Hey guys - first post but been a member for a while. I have the oppourtunity to get a G1006
http://www.grizzly.com/images/pics/jpeg500/g/g1006.jpg
older but very similiar to this from a friends father that no longer needs it. He wants $500 for it. I have been looking at cnc'ing an X2 or X3. I have caught the bug after building a solsylva and JoesCNC 4x4 Hybrid wood working machine.

Real question is - is this a good candidate for CNC'ing? I have not seen any kits or build logs for any mill/drills like the Enco/RongFu/Grizzly of this type. Any insight would be appreciated! Thanks in advance - Rob

Rob,
Looks almost exactly like my RF31 that I cnc'd several years ago. My opinion is that it is a good cnc machine. It handles anything I have thrown at it and a few that I should not have. I don't know of any kits for this machine, but I was able to fabricate my own parts with the help of friends and fellow zoners. I started out using the existing lead screws and nuts and quickly found out that was not the way to go. I think I wore out the original nuts in about a month. Also, I found it necessary to pin the X nut to the saddle as the two bolts that held the original in would work loose even though they were locktited. It was a fun (most of the time) project and good learning experience.

There are a few pictures on my web site that shows some of the differences between my build and most others.

http://bellsouthpwp.net/A/r/Arts_home_page/cnc/

A few issues with CNCing a round column machine are; you must CNC the quill, which is more difficult to accomplish then CNCing the head on a bed mill, limited z axis travel could make working with multiple tools (of different lengths) difficult in one setup, moving the head would require picking up your work coordinates again, and a crash would likely move the head and again require picking up work coordinates.

Joe

I used to have one of these mills and while it does have it's drawbacks it is a good running little machine and if I had one I would cnc it. The belt drive is great and it cut very smoothly for a mill of it's size and weight. I would say that if you got one for a real good price it would be definitely worth it. The website below has a good set of plans for converting these machines including the millhead quill drive and it is well done as you can see from the videos on the page. I have to agree tho that a dovetail machine would be better candidate but it would be difficult to say that it would be better to get one of the small ones instead. The round column machine I had could move some serious metal and worked smoother and cut as nice as my Lathemaster does and for a lot less money. The travels are decent as well on it. Funny thing is I bought the little mill for like $300.00 and sold it for believe it or not near a grand.... That was with a power feeder and a dividing head tho....peace

http://www.homecnc.info/cnc-main.html

Thanks for the input guys. The Z has me a little worried - the overall job of cnc'ing it, as well as vertical travel. The website with the conversion was helpful. going to look at it today to see just what I may be getting myself into.
- Rob

Rob,
To me the Z axis was not that much of a problem. I removed the hand wheel and made a plate to hold my servo. Then a belt drive from the servo to the shaft on the worm wheel.

Back lash was minimized by:
1. making a new spacer to go behind the above mentioned plate and the worm gear to keep it "in place"
2. Loosening the two screws on the fine feed mechanism housing and tapping it closer to the column to reduce that backlash. (Be careful here as you can make it to tight and it will bind in some spots)

I thought I had a couple of pictures to include, but apparently their on the hard drive that crashed:{( Let me know if you would like me to take more.

$500 is a good price on that mill if it's in good condition. I have the geared head round column mill that I'm converting to CNC now. Most if not all of the jobs that I do don't require me to move the head once it set, and I've learned to work with it. The square column would be better of course, but I'm working with what I have.