HARBOR FREIGHT small round column mill to a square column conversion.

First of all I would like to say, I wouldn't recommend this mill for DIY unless you can live with the factory tolerances of the machine, table not flat by .012 had to recut and regrind pretty much every surface on it, some of the critical areas and surfaces of the machine out by as much as .030 in a 4 inch distance. So with that said you would need a full machine shop to recondition the machine and during some testing I found that there was no way to get a very good cut with a 3/8 to 1/2 end mill, side cutting 6061 T6 alum. which is the main reason I am converting to square column. It hasn't been tested yet but I suspect this is the main culprit of the vibration and bad surface finish, may have to make a new spindle also, have not got that far yet. X Y Z Travels have all been added to. IM not to good a writing stuff up but I wanted to share my drill/mill with CNC ZONE :) click on link to see pics

http://webpages.charter.net/ms61/

There's two kinds of cheap: Ebay cheap, and then Cheap cheap. :D

Awesome, seams you are very skilled and had all the tools needed.
I wonder how much this conversion has cost you Parts and Time wise?
Looks like your allmost done with this send us some Pic's when completed.
Good Job

HARBOR FREIGHT small round collum drill/mill

SPECIFICATIONS: out of the box

Table Size: 16.5 x 6.06

X Travel: 9”

Y Travel: 5”

Z Travel: 12”

Spindle MT2

Spindle stoke 3-3/8"

1/2 HP 120 VaC MOTOR

Spindle RPM: 12 speed 300 to 3800 rpm

column dia. 2.830



===========================================================
NEW SPECIFICATIONS:

Table Size: 20.5 x 6.06

X Travel: 13.000”
Y Travel: 6.750”
Z Travel: 18.000”

column size .250 x 4 x 6 x30 with Rails 5x6 :cheers:
Rail Type: IKO LRW 20
Rail Length: 32 1/2" Long
4 Bearings
Bearing Type: IKO LRW 20
Length Of The Bearing: L 4 1/8 In x W 2 3/4 In

Lead-screw: Ball Screws for all X, Y and Z
Double acting, angular thrust bearings on all axis.

Spindle motor:McMillan Electric Permanent magnet MOTOR

2-1/4 HP at 260 VDC int.
1-1/8 at 130 VDC cont.
95-260 VDC
5 Amps
0-5100 RPM

Spindle RPM: low range 0-5000 RPM high range 0-10000
serpentine 6 rib Micro-V belt

Spindle: MT2

Servo Motors: Clifton 30V DC Servo Motors

360 oz/in peak torque

USDigital Encoder:250 CPR USDigital

drives: Gecko G320 servo drives

pc controler: amd k2 500 mhz

stepper softwear: Quickstep

Nice job!
I enjoyed the pic.'s
I always learn something new by looking at other people's set-up's.

What was the actual encoder you used from usdigital?

Thanks

The Encoder is a US Digital
E2 - (CPR 250) - (Shaft Diameter.250) - (Options-G)This option includes molded ears on the E2 base which enable it to be mounted to a 1.812" diameter bolt circle. COST $39.00 / 1

So my order number look like this ( E2-250-250-G )

Cheap-O-matic

Added new pics to photo gallery, just about got the Z done over the weekend
http://webpages.charter.net/ms61/photo.htm

Looks nice, Moto. Do you feel a bit of an urge to worship something that tall when you get near it? :D

Thanks and yes I do kind of. :)

Got her running needs a few more covers for the belts and make my home made spindle tach and it will be done ,I cut a test block at 8000 rpm ,65 ipm
dc motor was getting hot might have to add fan to motor.

here is some new pics :cheers:

http://webpages.charter.net/ms61/new_page_1

great job man..

I got a couple of questions for my own mill.

1. what weld rod did you use to weld the crapy cast iron to your steel plate??

2. what type of motor did you use for your spindle.

3. did you have any problems spining those stock mill bearings to 11000 rpm?

Hope mine comes out half that nice and I will be a happy man! :D

1. what weld rod did you use to weld the crapy cast iron to your steel plate?? A nickel based stick rod that someone at my work gave me the identification of the rod was rubbed off.

2. what type of motor did you use for your spindle. The spindle motor is a surplus tread mill motor I got two of them for nine dollars each the spindle will go from around 300 to 11700 with a single belt ratio and still has plenty of power at the 1000 rpm range.

3. did you have any problems spinning those stock mill bearings to 11000 rpm? Yes, they will get hot but there cheep, they run a little warm at 8000 and work great at 5000 it just depends on what load your putting on them most of my work is done with 1/8 to 1/4 inch endmills which can't produce much load. I do have future plans maybe if I have time to make a better spindle with angular contact bearings with a r8 taper.

update

Just got one of the last parts needed to make a windows based step controller super fast

with out all the pc timing issues.Its called Qstep with a PulsePacer my mill will easy make

10" moves at 200 + IPM, it takes 3 sec to go 10" start to stop im very happy with the speeds

im getting from the PulsePacer. I was getting around 40 ipm from my 500 MHz pc with out the

PulsePacer using just windows based step controller software.

PulsePacer is a independent timing circuit that is buffered from your computer operating

system

PulsePacer pic http://webpages.charter.net/ms61/pp1.JPG

http://webpages.charter.net/ms61/pp2.JPG

I am well on my way to a similar mill to yours (although i am using servos) I have already obtained a treadmill 2.5hp motor before your post (we think along similar lines ;)

the pulse paser, can it be driven buy mach2, turbocam or any of the other g-code interpreters? and if not does it come with its own software..

by the by where'd you go for so long?

thought the thread was dead. :)

I had to do some major home remodeling took up all my spare time :tired:
am using servos and a treadmill 2.5hp motor


The PulsePacer :cool: comes with its own software I dont beleave it will work with other softwares.


http://cpwojcik.home.att.net/Qstep/Quickstep_CNCx.html

very cool. let me know how you like the software.. seems primitive but the proof is in the machining.

michael. t.

It was designed for first time users with a simple interface in mind and in order to keep it

simple tool catalogs and tool offsets were not put in the program.most of the time with a

homebrew cnc mill with no tool changer and making small simple parts you don't need all the

bells and whistles,and if you get in a spot were you need to comp your tool in or out I do

it from with in my cad software and repost it.I have been using Qstep for 2 years and I like

it,and now its just a lot faster with the PulsePacer add on hardware kit.


The opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not necessarily those of CNCzone or Qstep. :p

heres some rc stuff i made and a wood placket

http://webpages.charter.net/ms61/q01.JPG
http://webpages.charter.net/ms61/q02.JPG
http://webpages.charter.net/ms61/q03.JPG
http://webpages.charter.net/ms61/q04.JPG
http://webpages.charter.net/ms61/q05.JPG
http://webpages.charter.net/ms61/q06.JPG
http://webpages.charter.net/ms61/q07.JPG
http://webpages.charter.net/ms61/q08.JPG
http://webpages.charter.net/ms61/q09.JPG
http://webpages.charter.net/ms61/q10.JPG
http://webpages.charter.net/ms61/q11.JPG

very cool. I am just getting into the rc car thing. and have bought a mamouth. It was one of my insperations for making a home mill. (even though I own a shop- My wife and kid were wondering who I was! )

bump

what can i say its a great thread

I got to see motomitch1's mill over the labor day weekend. Awsome!

what happened to all the pics, they seem to be gone

http://www.sickrcs.com/new_page_1.htm

what happened to all the pics, they seem to be gone

It says 403 forbidden, usually that means the pics are uploaded right but the permissions aren't set... Try a 'chmod 755 *' from an FTP prompt, or set them via a program such as WS_FTP.

I can't get to the photos either.... :(