Hi Guys,
I've been watching here for a couple of months now and made the plunge and bought a warco VMC turret mill. I think you guys call it a 6x26.
I've been badgering Kong about doing this for the last couple of months and his advice has been great.It seemed to take ages for the mill to finally arrive after the initial order.6 weeks i had to wait.
anyways i have been gathering the bits for the mill and here is a list to what i have so far....the bits were all purchased new from RS components (http://www.rswww.com)
Warco VMC turret mill
3 off mclennan 150watt servo motors RS part no 441-0439
3off encoders hengstler Rs part no 499-7841 which replaced 304-9755
1off 25amp 24v PSU Lambda sws600 RS part no 494-4673
3off Gecko drives 320
1off campbell breakout board
6 off NSK ballnuts RS part no 267-5892
2 off 500mm ballscrew 20mmx 5mm RS part no 267-5915
1 off 1000mm ballscrew as above
1off rittal 300x400 control cabinet
Various limit switches etc
If there is anything i have bought that seems out of place or you dont think it will work please let me know
I cannot update too regularly as i work onboard an oil platform which only allows 2 weeks on 2 weeks off rota but i will update as regularly as i can.
My main hobbies are woodworking but i do a little bit of metalworking which i would like to get into more hence the cnc mill project

regards

Ian
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v297/iandl1/DSCF2012.jpg

WOW - Nice floor!

In fact - NICE SHOP!!!

That is a good looking machine, by the way. ...now I am jealous...damn - I hate it when that happens.

Scott

Finally made a start,
Been busy over the weekend building the control panel. Man its hot over here in the UK, not used to this heat.
The control box is a Rittal AE series….size is 400mm x 500mm x 210mm deep. I used a Lambda PSU….part no sws600 which is a 24v dc output.. 25amp. The gecko drives are mounted onto 12v heatsinks and fans. I used a thin piece of metal din rail to bridge the 3 off them together…I slackened the screws that hold the fan onto the heatsinks and slide the metal bridge across the 3 sandwiching them, then tightened the screws back up being careful not to buckle the fans. The heatsinks are then supported onto the backplate of the control panel via nylon spacer screws allowing me 15mm of back clearance.
I used the Campbell designs breakout board to link to the pc via the parallel port. Very nice board and straight forward, all clearly marked with no problems encountered
The fuses are mounted on the side of the panel as It will be getting side mounted onto the mill and gives better access. I also fitted the Estop and an on/off switch here as well.
I predrilled the baseplate ready for the motor and limit cables and have wired a separate junction block so as I don’t need to disturb any wiring.
The PSU has its own cooling fan but I also side mounted another to pull more air in…just in case…this allowed me to have the geckos mounted mid panel rather than mounting them on the sides. I used 17amp tri-rated automotive cable for the psu and to the geckos and the 240 volt circuits, this was about as heavy a cable I could wire into the geckos…the rest is 8 amp automotive cable.
The encoders will be wired direct once the control unit is mounted. As these are already shielded I didn’t want to risk any noise.

I haven’t wired the 12v heatsink fans as yet…I was toying with the idea of using the breakout boards home switch power supply to these as I wont be putting home switchs on I’m going to rely on my limit switches ????anyone any thoughts on this?

So far so good

Now to get started on the ballscrews and motor mounts

Regards

Ian

your controller is looking great. nice and clean. keep us posted, I have always wanted to see a how a retro of that size knee mill would work out. They are available from harbor freight here in the states for $1599 I believe.
Do you plan to use the knee or the quill for you Z axis?

cheers

Hi Wisp,
Yes i beleive the mill is available from various sources with different coloured paint schemes and the odd change here and there.
its a nice mill with a few rough bits around the castings but nothing i can't handle....its a heavy brute though for its size and it fits into the home workshop just right....not too small and not too large.
I havent really wound it up yet its only been used for cutting aluminium so far but will eventually be doing stainless

my plan is to z axis the quill. the machine came with a power feed fitted on the x but its interchangable with the knee. i thought on fitting it to the knee and getting a small single DRO for the knee for tool changes.
my plan is to have the x and y running so i can mill the parts for the z

I'm glad someone has asked a question i didnt think the post was very popular going by the reponse and views but for now i'm home and i will try to keep up some progress shots.

cheers

Ian

nice ideas all round
awaiting delivery of an x3 (september) its good to see other machines being done
though like the powered knee idea. btw be carefull re-installing the feed unit
the bevell gears in these units are made from re-constituted cheese thus a little
soft
mike.

Work commitments have kept the progress slow but it is coming along. I had to bore out the original end bearing housing that’s mounted on the machine to accept the new bearings. That took ages to set up. The original bearings were 43 od and the new angular contact bearings were 47 mm od so a bit of turning was required. Not much fun on a small lathe but it managed it none the less.
.
I have tried to keep as much of the original componets intact eg although I bored out the bearing housings etc the bore of the new bearings fits the old shaft so if I ever need to revert it back again it shouldn’t be too difficult.

For the X axis I used 10mm aluminium plate for the motor mount flange and bearing housing flange. These are bolted onto the existing bearing flanges.. these are bolted together with 15mm aluminium bar 55mm long which I drilled and tapped at the lathe.
The motor mounts I premilled slots to allow for some adjustment on the timing belts.
I have gone for a ratio of 1---2.5 on my timing pullies. The belts are 15mm wide.

I have only managed to turn one end of the ballscrew so far. I had to cut through the hard stuff with a grinder before the lathe would turn it…I still went through a few tips though with a few sparks flying…..safety glasses a must here. I have premachined the ballscrew nut housing but haven’t as yet fitted it. There is still another nut to go onto the housing the photo only shows one nut.
Slow but steady progress ...you can also watch progress here (http://www.iandalziel.co.uk)

Ian

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v297/iandl1/DSCF2019.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v297/iandl1/DSCF2020.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v297/iandl1/DSCF2023.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v297/iandl1/DSCF2028.jpg

Nice post, but I must ask....

anyone feel the need to go clean their shop after seeing Ian's pics? :)

Chris

Bought myself a boring head….this has made life so much easier for boring awkward shaped pieces. Have been on holiday and updates have been slow but I still have a few days left to get cracking.
I have now completed the Y axis…..it took a bit of shoehorning to get the ballscrew nut and housing in as you can see from the photos
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v297/iandl1/DSCF2227.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v297/iandl1/DSCF2228.jpg
I had to cut away about 45mm out of the front of the knee to allow me the same travel as I had before. Wasn’t to difficult. I drilled a series of holes then carefully cut with the angle grinder then tapped with the hammer and it fell away. I also had to cut away the sides of the ballnuts slightly to make sure there was enough clearance.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v297/iandl1/DSCF2236.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v297/iandl1/DSCF2238.jpg
I have tried to keep as much original parts as I can….i have rebored the original bearing housing and fitted 2 sets of angular contact bearings. The bore of the new bearings is the same as the old shaft so if it ever goes back to being a normal mill its and easy conversion back.
I have used 20mm x 5 ballscrew…turned the ends down to 12mm and made bushings to suit my bearings
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v297/iandl1/DSCF2241.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v297/iandl1/DSCF2243.jpg
I have brought the shaft right through my motor mounting brackets as I am going to make a little bush so as to allow me to fit on the original handles in case I ever want to use the machine in manual mode..

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v297/iandl1/DSCF2245.jpg
Getting on now with the X axis shouldn’t be too long now for an update

I will also upate my site here (http://www.iandalziel.co.uk) over the next few days

Regards

Ian

Nice work on the Y axis Ian. What did you use to make the cover for the Y axis belt? Looks like some thin tin/sheetmetal.

Also, the block that you are bolting the ballnut to, could you have bored a hole in it and fit the ballnut mostly inside the block? Might get you some more travel, just a thought.

That thing is going to look awsome when you are done.

Wisp,
the cover is 18 guage aluminium....i clamped it around the frame to size and shape it then screwed it on.

I did think of boring the block to take the housing but the block would have to have been slightly bigger so i settled on what i did and cut the front of the knee to give me back the travel. the ball nuts are quite big compared to others i have seen....but its what i bought and now i am commited to using these

the nut on the end of the shaft is only temporary to allow me to move the axis......
first time i have used ballscrews and they run lovely.



Its starting to shape up

Ian

had a busy weekend.....got the x axis installed...the panel mounted and the machine running...thanks for the help kong

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v297/iandl1/DSCF2248.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v297/iandl1/DSCF2249.jpg

I put a drill on the axis and ran it back and forth to ensure smooth running

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v297/iandl1/DSCF2250.jpg

the completed x axis motor mount
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v297/iandl1/DSCF2251.jpg
and the x axis limit switch....the Y axis has a similar switch
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v297/iandl1/DSCF2255.jpg


and the finished x and Y...cant beleive how smoothly it runs on the ballscrews......now i have to go and dream up how to do the z axis
any ideas and inputs will be greatly appreciated
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v297/iandl1/DSCF2257.jpg

Ian

I will be away working for the next few weeks so no more updates until my return but i will be able to answer any questions

nice work on that. i've been looking at one of those mills for a while now. might be my next step up. either that or the Square column mill, haven't decided yet.

Hi Ian, your conversion looks great!

Can you please provide more details regarding you oil/lube configuration for the ways?

I am beginning to see more examples of this but no one has provided any details regarding its design and operation.

Thanks... Norman

hi norman,
in the first photo of the last batch i posted you will see the x axis bed with some milled slots in it and also some copper pipe at the end of the bed.....this is where the bed oil is pumped in via a one shot lubrication system......this is also the same for the x axis and leadscrews my only concern is from the one shot pump the connecting pipe is clear nylon type and not copper....its ok for now but i think it will eventually perish and leak....i will change it as and when that happens....hope this answers your query.

regards

ian

Again work commitments has held back progress but I’ve had a good few days at it and managed to almost finish the Z axis….just needs the guards made and painted to blend in with the rest of the machine.
I fitted a flange bearing, which has a 35mm id I then turned the timing pulley to suit and inserted into flange. The ballscrew nut is fitted onto the timing pulley so when the motor turns it turns the bearing instead of the ballscrew…..works nice….
I made a flange which bolts onto the quill….there was a flange there originally so it was an ideal place to bolt the plate………..you can see from the pictures that I have 4 little lugs on the plate….these are for attaching my router body as I need to cnc rout some small bits and pieces and I also want to be able to engrave…..i will update this as soon as I have it made……….I’m having a bit of bother with one of my jet engines so it is taking presidence for now but should update soon.

I have bought the mach2 cadcam version of dolphin and starting to come to terms with it now although i did need a bit of tuition from them but its starting to make sense now........machine runs lovely and i'll soon have churning out some work.

also looking for the most suitable cutters for stainless any thoughts would be most helpful



http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v297/iandl1/DSCF2260.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v297/iandl1/DSCF2262.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v297/iandl1/DSCF2263.jpg

regards

Ian

MODS....if i'm posting too many pics please delete or thumbnail

website here (http://www.iandalziel.co.uk)

Looks like a clean conversion, nicely done. How is the build quality in general of this small knee mill? We have your version here but it's not common. Most seem to use the square column mill.

Build quality of the machine overall isnt what i would call 'very well engineered' i would imagine its the same for the square column but tha fact it was getting stripped and rebuilt gives you the chance to re-engineer some of the bits...but at the end of the day it'll do what i want it to do and they are sold at a price that reflects the quality in engineering.



Ian

Pretty new to the cnc world (1.5 yrs), but I gotta tell ya... I am inspired after seeing these pics. The shop environment is top notch and the retrofit is elegant and very well executed. IMHO

To take these machines and produce such a functional and attractive workhorse is to be commended at least. Apparently you enjoy building your shop as much as the thing you build with it.

Well Done,
Larry

Thanks for your kind comments Larry.........I have been out playing with it over the weekend and today....work commitments have kept me away for a few weeks.
I've been milling a load of 304 stainless and actually having a succesful time of it...much to my surprise...it mills really nice....hard but the finish is excellant. Only thing is it requires flood coolant and so i had to make a load of splash guards in case some spilled on the floor :devious: :frown:

Meant to add earlier that i am running Dolphin Partmaster for mach 2 and just starting to get the hang of it...nice program once you get the jist of it.

they have good backup as i was constantly on email and phone until i started to get the hang of it...they answered any questions within a reasonable time

Ian

ps i will try get a video up and running shortley on my website for anyone thats interested hopefully in the next week or so

Great build. Your machine and workshop are very clean and that conversion is one professional looking job. We will look forward to that video and don't worry about the pictures, the more the merrier.

Jason

wow, i liked your shop and that machine. Nice work.

Hi Jason,
I took a video of the mill running but i dont know how to compress it..the video is only 45secs long but its around 100mb. I dont know how to get the file any smaller...help would be appreciated from budding video makers.
bought a nice new...old lathe...a colchester student...and i am currently thinking of converting it or maybe doing a cnc router/plasma cutter combi.

for anyone interested i have built a single to 3 phase (for UK power)rotary converter to run my lathe and i've put up my plans here (http://www.iandalziel.co.uk/rotary_converter.htm)

the mill has been busy over the last few weeks making bits for my planes hopefully get them up shortley.

regards

Ian

Ian,
I am not very familiar with video editing programs but I had to reduce a 2mb file to 500k in order to upload it to the Zone using a shareware program. The shareware programs on the web may not reduce such a big file (only the full version), so you may have to reshoot the video but using a lower setting on the digital camera. You could also have it on your website and we would view it there.

Jason

I have been looking forward to an update on this since last year. :frown:

Any video yet?

working no the same mill in canada we call it a ct 054 I likeyour work look good could you help me out what place did get your timing belts from and pullies and bearing and ballscrew.s steinmeyer here is a pic of my cto54 keep up the good work

Hi Honda,
you caught me at my machine today....over here in Scotland i used a company called RS componets for all my parts....i bought the servos, encoders, ballscrews, bearings etc from them....do a google search and it'll come up with them...they are expensive and not a route i would go again although they do good quality stuff......the little mills not used much now as i upgraded to a bigger bridgeport interact but i do use it every now and then.

cheers

Ian

thank have a good day

love your work u have done i am hobbies cnc guy u would say and i am in the prosees of buying a mill just like it has a diffent modle " and stuff but i shere it the same just wonder what kind of feed reats u could get out of it and how it was a hoggin off metal. when i get some cash i am going to do a cnc convershion too thanks for the grate step by step.

Hi.
Plane magic,I just wanted to say thank you for posting this work log.

It's been a great help with my conversion of a grizzly 3102 (6X26) mill.
I originally converted it to cnc last year ,but ran out of funds for the ballscrew conversion,so backlash has been an issue.


Trying to find some ballscrew that'll fit now to finish it off.

Thanks again...