Hey Guy, I've been lurking around here for a couple of year and thought I might share as I upgrade my X2 with new balls screws, linear rails and teknic servo motors and a few other things. I know this is a bit much for an x2 but I don't have room for a bigger mill right now, but I do need this one to be more accurate and reliable. Here is a couple picture of what my mill looks like now in it current state. I uses the mill all the time and for the most part it works great, 90% of the time but I've always struggled with losing steps at random and the y axis gib loosing up and I've never been super happy with my ballscrews/backlash. So let the upgrade adventure being!!!
So I bought the larger table and solid column base form little machine shop and that is what I am going to build off of. I needed/wanted more travel so I added a 3" extension to the base which, when all said and done should get about 8" of travel on the y-axis. For the y-axis I am using NSX lh15 linear rails and a THK zero backlash ballscrew. That is as far as I've gotten at the moment but hoping to get a little more done this weekend.
Hey Guys, was able to get a little more work on the conversion and thought I would share a few more photos of the process.
Here are a couple picture of the x-axis motor bracket. I opened up the hole with the biggest drill bit that I owned and then brought it to finished dimension with the boring head.
Here is the finished bracket mount on the base, so far pretty happy with the way its turning out. I also got the bearing block mounted and the first linear rail installed, I will mount the second linear rail once I machine the saddle. This last picture is where the base is now, I was able to get the ball screw machined and fitted in place yesterday.
Hey Guy, I'm thinking of filling my casting with an epoxy mix to add rigidity and mass to mini mill and dampen vibration. If you have done this, do you think it was worth the effort? Would love to here thoughts on the process.
Thanks,
Danny
Also started working on the removing the dovetails of the column today and thought I would share a few picture of the process.
Last edited by dannyrocci; 01-19-2017 at 12:50 AM.
I actually just started rebuilding my old X2 also! I am under similar space/resource constraints.
I was considering the solid column setup from LMS, since it adds rare y-axis travel and simultaneously gets you a stiffer column, so I am curious to see what you do with it.
Currently, I am just working on cleaning everything up, preloading my ballnuts (cnc fusion kit), and redoing all of the electronics (old blown xylotex).
It's been a slow process, but I should be ready for some chips soon.
Well, I was able to get a little but more time on the column today and finished all of the machining on it. All that's left is to drill and tap all of the holes for the rails. I'm going to wait on that, till I get the column fill with epoxy since the hole will fall in the empty space. Here is a couple more pictures of the process.
Well I was able to get the casting filled with the epoxy and sand mix. I used a product called mascoflex fastpatch and it seemed to work really well. If I had to do it over again I might add some gravel to the mix just to keep it from turning so pasty. But at the end of the day it did flow and I had plenty to fill the base and the column with. The last picture is after the epoxy cured, I did have to grind some off because it was a little higher then I wanted.
Well its been awhile since I've updated this thread, I'm still making forward progress just not as fast as I would like. Here is a couple picture of where I am with things write now. I pretty much have the z-axis, finished for the most part and will start on the saddle for X/Y axis. I have a bunch more picture so if you want to see something specific let me know and I will post the pic.
I also ran the clear path servo on the z axis for the first time and have to say I"m pretty impressed. Had is cycle 10x up and down the full travel of Z-axis at about 500 ipm and it was repeating with in .0002", plenty good for anything that I plan on doing with it.
Well I was able to get the bed machined for the linear bearings and got my power drawbar and motor mounted. Its nice to see it starting to look like a cnc machine. The next thing to work on is saddle, which I've been putting off, since I think it will be the hardest part to get both axis in perfect alignment with each other.
Well, I getting a little closer to getting this x2 up and running. I have completed work on the new saddle to mount the x/y together and everything seems to fit up nicely, slide smoothly and it is solid as a rock. Can't wait to get this powered up and making some chips. It feels like it will be quite a bit more rigid then the original x2 and hopeful require less fiddling with to keep everything tight. I still need to make an x-axis motor mount and install the x/y ballscrews, so that is what I will be working on next. Here is a couple pictures of the progress.
Last edited by dannyrocci; 07-25-2017 at 02:13 PM.
Don't want this to sound envious ... but it will LOL. I'm sure lots of us would like to upgrade but just don't have access to a Bridgeport 'BIG' mill to process these parts. It took a couple of looks to notice the YY extension - other than ease of machining the choice of aluminium seems odd - any reason for not using a chunk of CI ? I also note the column stiffeners that double as ZZ motion mounts, but feel that with the extended spindle casing and ATC offset from the column the column base mount looks particularly weak in regard to front / back flex - this is a long term symptomatic problem with the X2 family. I plan to resolve this to a degree by bolting the CI X2 base to a steel base plate, extended out the back that will allow an 100x150mm unequal steel angle to brace between the steel base and the vertical column.
Hey Kawazuki, I know what you mean about the bridgeport, I have been wanting one for years and only just recently got this one myself. This is the first really project that I have done on the big mill. That is also why I went with the aluminum for the extension because at the time I didn't have the bridgeport, just another x2. I was planning on using it and didn't want to hog out that much steal on a little x2. So since I already had the stock, that is what I went with. If it seems to hurt performance I'll just make it out steal and call it good.
As far as the flex in the column goes, I dont think it will move once I get it all lock together. If you look at this picture the bracing goes all the way to the base and will bolt into the back, once I get around to drilling and tapping those holes. I also fill the column with concrete epoxy to stiffen it up and the steal that I put around it 3/4" thick plate made and is made into a I-Beam and then another 3/4" peace welded to that witch goes down to the base and give the column two point of connection. If it does want to flex I can always add arms that go to base itself but at this point I don't think I will need it.
Last edited by dannyrocci; 08-07-2017 at 10:25 PM.
Well I decided that I better start working on the stand for this mill as I'm getting closer to finishing out the machining work and need a place to put it all together other then my welding table. Not finished yet but have the basic stand built and so far pretty happy with how its turning out. The stand itself is 27 1/2" by 40 1/2" and mostly of 2x3 thick wall tubing. I plan on using my existing enclosure to fit on top, I do still need to have some Z flashing made up to seal the enclosure to the base and finish up the coolant return. Here is a couple of picture of the stand as it sits now.
Well I got my new controller in this week and got it mounted in a temporary stand, while I figure out all of the wiring. The unit is Adtech 4640 and so far it seems like it will work nicely. I was never that much of a fan of mach 3, so I thought I would try this controller and see if I like it better. It seems like it will do everything that I will need of it and more. I have been able to get me servo motor turning, still need to get the spindle motor going, hopefully that will go smoothly and then I'll connecting all of my inputs and outputs.
If anyone has experience with this unit, I would love to here your thought good and bad.
Last edited by dannyrocci; 08-10-2017 at 07:54 PM.
It looks like you have an air cylinder on your spindle operating a tool changer.
Can you give some details on it?
Is it for Tormach style tools or tool holders with pull knobs?
Is it home made or a kit?
The power draw bar is based off of hoss' x2 cnc conversion and you can find all the details on his site. The unit works really well and is definitely worth doing if you want uses Tormach style tools. Here is the link to Hoss' website.
Hey Scot808, Sorry for the late replay been awhile since I checked in on this thread. The motor I am using are CPM-SDSK-2321S-EQN and in my testing so far they seem like they are going to work really well.
Well, I have finally finished all of the machining and I am moving on to final calibration and assembly. I'm hoping to have everything up and running by December first. Here are a picture of y-axis assembly going together. I'll try and post pictures of the whole as it goes together.