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  1. #61
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    Default Re: New DIY build - design suggestions/ideas welcome

    Cheers.

    So been busy with work and doing stuff in the garden, but I have had time to re-do my coolant system... the previous was a bit ramshackle and I only had air cooling as I hadn't got around to re-installing the coolant side. It's now built into the table so I figured it was worth getting sorted before I did any serious machining as it works for both the current machine and the new one.

    I'm using a sil-air compressor & tank, two electronic solenoids for air/coolant control, a pool filter for the coolant reservoir (with it's own regulator) and an air gun for free hand chip clearing and clean up.

    I run the air at 20psi and the coolant is just pressurised to around 2psi as that's all that's needed to get it flowing out the end of the nozzle. Coolant wise I got some kool mist #77 which I'm looking forward to having a go with.










    - - - Updated - - -

    Right, finally a proper bit of machining to show... I did a small re-design on the face plates as they still weren't quite going to fit on my machine and I wanted a slightly wider stance. In order to keep the structural part as a single piece, I made the main piece slightly shorter and then added removable "wings" for the extension.

    I've left the wings uncoloured to make them easier to see:



    Made the front main face plate today:

    Started with a jig plate made from SRBP - nothing fancy, just a plate I could machine flat and put some screw threads into, and a slab of 20mm eco-cast plate.




    After interior roughing, contouring and drilling ops:




    I drilled though the m8 screw holes with a 6.8mm into the jig plate and tapped them to allow me to then fix the plate down through those, which then allowed me to the remove the clamps and run the exterior ops:






    Top side finished:




    Then flipped it over and re-fastened to run the rear chamfer:






    And done:





  2. #62
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    Default Re: New DIY build - design suggestions/ideas welcome

    So whipped out the rear plate today... very similar so it's pretty much a wash, rinse, repeat job just with a few tweaks, so I won't bore you with lots of photos:

    top side done:




    Bottom side done:




    Fitted:




    Bonus points:

    mmmm, pointy confetti....





  3. #63

    Default Re: New DIY build - design suggestions/ideas welcome

    Wow...nice machining!!!



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    Default Re: New DIY build - design suggestions/ideas welcome

    cheers, I'm still a rank amateur but learning all the time

    Little more work today, I need to tidy things up a bit in the man cave so good excuse to get the motor mount plates made - allows me to install the screws and motor mounts to start getting things off my desk!

    10mm eco-cast plate, done in much the same way as the other parts so far:

    First fix:




    Drilled and countersunk:




    Second fix, finished:




    Haven't got all the fixings I need (e.g. no countersunk screws long enough etc) but good enough for a test fit, motors are also placeholders. Motor mounts have 6mm dowel pins for alignment purposes:









  5. #65
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    Default Re: New DIY build - design suggestions/ideas welcome

    Looking good!



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    Default Re: New DIY build - design suggestions/ideas welcome

    Thanks.

    Well, wasn't needed at work today so thought I'd be productive!

    Machined one set of wings:

    Initial setup for drilling/milling




    Fastened down with m6 bolts:




    I totally love adaptive clearing on fusion 360:




    flipped over and machined on second side:




    finished parts:




    And some fitted pics:






    I've ordered a new spindle, mine is definitely not quite happy and I'm concerned that soon it may start causing actual problems. There goes next months budget



  7. #67
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    Default Re: New DIY build - design suggestions/ideas welcome

    So last bit of work for a while as I'm now pretty much out of alu stock. just whipped out the second pair of face plate wings today.








    I like the stance, it's looking purposeful extremely happy with how solid the whole thing is feeling so far.



  8. #68
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    Default Re: New DIY build - design suggestions/ideas welcome

    So managed to find a bit of 20mm plate that was big enough to make another part from, not for the lower frame which I had intended to build first - this is the Z-axis mounting plate but given that I don't have the plate to make any other parts at the moment I thought I may as well crack on!

    Few little design tweaks before I made it, I've added a fillet to the risers in order to help fold the brush strip out of the way in a controlled fashion, and I've made one bolt on each of the carriages into a DIN7 shoulder bolt so that the thing should have no choice but to be aligned square with the rails.

    forgot to take a setup pic, so here it is getting started after the first drilling ops:



    Top side done:






    Drilled and inserted some dowel pins to align for rear machining, it just needs a pocket to clear the motor mounts cleanly and while I was there a threw a little chamfer around the contour:






    Finished part:





  9. #69
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    Default Re: New DIY build - design suggestions/ideas welcome

    Very nice work. I love watching your pictures and see such beautiful work great design.

    Care to share some data about feeds, speeds and tools? How long time did this piece take to make?

    https://www.youtube.com/c/AdaptingCamera/videos
    https://adapting-camera.blogspot.com


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    Default Re: New DIY build - design suggestions/ideas welcome

    Cheers!

    Took a couple of hours total but I wasn't rushing - my compressor, while nice and quiet, can't keep up with demand to the point that it ever clicks off for a rest... that means it gets a bit hot if you don't give it a rest occasionally.

    For the adaptive clearing I use a 3 flute roughing end mill, 19,000 RPM and 1,800mm/min with 2.5mm DoC and radial load of 2.4mm (I know, sounds like high RPM but by ear this is where it's happiest) and I tend to up the flow of coolant a touch. Contouring or non-roughing I tend to use a single flute 6mm, 20,000rpm and up to 2,400mm/min for light cuts - for the most part it is just tidying up the 0.5mm left from roughing, it's also quite happy doing adaptive but I slow down to 1,800mm/min.

    Chamfers are done at 20,000rpm and 1,000mm/min with 0.25mm step down and a repeat pass on the finishing pass at 600mm/min. I use a 6mm 90 degree chamfer/spot drill and I just cheat on fusion by telling it that it is a 1mm end mill, then just add 0.5 to the depth for the size of the chamfer (e.g., 1mm chamfer requires a 1.5mm depth.... for whatever reason the chamfer function on fusion doesn't like to work for me when I've actually modelled the chamfers, only works when I haven't modelled them at all so have to use this cheat.

    BTW, I couldn't even touch these speeds before using mist coolant - the roughing bit especially just gummed up even at lower rpms. Coolant has massively increased my material removal rates I can achieve which speeds up the whole process.

    Drill wise I have some new HSS stub drills I've been using, 135 degree split tip which seem to be doing a nice job. Due to spindle constraints you can't really get low enough on the RPM for these but c'est la vie... below 12,000rpm seems to lack torque. I find deep drilling (so full retract each peck) keeps things happiest as it gives coolant a chance to get on the tool and into the hole, feed at about 200mm/min and retract at 1,000mm/min with 1.5mm pecks.



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    Default Re: New DIY build - design suggestions/ideas welcome

    Thank you.

    https://www.youtube.com/c/AdaptingCamera/videos
    https://adapting-camera.blogspot.com


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    Default Re: New DIY build - design suggestions/ideas welcome

    Not much news on the CNC front, apart from that I've just ordered a big fat stack of aluminium, which is enough to do pretty much all of the remaining parts (just the spindle mount and the extrusion for the gantry missing). Hopefully that'll arrive sometime towards the end of the week.

    However I haven't been totally idle, I have just installed my newest toy which is going to be a bit of a distraction! I haven't used a lathe in many moons, probably not since I was 16 at school, and I have pretty much no idea what I'm doing so it's going to take a bit of time to learn it all. Intentions are to get to grips with using it manually then think about a conversion to CNC.


    Wabeco D4000 with DRO's:




    Playing with some test scrap:




    Mmmmm... complicated....




    So been a bit busy with work, but this afternoon I had a bit of a play with the lathe.

    Trying to make some nice snug shoulder screws for the alignment of the X-Axis mounting plate. I've just been getting the hang of it all really so only made the one so far.... Think I need a slitting saw to make the slot on the top.

    I've tried both brass and stainless steel. Brass is certainly easier to work, but not sure what to go with.






    Test fit:



    Figured out this threading thing... seems it would be much easier to do this sort of operation if it was CNC'd up. The change gears are a bit of a faff.






    Fits nicely:





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    Default Re: New DIY build - design suggestions/ideas welcome

    So, first things first - big delivery of eco-cast plate! Enough to keep me going for a couple of months I'm sure.

    Managed to have the big bugger (the bed tool plate) fall over on my foot as I was moving the packages around. That hurt...




    I also finished off a couple more shoulder screws for the X-axis slider plate, full set now... just waiting for a 1.5mm end mill to arrive to machine the slots in the top.




    And I've designed this little setup for stop/limit switch on the Y-axis using hall effect proximity switches. The brass dial is threaded m6x1 to give 1mm movement fore-aft per rotation for simplicity's sake when setting up, and has a small magnet embedded in the face for the hall effect sensor. Small spring provides tension on the thread.

    The mounts themselves will be 3d printed.




    And they just tuck in behind the rail mount plates here (both front and back, only the back one shown).






  14. #74
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    Default Re: New DIY build - design suggestions/ideas welcome

    Small bit of progress today.

    First up the main bed needed trimming down a couple of mm in width... decided easiest way was to use a hand router and guide rail. I finished by just popping a 1.5mm chamfer on all sides and giving it all a little tickle with some 240 grit on the orbital.










    And 3d printed the Y-axis sensor mounts










    Also designed and now printing a drill jig for the bed plate corners. I'll make the brass drill bushing on the lathe.





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    Default Re: New DIY build - design suggestions/ideas welcome

    Got my 1.5mm end mill today so finished off the shoulder screws - chuffed with these little bad boys as my first lathe project!






    And this is what they do - in theory the X-axis slider plate is now constrained at all 4 corners, and should be in pretty much perfect alignment with the rails





  16. #76
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    Default Re: New DIY build - design suggestions/ideas welcome

    First thanks for the additional pictures! You have an excellent build underway displaying awesome craftsmanship.

    Quote Originally Posted by zeeflyboy View Post
    Not much news on the CNC front, apart from that I've just ordered a big fat stack of aluminium, which is enough to do pretty much all of the remaining parts (just the spindle mount and the extrusion for the gantry missing). Hopefully that'll arrive sometime towards the end of the week.

    However I haven't been totally idle, I have just installed my newest toy which is going to be a bit of a distraction! I haven't used a lathe in many moons, probably not since I was 16 at school, and I have pretty much no idea what I'm doing so it's going to take a bit of time to learn it all. Intentions are to get to grips with using it manually then think about a conversion to CNC.
    At least your distractions are more tool time. Mine are excessive overtime and to many projects that MUST be done on the house.

    Wabeco D4000 with DRO's:

    Playing with some test scrap:

    Mmmmm... complicated....
    That is actually a nice looking lathe, I'm surprised that more lathes don't use timing belts for drive components.

    So been a bit busy with work, but this afternoon I had a bit of a play with the lathe.

    Trying to make some nice snug shoulder screws for the alignment of the X-Axis mounting plate. I've just been getting the hang of it all really so only made the one so far.... Think I need a slitting saw to make the slot on the top.

    I've tried both brass and stainless steel. Brass is certainly easier to work, but not sure what to go with.
    Stainless is a whole different animal as most alloys are work hardening. Nothing ruins your day more than a piece of carbide turning red hot where it suppose to be cutting.

    Test fit:


    Figured out this threading thing... seems it would be much easier to do this sort of operation if it was CNC'd up. The change gears are a bit of a faff.
    CNC'ing your lathe can also pay off in lower costs for special tools and fixture. Maybe not to the same extent as a mill where an expensive rotary table can often be replaced with your CNC controls.


    Fits nicely:




  17. #77
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    Default Re: New DIY build - design suggestions/ideas welcome

    Quote Originally Posted by wizard View Post
    First thanks for the additional pictures! You have an excellent build underway displaying awesome craftsmanship.


    At least your distractions are more tool time. Mine are excessive overtime and to many projects that MUST be done on the house.
    Very kind thank you. If it makes you feel better, I have a baby on the way in under a month and most of my time recently has been on doing nursery, sorting out the garden (including a built in BBQ for which I have the concrete table tops currently curing in the garage awaiting polishing) and doing a seemingly never ending list of jobs that the wife has deemed necessary. Thankfully I can avoid the excessive overtime, although the summer is always busy alas!


    That is actually a nice looking lathe, I'm surprised that more lathes don't use timing belts for drive components.
    Yes, I have to say so far I'm rather happy with it. Apparently as far as mini-lathes go, it's hard to do much better than a wabeco in terms of quality/accuracy and I have to say while it's early days I have been happy with how well it's worked straight out of the crate.


    Stainless is a whole different animal as most alloys are work hardening. Nothing ruins your day more than a piece of carbide turning red hot where it suppose to be cutting.

    CNC'ing your lathe can also pay off in lower costs for special tools and fixture. Maybe not to the same extent as a mill where an expensive rotary table can often be replaced with your CNC controls.
    I have a built in flood coolant system, but I'm a little nervous about coolant going funky given the only occasional use. Also not too sure about coolant and corrosion of all these cast iron things if one isn't fastidious about cleaning up after each use.

    After watching a few videos of CNC lathe conversions I'm definitely interested in converting it at some point, but I've got enough stuff to be getting on with for now! After this project is finished I rather wanted to build a new 3D printer I designed last year.

    Too many projects, too little time!



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    Default Re: New DIY build - design suggestions/ideas welcome

    Couple of jobs done today, nothing overly exciting sadly!

    I made my drill jigs after a few changes to my design to allow me to use it in multiple places.






    Stage 1 in trying to get a nicely aligned machine, I laid it down on the ecocast bed plate and re-assembled with that as my flat reference.




    Flipped and inserted spring T-nuts for retaining the bed. I also plan to drill through into the long extrusions once the machine is assembled for some alignment pins that will allow the bed to be removed and replaced without losing alignment.




    With the machine now right side up, I had a first go at my method for aligning the rails to the bed reference and thus hopefully each other. I used a 1mm piece of shim brass and using a clamp I moved along the rail tightening as I went. I'm wondering if it is worth making a DRO setup to read divergence from the bed in Z to verify.




    I've been thinking about the easiest way to verify that the rails are equipped-distant along the whole travel to a suitable level of accuracy. I'm thinking that one the motors and rail mounts are hooked up I could make a piece that spans the gap between the two side mount plates that can float in X. Fit a DRO to that and take measurements at each of the cross support points, shim if necessary. Thoughts?



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    Default Re: New DIY build - design suggestions/ideas welcome

    Another day, another part.

    Today I bashed out the side mounting plates. I'll need to make some more shoulder screws as I have used a similar alignment strategy to the gantry slider plate to ensure alignment.






    I also had my first whoopsy moment on this project - the lead out from the contour of the first part went crashing into the second part and I missed it on the simulation. Oh well, the small gouge will be a reminder that I'm a moron.




    Good indication as to how much chunkier the new machine is - even the mounting plates make the X6's arms look skinny:







  20. #80
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    Default Re: New DIY build - design suggestions/ideas welcome

    Quote Originally Posted by zeeflyboy View Post
    Today I bashed out the side mounting plates. I'll need to make some more shoulder screws as I have used a similar alignment strategy to the gantry slider plate to ensure alignment.
    I must be missing something, how are you using the shoulder screws for alignment, the linear Bearings would have to have a precision ground stepped hole where the thread goes into the Bearing Block, that matches your shoulder screw, for this to work, these type of Bearings are designed to be in a pocket, the Bearing Blocks are Ground on the sides, this is for there alignment, and the only why they can have true axes or plate alignment

    Mactec54


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New DIY build - design suggestions/ideas welcome

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