[itsme]

Hi,

The only other thing I can think of now is to reset all the gibs. It will probably take some time to get right if you've never done it, but it's worth getting them nicely set. Not too tight, but at the same time you don't want any play.

To remove collets and chucks from my mill, I loosen the drawbar so that it is unscrewed a few threads. I then give the drawbar a few light taps with a hammer to knock the chuck/collet out. I have been doing this for a year now and there is no obvious sign of wear on the drawbar. As far as I know, drawbars are considered 'expendable' items - they have a finite life (from what I've read anyway). Also, when tightening the drawbar up, make sure you don't over-tighten it. You'll find it requires quite a whack to remove the tools if it was too tight.

Another little bit of advice is to make sure you support the chuck with one hand when you knock it out. The drawbar will catch the morse taper part of the chuck, but I've had the chuck come loose from its own taper and hit the table. Nothing serious, but had I held the chuck, I would've prevented a small ding in the table.

I think you'll find the X1 a nice little machine to use and CNC - I have anyway.

Regards
Warren