| | |
Cnc fusion - Buyer beware I purchased the x3 conversion kit from cnc fusion. Generally it is a great kit, but there are a few things you should be informed of before you purchase.
The ballscrew upgrade is a must for this project.
The tolerances on the mill or the bolt on kit (or both) are not right on. You will have to grind, cut etc if you plan on using this kit.
On my mill, things weren't quite right, and I ended having problems with my ballscrews binding. Contact with the company only indicated that indeed I would need to grind and cut metal in order to make it work right. Some of this work was offered for free after shipping costs by the vendor.
I would suggest you not attempt this kit unless you already have access to a metalworking shop - or really know what you are doing.
I ended up selling my mill at significant loss due to the poor matchup of parts. I spent the extra cash for no backlash, and smooth operation. This is not what I ended up with.
I know others have had better experience, but I seem to be the exception to the rule. I admit that my issues could have been due to lack of experience, or knowledge - I will admit this quickly.
Keep in mind the limitations of your skills and abilities before you purchase this kit.
I don't think i've seen one Fusion conversion done without some grinding or adjustment. This isn't necessarily a bad reflection on the kits but the multitude of manufacturers and varying casting / machining quality at source. If Michael had a machine from every manufacturer, I would guess the adjustment requirement may decrease but his parts store would increase exponentially as well as costs and prices!
I agree i don't think any casting or machining irregularities on the manufacturers part should be a reflection on the type of work michael puts out,
I have the deluxe kit for the SX3 and yes I did have to do some tinkering to get everything lined up just right, REMEMBER its a 1000$ CONVERSION KIT ie:custom
not a 20000$ TURN KEY solution, IMHO I believe these kits were made for guys who like to customize things instead of buying pre-made
I for one am, one of those guys.
I look at it this way, now I am VERY familiar with most of the quirks on MY machine granted jo shmoes down the lane might be a smidge different
i have nothing but great things to say about my experience with cncfusion and the quality of my kit. I had the original kit and it would be way more then acceptable for most work but i had some projects i wanted some more precision. being a 16 year old unemployed hs student at the time i couldn't dish out a grand for the deluxe but micheal was great in stepping me through how to double nut the x and z and i sent him my y and he preloaded it for me. Im sorry your not thrilled with your kit just wanted to help micheal out as he has helped me out so much.
cheers
[Soapbox]
While I am not a fan of the CNC Fusion kit I will say that for most users who are not prepared to jump in with both feet and design there own conversion to fit the machine they actually have there are few choices.
As stated above - The biggest issue here is more likely the chain of supply for the Seig mill. Different importers spec out the machines differently. Seig builds the mills to importer spec. If one importer wants a 5% weight reduction to save on container shipping costs Seig will find a way to make that happen. This means the machines won't always be the same vendor to vendor or even lot to lot. Also consider that Seig has only 1 industrial CNC Mill (a FADAL IIRC) used to finish parts of its machines which can not be done well on conventional machines. Keep in mind that these machines are built mainly by hand... Scribe marks, punch, drill via drill press.
RE: the Fusion kit... Your results will vary alot by how you put it together. Last I heard proper instructions were minimal to non-existent. That is probably one of the biggest issues for people that don't fully understand the interaction of ALL the components. Same kit, same machine, but 2 different people can get wildly different results.
At one point long ago I considered doing kits, but after seeing the amount of variation just between two machines I gave up on that idea. I think I follow along CADMonkey's ideal of putting out a set of basic prints and having the user measure his/her own machine and make the required adjustments to the provided plans.
Seig has failed to properly implement Samuel Colt's vision of interchangeable manufacture, an industrial concept in daily use for over 100 years throughout most of the industrialized world... China is still not all there yet. We buy the goods as is because until you want to buy mods and updates it kinda does the job, and there is nothing else close to its price point.
When people buy a kit, they take on the job of being a machine tool builder, the kit is just a collection of parts to help speed the process along, as is there are no Stepper motors, drivers, power supplies, limit or home switches or even switch mounts offered as part of this kit. Its up to you to get what you need to make it work, and find the right people to ask questions to when you can't.
[/Soapbox]
I'm a CNC neophyte and have had any number of highly frustrating problems with getting my machine up and running effectively. The vast majority of them stemmed from doing the whole process in a vacuum and getting things wrong without knowing it.
With that said, my kit from CNC Fusion was one of the better parts of the process. It bolted on quickly and easily. My only complaint is with the directions but it was pretty easy to figure it out anyways.
All I can really say is that making high precision parts in metal at home is incredibly satisfying and something I would not give up for the world. As I get better with the machine and using it I like it more and more. Good luck!
-Mike
I think CNC fusion need to do more to make potential buyers aware of the modifications they may need to make in order to fit their kits. Their advert currently advertises that the X2 ballscrew Z-axis conversion requires no modification which I found not to be the case. The holes in the bracket didn't line up for my X2.
In my opinion the holes in the X2 CNC fusion brackets provide very little in the way for tolerances - so it's no surprise to hear that most installations require some degree of modification.
I also had to grind extra clearance for the Y-axis ballscrew and had problems with fitting the X axis such that the ballscrew ran parallel to the dovetail (fixed by adjusting some of the holes).
With hindsight the rust on the ballscrews seen on receiving the kit was just the start of the installation headache...
I have owned the Fusion kit for my X2 for over 4 years and love it. Just ripped apart the x and y axis to clean it all up and readjust everything.
No its not perfect but either is my X2. Its has some quirks like only being able to adjust 2 of 4 Y axis gib screws. then having to shim the ball screw mounts so the ball screws do not bind. Nothing else was an issue, except at the time I installed it no real instructions.
I looked at other kits, and remember this was pre X3, I didnt see anything better. With a total runout at .004 on all axis I am happy with what I got. That was runout after 4 years and 200+ Hrs of use.
In the future would I do a kit, no way. I would be looking for a bigger mill that is ready to go out of the box even if it costs 7 grand. But thats me as my needs have changed.
I have to agree that the instructions are just not non-existent. However, I didn't have any trouble figuring out how to bolt on the X3 Deluxe Kit onto my Grizzly. I did an issue with the x-axis ball nut not being fully tapped, but Michael sent me a tap and I was able to finish the job.
I think that the only thing that needs change, is to replace the Lovejoy couplers with the Helical couplers.
Otherwise it's a great kit.
Paul
I want to chime in here as another thumbs up for Michael and CNC Fusion. I had a great experience from beginning to end with my Grizzly SX3 conversion - First I bought the double ballnut kit, but before I got around to installing it I learned about his new Deluxe kit. When I mentioned in passing in an email that I wished I had waited to get the Deluxe, he offered to take the original ballscrews back and replace them with the Deluxe kit ballscrews for just the difference in price. I happily took him up on that, and the exchange was completed in no time at all. I had a few questions on the installs, and Michael was available via email with answers. He even got a laugh and a few extra bucks when I thought the two Z axis timing pulleys were the same, when actually one was 1/2" bore and the other was 12mm for the ballscrew; and I merrily reamed the one I thought undersize. I emailed him asking for the part number so I could order a new pulley from the distributor, but he sold me one from his stock for a price better than I could get anywhere else.
Perhaps my Grizzly X3 was made to better specs than others, but my kit was truly bolt-on. I didn't have to modify anything. But given my experience with the varied quality of Chinese mini-mills, I wouldn't have been surprised to have to drill and tap extra holes or grind away problem areas. I think Michael's prices are extremely good, his machined parts are of excellent quality, and his support of customers is all I could hope for. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Michael and CNC Fusion to any buyer, of any experience level.
I have the Fusion #4 conversion And the Z would not line up ,It was out to close to the head and back .090 and Mike he was no help !
i mad my Z work by making my own mount for the Stepper motor!
my Z has 2" more inch's of travel my way !
the y is OK !
The X is touchy but works!
I'm also a happy CNC Fusion sx3 kit owner. So, I will say this as politely as I can..
If you do not feel comfortable making, improving or modifying things, You shouldn't be making or using a CNC machine.
These are Chinese mills mostly and not even the factory keeps close tolerances for the most part. So the measurements that you have may not be the same as mine......
Posting Permissions
| | |
LinkBack URL
About LinkBacks
