G code. Bob Cad 17 will do just about everything you need to do and only costs a couple of hundred dollars. Try Ebay. You can download a free demo program from their site, www.Bobcad.com