Problem- X2 Spindle Head noise.

[spaceballs_3000]

X2 Machine has been up and running and cutting pretty good.

Only one problem currently left.

I notice that when I apply pressure (with finger) on the spindle head horizontally (from left to right) while running it make an loud vibration noise (like prop plane taking off) it happens when not even milling anything.

It happens on any speed, and seems random, when it starts, I change the spindle motor speed and it goes away. When it does happen it does when milling, it does not leave a clean cut on both sides of the stock.

you can kinda hear it in this view (30 seconds in) it's much louder in real life.

YouTube - X2 milling .063 Alu pt1

YouTube - X2 milling .063 Alu pt1

Only thing I can think of is my Z gibs are loose, which would be a pain to adjust as the Z fusion kit mounting hardware covers one or two of the gib adjusters.

Any ideas on what is wrong?

[trad-tool]

spaceballs,

Please take this with a grain of salt, and this is my first post here, but these X2 mini-mills are a real POS, IMO. I have had a real love/hate relationship with mine, but I had bought it used, and did a full tear down and rebuild of it. This is half the battle, getting the table pulled off, all the cosmoline cleaned up, the ways cleaned, etc...this helps these little mini-mills a lot, IMO.

The one thing I wish I had done sooner, which I just did recently, was to add the belt drive. I really feel this could be one of the better mods for these little mills. For these mills, that plastic gear is a real weak point, and what causes a lot of the vibration/noise, IMO.

A couple ideas I can offer, if you haven't seen the *Swarf Rat video on the x2 mini-mill, Teardown, Tuning, and Tramming, you might consider it. I thought it was really helpful to get mine calibrated. As far as getting the table off, understanding how to disassemble the mini-mill, that video is invaluable. It also discusses how you can adjust the spindle bolts to try and reduce the noise. But honestly, these are just a POS with that plastic gear, do yourself a favor and get rid of it. I would get vibration on mine at specific speeds. The belt kit will allow it to go much higher rpm also.

I also replaced my torsion arm with the air shock, it is also not without problems for me. But my little mini-mill continues to function, oddly enough and as much of a POS it is, it works. Do yourself a favor and get the belt drive, you will be happy with it. It makes these little mills much more usable. I am considering turning mine into a cnc possibly, and I would have never given that a thought before adding the belt drive kit.

The more I go along, the more I replace on my mini-mill. It is getting to be a usable machine. Most of my machines are vintage, and this is about the only one that could be cnc'd.

Again, consider that belt kit. My $0.02.

[* no relation to LittleMachineShop, just a satisfied customer]

[The Blight]

Go with the belt kit. It should make it a lot quieter, and smoother.

Most of the vibration comes form the gibs not being tight enough. You can't really tighten them down because it will bind in some places. What you can do is to first do some lapping or scraping on the ways to get rid of the high spots and create a nice flat surface. You will also have to make sure that the ways are parallel. When you have done this, you can tighten down the gibs a bit, and most of the vibrations will go away. You will also be able to take heavier cuts as long as the motor is up for it.

Most people will tell you that scraping is the way to go, but because of the rough finnish on the ways, lapping is also a good way to solve this problem.

PS. The X2 is a POS right out from the factory, but if you spend some time on it, you can end up having a pretty nice little mill.

[Crevice Reamer]

I believe this X2 already HAS the Belt drive. That leaves a possible problem with the spindle bearings. If it gets worse, you may need to replace them.

CR.

[The Blight]

I think you are right. Could be the bearings. Maybe you have too much preload on them?

[spaceballs_3000]

Originally Posted by Crevice Reamer I believe this X2 already HAS the Belt drive. That leaves a possible problem with the spindle bearings. If it gets worse, you may need to replace them. CR.

Yes I got the belt drive on it.

Thanks everyone for the good feedback, I was able to grind down an #3 allen key to adjust the bottom 2 gibs screws, and lightly tighten them a little more.

The spindle doesn't vibrate now when I apply figure pressure to the left of the head, so I'm Sorry for the newbie problem.

Sometime down the road I'll have to smooth out the dovetails, as I do feel 1-2 spots that get tighter when handcranking.

[philbur]

You almost certainly have negative preload on the spindle bearings, they are loose. The balls are chattering in the ball races.

Phil

Originally Posted by spaceballs_3000 X2 Machine has been up and running and cutting pretty good. Only one problem currently left. I notice that when I apply pressure (with finger) on the spindle head horizontally (from left to right) while running it make an loud vibration noise (like prop plane taking off) it happens when not even milling anything. It happens on any speed, and seems random, when it starts, I change the spindle motor speed and it goes away. When it does happen it does when milling, it does not leave a clean cut on both sides of the stock. you can kinda hear it in this view (30 seconds in) it's much louder in real life. Only thing I can think of is my Z gibs are loose, which would be a pain to adjust as the Z fusion kit mounting hardware covers one or two of the gib adjusters. Any ideas on what is wrong?