Yet another Newby gets the bug!!!!

[GPZ_Rider]

Hi Guys n Gals

Have been sandbagging around these pages for some time now and have finaly begun to build my first machine. I have no real plan or idea of what I am doing but do have a number of parts that have been collected over the years so will start bolting it together and see where it goes.

Images show the base frame of the router with 1.5 inch rails in place and thompson super 24 bearings in place.

Other images show the x axis lead screw being turned up for the bearings and motor coupling and a motor mounting block being bored out on the mill..

[GPZ_Rider]

The Thompson bearings where picked up on ebay some years ago and just never got round to using them until now. One of the major problems was sourcing suitable pillow blocks for these bearings. In the end I decided to make them my self.

I built a small furnace out of a beer keg and began yet another "hobby", its funny how these things snowball. The first picture shows the sand cores I made to give me a start hole in the pillow block.

Picture 2 shows my furnace with 2 failed pillow blocks ( wet sand ) pre heating with the steel mould on top.

Pics 3 and 4 show the aluminium "loaf" after pouring, 5 and 6 show the machining process and the final picture shows the final "carpet" of chips after machining.

I have "NO" machining skills or experience what so ever but love the learing process involved with all of this and am beside my self with joy when something actually works !!!

Any comments or advice etc would be really really welcome!!!!

[Gir]

Wow, those molds came out really nice! How did you machine them?

[GPZ_Rider]

Hi Gir..

Most of the work was done with the face mill but I had a major problem
in opening out the bore. My machine didnt have enought height to allow me to use a boring head whilst the block was held in the vice and as of yet i have no angle plates or other gear to support in any other manner.

In the end I used a fly cutter set to give me a 60mm bore and went very slowly!!!

Hours later and you have a lovely carpet of chips..

[GPZ_Rider]

Some more pics of the machine base..... Bearings, shafts, a slap of paint and some sexy little adjustable feet.

This thing is going to be so heavy when its finished I doubt I will have any vibration problems.

Shafts and lead screw are "fixed" at one end with "some" alignment room available at the other.

Lead screw is 18mm 4mm/rev trapazoidal.

Steppers are 190 oz/inch

Shafts 1.5 inch

looking for a usable cut area of 900 x 600

[GPZ_Rider]

The x axis is almost complete and the y is now taking shape.

20mm ground shafts with linear bearings for the y axis.........

I have just finished making the bearing "pillow blocks" out of Delrin for the y axis and will see how they go mounted to a steel plate. If this proves successful then all well and good, if not then it'll be time to stoke the furnace up again and cast a part to replace the delrin and steel.

The shafts are pressed into the support plates which will be bolted through the frame when I have completed the y axis and decided upon a height to set it at. At that point the bracing pieces can com off (tack welded).