Finally, after a bunch of travel for work and whatnot, more progress. Y table is on axis, as they say. I ran into some documentation issues -- they say they "prefer" the ball screw housing to run at 2 or 10 on the clock. Every ball screw I've worked with says the housing needs to either go on top. Which, it turns out, causes the housing to jam into the table on the IH kit. I didn't feel like tearing it all down just to grind a notch, so I put the return at 2pm and left it.
Also discovered three rubber grommets labeled "bottom housing, all axis". I can't find anything in the docs about where they should go and don't see any obvious places for them on the housings.
Then I started to do the X axis and couldn't find the other circlips that are used to hold the wipers in the housings. Either I lost them or only got one in the original package, either way I'm off to the big box store to buy some replacements.
Started working on the X axis for real today and got tripped up by new problems.
Discovered that the ball-nut mount doesn't have a set-screw, so I get to drill/tap my own.
While threading the ball-screw housing onto the screw I got surprised by a small number of balls coming out the rear of the housing. I searched and found 11 total, I don't know if there were more that I couldn't find. The preload sets ok and the ball seems to turn, so I'm not sure how concerned I should be.
I'm also a bit curious about the IH instructions to run the ball housing at 2 or 10 on the clock instead of 12 or 6. From poking around on the web, it seems that vertical is preferred over horizontal, is being ~20 deg off going to be a problem?
And of course I have exactly *zero* things to be used as set screws, so off to Harbor Freight for the jumbo pack of crappy imported screws.
talking to myself like a crazy person, part 45:
pro-tip:
If you have lockscrews set with Loctite "Red", here's how to get them
out:
1) heat area to > 500F
2) while area holding lock screw is at > 500F, remove screw
3) cool to room temperature
4) use amazingly expensive Loctite solvent to clean up the mess.
The following does *not* work
2) wait for area holding screw to cool to room temperature and remove
lock screw
Done with the X and Y, now on to the Z, only to discover I don't have the aluminum plate that goes between the Z mount and the top of the Z column. It's in the photos, but it's not mentioned in the instructions -- do I need it?
What I *do* have are two small black plates (4"x2" or so) with indents/holes for small screws. It looks more like a decorate plate cover than anything structural.
If you have a recent kit, did it come with an aluminum spacer plate for the Z axis?
Well, mine's not that recent recieved about this time last year, but no the plate just attached to the top of the column. Of course that's after the original round bearing plate was removed . I have seen some different looking Z configurations on the IH website, so don't really know which you have. Mine was just like the other two axis, only longer to hang the motor off the side of the column. Two 3/4" thick plates and a plexiglass cover was all.
Never seen two 4 x 2 inch blocks in my partial kit.
Bob
That's what I have for the X and Z, but for the Y there was a thick block of aluminum that went between the mount and the mill. It looks like there's one in the photo, but maybe they phased it out since making the instructions.
You need the spacer on Y to get near the 12" of travel. My kit came with a 1" spacer for that. I added another 1" spacer there. Got just under 12" now. I didn't get any spacer for X, so added 3.5" to 4" to get near the original travel. With that I got a hair over 29" travel. You can add a spacer to Z, but I decided I didn't need the extra travel there for now. Haven't missed it yet. Matter of fact I ended up cutting out the tie at the lower end of the column dovetails to get the head closer to the table. I tend to run longer tool holders too when working with a part on the table. Not too much of a problem with a part in the vise though. If I did add a Z spacer, it would be at least an inch, but more likely 2". I'd have to check to see if my ballscrew could handle the extra travel though. Pretty sure it would handle an inch.
Bob
Ok, now I get why the spacers are there....
I measured mine, and it looks like the quill is going to bang into the table before my head drops that low. I wonder if mine just has an unusually low tie on the column?Originally Posted by RustedOut
Those metal straps are to secure the Z lexan covers. The X and Y covers use hose clamps but that cant work on the Z because of the profile of the lexan.
IH is no powder coating a few peices black.
If you have a drill press, I'd add another inch to the Y spacer and make one for the X. I just measured mine and it's 3.25" thick. Depending on wich side you intend to run the mill from, the Y motor may get in your way. I started with mine on the left like yours, but when I added the extra spacer I switched to the right. Down the road, I may flip the motor to go towards the column. It just gets in the way.
Bob
I'm going to have to go out with a block of scrap and experiment, I'm not getting how adding a spacer block adds travel. It seems like it would be adding it on one side of the travel by taking it from the other side. (This is biproduct of my working with enclosed x/y/z systems where there's simply no idea of "adding travel".)
Good call on the motor orientation. I'm already banging into the lead screw every time i walk buy, having the servo stick out further is going to be a real joy.
The spacers are to allow the ball nut to travel further and therfore allow the table to traverse farther. Also note that on Y, you need to make the hole in the base casting bigger or the nut cant clear it.
As far as servo clearance, I have mine on the left of Y, and on the column side on X. This provides corner loading on the table, or the table can be run right to load. I repurposed a video edting 19 inch rack to hold a rack mount computer and monitor, etc. This is on the left side of the mill (I was worried about bumping in to the servo but I dont) Electronic cabinent is left of the column mounted to the wall.
The table and saddle will actually over travel the ends of the dovetails with the correct spacers. I don't recall how much over travel there was on the manual mill, but to get anywhere near 12" in Y and 30" in X, you need the spacers both places. My X ballnut is on the right hand side of the nut mount and the spacer nearly hits it as the table moves to the left. I should have cleared some more material out of the spacer to alleviate that, but didn't realize it till it was installed. It's coming back off some time in the future so I can drill a couple of holes in the end of the table to hold my chip shroud on, so I may open it up on the bandsaw then.
And you need to notch the base like saabman suggests for more Y travel. I notched mine 1/2" to clear the nut mount with the new flanges on it. That was the difference between the cnc mount and non-cnc mount. That can be done later though if you don't put that traveling cad plated plate back in. I run a 2" spacer on Y and come within 1/8" of the plate holding the ball screw angular contact bearing on full travel. I cut the back flange off the nut mount to keep from running into the base at the back.
Took some pics to help you visualize it. First is the X axis spacer from below. It can be trimmed flush with the angled shape of the table on that end. You can see mine has lots of extra material that can be cut out.
Then the proximity of the ballnut to the end of the saddle.
The way the Z motor plates lay on top of the column.
How close the saddle comes to the back side of the Y plate.
The back side of the saddle with the clipped off nut mount.
And the table traveled all the way to the right. Notice the old acme screw mount is not there. Allows more travel without it.
More pics to follow.
Bob
And here's the over travel I have currently with the table going to the left. About half of the travel to the right. That's where clearing the ballnut will help. It gives me 29" right now, But I think there's another inch available.
When you checked the Z travel going down, you did have the quill all the way up didn't you? That's how mine is ran. Matter of fact the parts that made the quill move are in a box in my attic. They're not needed with a cnc mill. The quill stays locked all the way up. I have 11.45" of travel right now in Y to the limit switches, but I run a chip shroud that eats up about .8" as the saddle travels to the rear.
Bob
Ok, this is starting to make sense. I hadn't considered overtravel and I was assuming it would be a symmetric add.
If I'm understanding it correctly, let's say a plate adds 2" of travel to a table with 20" of travel.
I go from this:
10" nut 10"
to this:
12" nut 10"
and not
11" nut 11"
right?
On X, if you do not have the spacer, the servo mount base will contact the saddle and limit travel to the "left". The spacer clears the saddle and allows the table to travel deeper. Travel to the right could run the table right off the saddle. So it is an asymetric gain.
Thanks for the photos and explanation, I was stuck on a perfectly symmetric increase, which I can't imagine how to do without a longer ballscrew or some other magic.
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