Just wanted to say hey to everyone. I am in East Tennessee and I am EXTREMELY interested in the prospect of cnc machining. I have been manually machining custom parts for airguns for nearly ten years now and I have gotten pretty good with it. I recently purchased a Lathemaster zay7045l milling machine with power x axis and power z lift. This machine is very nice and rigid and I am excited about getting it under power. I found the IH website and they are the man for this type of machine but unfotunately they are pretty expensive for me right now so I guess I will have to do it the hard way. I am just wondering if there is anyone on here that has been down this road and can give a new guy some ideas. I also have a 12x36 gear head lathe and some other metalworking machines. Has anyone on here done a cnc on the Lathemaster bench mill or one like it. It seems like if I can get it done at least pretty well this machine should be able to sling some swarf!! I used to have a Shoptask 17-24 xmtc gold series and I enjoyed it but this thing is an absolute monster compared to the mill on that shoptask. I routinely make ridiculous cuts in 6061 and mild steel for the parts I am making and this thing just grunts right thru. I was kinda disappointed at first that I could not afford the knee mill I really wanted to get but after having used this machine and a friends grizzly knee mill I really do not think I am missing out too much. I have read a bit thru on conversions on the x models and they seem very nice but they were not available when I bought this mill and they look to be a little smaller anyway. It is nice to be able to put my 6" kurt vise and my dividing head on the table and use them both if I want.

Anyway, I am looking forward to getting started on this build very soon and I am curious as to which ballscrews people are using on a machine this size as well as the servo motor size necessary to make it work well. I am gonna try to attatch a picture of a sidewheel I make for target scopes. Hope it works...

Nice to meet everyone and I will be lurking and posting a bit here and there...peace...

Hi,

If you search the forum for G0519 you will find lots of information on a CNC conversion for your mill.

http://www.grizzly.com/products/Mill-Drill-Tapping-Machine/G0519

Enjoy your mill

Jeff Alessi

Welcome to the Zone Pete
I also live in East Tn and wish to welcome you here.

Bob

I did not know about the grizzly equivalent. I got an e-mail from a fella that has a Lathemaster mill converted to cnc and he lives in Spartanburg, SC. I am gonna try to learn as much as I can from his conversion. Where in east Tennesse are you located? I am in Maryville just south of Knoxville. I am hoping you have one of these machines or at least A machine already converted to cnc? Possibly, I would love to see one actually working and making even a simple part. Speaking of parts, maybe some of your guys might post some pictures of parts you machined using your cnc's. Anyway, I started reading the grizzly threads and there is some useful information there. It seems that there is a ton of information for the X series of machines but once you step to the square column larger mill drills it kinda tapers off. Is there a reason, I am sure that larger ballscrews and heavier duty motors are necessary but is the power supplies and breakoout boards and gecko drives all gonna be basically the same? What say ye?....peace...

Pete

Now you are a real Neighbor. I could spit on ya as you pass by. I have lived in Maryville all my life. Until 1990 that is moved to the grand state of Friendsville.... TN that is heheh.

Bob

Pete,

I am in the process of purchasing the ZX45 from Wholesale Tools.

http://tinyurl.com/26s7jy
http://tinyurl.com/26s7jy

They have a great price $1,295.00

I have CNC converted several smaller drill/mills already.
I dont beleive the ZX45 conversion will be any more difficult than its smaller cousins.

I will be using nema 34 stepper motors with matching gecko drivers.
Ball screws will be 5/8 " which should be more than adequate for the application.

I think the biggest reason we are not seeing alot of conversions on this model is because.

1: Its really heavy for a hobby bench mill
2: The high cost verses x2 or x3


Thanks for the warm welcome by the way.

Jeff...

P.S. I am in Chicago

I am glad you are buying a similar machine to mine. I have been very happy with this machine and I am anxiously awaiting the day when it moves by itself!! I met a member here named bill south and he has a Lathemaster already converted to cnc control. From the sound of it he has already done everything necessary and encountered a few problems as well that he is sorting thru. Specifically the massive weight of the millhead. He apparently went with 3/4 inch ballscrews and the head has eaten two sets so far. He is going to be building a counterweight system to aid in the motors lifting of the head. He said he has like a 1600 oz/in servomotor on it and that was more than adequate but the head is just too darn heavy. I can attest because I nearly lost it taking it off the column when I first got the machine it is difficult to describe just how heavy that thing really is. He said he got the plans to build the motor mounts and ballscrew bearing housings from some homecnc website for $40.00 or so and built them like that only modifying where necessary to fit his own machine. Right now he has it all wired up and running and in what sounds like a nice coolant housing with a VFD and flood system and everything. I am probably going to drive over to meet him sometime soon to see the machine and what he did and how everything works to get a good idea what I will do to mine. Very nice fella and kind of him to show me his machine to say the least. I would also like to meet this fella that lives in Friendsville just to make an acquintance and maybe see what he is up to with cnc. Thanks again for the help guys and I am looking forward to chatting a lot with you guys as this thing evolves. Peace....

Pete Matos
Matospeter@charter.net
865-363-9218

There are several solutions to the Z axis weight issues, one would be a gas strut.

http://www.cncfusion.com/images/Gas%20Spring%20X3/CIMG4494.JPG

There are lots of mounting options too!


http://www.customgassprings.com/hardware.htm

I think bill said he tried the gas struts and was going another direction with it but I do not remember exactly. I do not see why they would not work tho. Is that machine an x3? I have considered getting one like that already setup for cnc but I thought this machine was quite a bit heavier duty. I may be wrong tho... Thanks for the links....

Got a sweet deal today on some Aluminum6061 rounds. Got about four 7" diameter rounds one is nearly ten inches long and the others are about five or six and I got them all for like $40.00. Can you believe that, I have never got a deal like that before. The fellow is a local machinist that said I can have as much as I need as long as he does not have an immediate project use for them. Needless to say I am gonna be dropping by there now more often...Peace...

Pete

Pete,

It is a X3 clone, may be a Grizzly.

The Seig X3 comes fitted with a gas strut/spring from the factory.

I dont understand why it would not function the same way on a ZX45

You are 100% right The ZX45 is alot heavier than the machine in the above picture.

I used the picture to illustrate the gas strut modification idea.

The struts are available in many different weight capacities.

Fitting (a pair) one on each side of the column might even be better, it would even out the load.

Jeff...

Pete

Do you have a instant messenger?

aol im id: jalessi

yahoo im id: alchemist135

Skype (tanasibob)

Pete
try Rimmer in Maryville. I have gotten some great deals from them in drops.

IF you want to zip one over on my email it is
Matospeter@charter.net
Where is Rimmer located? I usually go to Goddard or a friends shop near Walmart.... What kinda machine do you have and have you converted it to cnc yet as I would love to meet someone who has actually sucessfully made one work to talk to. Thanks guys....

Pete

Yahoo instant messenger link


http://messenger.yahoo.com/download.php

My wife used to use that all the time and for some odd reason it would slow my computer way down so I took it off. My computer is not brand new but it is not real slow either so I am not sure why but I do not use that anymore. I sure would like to chat with you about the Lathemaster tho especially once you get started on the cnc setup. Peace man....