Overall view of the machine; as you can see it's not quite finished; i have some wires to tidy up and I still need to move the drives under the bench etc; the drill is brand new and was just $69.99 from Home Dept
All the drives I had along with the step motors
It will become a 4 axis very soon; the normal table will be removed and more linear rails will be added below the X axis; this will allow me to cut across the job for flats etc
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~SteveNuttall/3axisdrill.jpg
Close up of the Z axis drive motor and timing belt setup; I removed the return spring for the timing gear wheel; i still need to add a spring to keep the spindle against the gear to stop backlash
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~SteveNuttall/3axisdrill-4.jpg
Close up of the C axis; this axis will rotate to the exact angle specified by the computer (note; that rotary head was the old head from the lathe before the big update)
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~SteveNuttall/3axisdrill-1.jpg
General view from the other side; note the use of muffler clamps to hold the stepper drive motor support; the motor is fastened to the Alum angle on a Lexan plate; the drives that control the step motors can be seen behind the unit; the small linear slide in front of the rotary axis will become the tail stock to hold long jobs while they are drilled
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~SteveNuttall/3axisdrill-2.jpg



What did you build today?

But will it work




Yes it works
3 rows of holes center drilled 0.5mm deep; 5mm row to row; 30dgr apart

http://www.warshipmodels.com/~SteveNuttall/testpattern.jpg

Very nice, looks good. How rigid is a head like that for the A(or C) axis? Would it be suitable for milling? It wouldnt be all that difficult to get a mini lathe spindle and use that for a 4th axis.

Jon

What did you build it to do?

Eric

It will drill my barrels; some have flash holes in the muzzle; i need to drill them
Here is one I'm working on the prototype of the 262 barrel; remember this is the prototype; it's not the finished artical and is not up to scratch as far as my normal standards

This is the biggest cannon ever fitted to the aircraft; just one in the nose; they built 3 of them before the wars end
I'm making these for another Canadian; he's in Austria; and once I get the drilling done by CNC he will cast the resin breech onto the barrel
Scale is 1/32nd


http://www.warshipmodels.com/~SteveNuttall/50mm-mauser.jpg
The muzzle is drilled to leave only 1/2mm wall; then a muzzle cap is pressed onto the thin shell
This shell is then drilled with many small holes; the barrel is drilled scale 50mm up inside the thin shell (about 7.5mm in)

http://www.warshipmodels.com/~SteveNuttall/50mm-mauser-1.jpg
This is one long cannon barrel almost 100mm

http://www.warshipmodels.com/~SteveNuttall/50mm-mauser-2.jpg
Another muzzle view

and finally no gun is of any use without rounds
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~SteveNuttall/shellssmall.jpg

After this I'll be looking to prototype a 30 mm GAU-8/A seven-barrel Gatling gun

Very nice, looks good. How rigid is a head like that for the A(or C) axis? Would it be suitable for milling? It wouldnt be all that difficult to get a mini lathe spindle and use that for a 4th axis.

Jon

That C axis is a lathe spindle; and yes it is very ridgid; the drill spindle should be good enough it's brand new; plus i open 4 boxes to chk the spindles untill i found one really tight
I'll be adding a Y axis over the next few days; the drill table will be gone then; and the 2 linear slide mounted right on the machine base; another stepper will control the Y

Those are very cool,
What I was wondering is would it hold a part while being machined, the stepper and all?
I am considering getting a rotary table, but I do not like the ones available and a spindle from a mini lathe is only about $30 and a chuck is around $40 and I can make/have the rest.

Jon

It's a 3-1 reduction with 300 oz/in hold; i think small cuts in brass with a 1/16th or 1/32nd cutter will be no problem at all

As always Stevie, Impressed/envious, thanks for taking the time to share your work with the CncZone.

Ken

Stevie,
excellent work again.. I'd like to see the finished model.. is this a flyng model?

The 'biggest cannon ever fitted to the aircraft' might be off though.. The 262 tank buster had a 50mm cannon? The DeHavilland Tsetse (Mosquito varient) had a 57mm ( six pounder molins) rapid fire cannon for killing U boats and shipping with. Weighed over 3500lbs, 18ft long and filled the entire bomb bay. Fired in a dive it would knock 100mph off the speed of the plane. The 130 gunships use a 105m cannon too..

Stevie,
excellent work again.. I'd like to see the finished model.. is this a flyng model?

The 'biggest cannon ever fitted to the aircraft' might be off though.. The 262 tank buster had a 50mm cannon? The DeHavilland Tsetse (Mosquito varient) had a 57mm ( six pounder molins) rapid fire cannon for killing U boats and shipping with. Weighed over 3500lbs, 18ft long and filled the entire bomb bay. Fired in a dive it would knock 100mph off the speed of the plane. The 130 gunships use a 105m cannon too..

I ment the ME262; i know other aiircraft had bigger

STAY TUNED; I'M GOING TO ADD A 2ND SPINDLE AS WELL AS THE FORTH AXIS

Humm caps lock

New test of the machine.
Milling this time
1/32nd cutter drill at it's top speed (3010 rpm wish it was more!)
0.5mm deep
19mm long
16 total for 360 drgs
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~SteveNuttall/TESTMILL.JPG

kinda nice

hi stevie,

very nice machine...

how is the drill press chuck held on? i have been told that if the taper isn't secured with a drawbar or collar, a large enough side load could cause the chuck to come loose and chase you around your shop.

please, keep the pictures coming!

It's just a taper; remember this machine will just take small cuts in brass

Another test cut tonight; spiral cutting
8mm brass 3.1mm cutter 1.5mm deep 4 rotations to a dead stop and retract
Cuts at every 0.25mm last cut 0.05mm

http://www.warshipmodels.com/~SteveNuttall/TESTMILL1.jpg

The heart of the system
These are listed in order from left to right all are compumotor drives Zeta4 - S6 - 2XAL
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~SteveNuttall/4thaxis.jpg
General view of the machine in the 3 axis vice mode (the 4th rotational axis is behind it on the bench top) the new stepper motor to move the job in and out is sitting out front; the linear slides are screwed to the base of the machine
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~SteveNuttall/4thaxis-1.jpg
Similar view of the opp side; when I get chance the 1 stack will be replaced with another 2 stacker
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~SteveNuttall/4thaxis-2.jpg
Close up of the new axis; the linear rails are mounted right on the base here; but I also made 1" tall spacers to allow me to move the vice or rotary axis closer to the spindle
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~SteveNuttall/4thaxis-3.jpg

As we can only post a small number of images per
Here is the rest of the new setup

Alum 1/2" tall spacer added below the head support; this is just temp for a special job it will be removed after the job; but I'll keep it just in case it's needed again
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~SteveNuttall/4thaxis-4.jpg
Here the new spring loading can be seen; this is to control the cut in the Z axis; if the spring keeps the gear driving the spindle down against the flank of the teeth; the backlash is eleminated; the sandblasted mounting around the spindle I also made as the original was plastic
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~SteveNuttall/4thaxis-5.jpg
Well so for so good; the drives are all working; the next thing is to try to cut something with all 3 axis

I am impressed.

Eric

Hi Eric

Thanks; it means a lot when someone here says something nice about your work

The question was again will it work

Hunk of scrap alum; sorry about the saw cut face; i just grabbed it
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~SteveNuttall/4thaxis-6.jpg

It's actually cutting here at 3000rpm 3/32nd carbide cutter 0.05" deep per pass 3 passes x+1 y+1 from x-y 0

http://www.warshipmodels.com/~SteveNuttall/4thaxis-7.jpg

Not bad; not fast also but hey I have tme

Really cool machine! Thanks for showing!

Arvid

Hi,

Nice job on the conversion. I noticed an orientation problem with the ball screw nut. The ball run tube should be located on top or the side.

Ref : http://www.nookind.com/pdf/powertrac1.pdf page 5

Wayne

I placed it under because I wanted the oil to stay in there; and keep thing lubed
It would be easy to change though

Final update on the new machine

Overall view Left hand side
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~SteveNuttall/4axis-1c.jpg
Overall view Right hand side
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~SteveNuttall/4axis-1cr.jpg
wiring on drives cleaned up; love that flex covering
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~SteveNuttall/4axisp.jpg
Close up of the new tail stock; note linear slide with lock (that bolt will do for now; need a thumb screw)
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~SteveNuttall/4axist.jpg

see the next for the rest

Vise mode in this config; vice is nicely positioned by the linear and the collet face (I still have the lower config under that 1/2 alum plate that the 4th axis mounts to)
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~SteveNuttall/4axisv.jpg
Overall view of the workspace
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~SteveNuttall/4axisw.jpg
Opp side view
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~SteveNuttall/4axis.jpg

Well thats it for this project

On to the new build; this one will be exciting

Very nice looking shop!

Final version of the 50mm Mauser; the machine did the holes in 4mins some odd secs

Thanks HomeCNC

Ok I'm jealous, how do you keep such a nice CLEAN shop!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Phil

Your workmanship is just incredible! Nice work & hat off to you! It'll be a real treat to follow your new more detailed thread.

Arvid

Ok I'm jealous, how do you keep such a nice CLEAN shop!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Phil
And can you believe it i can still park in
The truck is a D/Dakota extend cab; fits by just 3 inches

3 inches is pretty close, are you using the tennis ball hanging from the ceiling trick?

And can you believe it i can still park in
The truck is a D/Dakota extend cab; fits by just 3 inches

Nope
I just sit exactly the same as i reverse in; once I see the edge of the storage locker hit the corner of the windsheild i stop and hit the down button; if it flashes I go just a smiggin more (LOL) I hit the bench just once and not hard

When I worked for Pacific Bell, we would back the bucket trucks up to the poles...when you hit the pole, it meant stop! Love your work Stevie.

Hi Stevie,
I've been watching ..... and enjoying!!!

I found a small problem yesterday
I needed to make a drill jig for a new product
Well the base support for Y cuts is too narrow; the 2 25mm trucks just don't have the length needed; i got quite a bit of vibration on milling
Drilling is super; but side loads are not well covered

So the solution
I had to add the 1" riser blocks anyway today for a production run of the big Mauser barrels
at the same time I'll add a 3/8" alum plate under the blocks and this wil carry another linear slide 8" long SR25V single truck; might be on an angle to set it out behind and under the C axis; this will spread the Y loads and also help support the weight of the big stepper hanging out there

nice machine, Is the z axis gear mounted to where the old manual handle was?

Opp Side; The Return Spring Is Removed

http://www.warshipmodels.com/~SteveNuttall/1inch.jpg
Here are the 1" tall risers and the 3/8" added plate for the mounting of the alum angles for the SR25V rail
you can see under the angle the 25mm SR rail i added (kind of see it anyway)
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~SteveNuttall/angles.jpg
Rear of the machine (tough to photo) the 2 angles are quite far back; this gives and effective rail support length of 7 inchs to the Y axis; all the rock is now gone; the orginal setup was only 1 1/4" effective length
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~SteveNuttall/angles-1.jpg
Front view; not much to get in the way here; you can see the 3/8 plate sticking out this shelf just might come in handy one day; i just could not bring my self to cut it off (I love reusing old parts; you can tell by all the unused holes)
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~SteveNuttall/newlight.jpg
Added the first halogen light; another will be mounted rear of this in the space between the head support and the spindle
I also added a good muffin fan on the side of the belt cover base; this cools the main spindle motor (gets qiute hot after 1 hour running)

Yes for those wondering; the light is mounted to a Dial base with the dial attachments; must have 15 in my toolbox; finally found a use

You just cant have enough light I say
I thought well 2 is good; 3 would be better; 2 X 20watt and 1 X10watt halogen
I wired to the hot side of the motor switch; the fan is wired to the off side; so when I switch on the Stepper Drives; the lights come on; when i turn the spindle on the cooling fan comes on
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~SteveNuttall/lights.jpg

The motor cooling fan; I simply Hot glued the grill on; might keep a finger out one day
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~SteveNuttall/fan.jpg

To anyone:

I am adding this thread to my CNC Collection files burned on CD.
Would anyone have some of the missing pictures, would love to
get a copy if possible, even a single picture.

Thanks,
java77man