How to setup a new mill? (And servo engine size)

[the_ball]

G'Day!

This is "intro" post to this forum, but I have been lurking around for a little while now.

I'm a IT student from Norway studying in Australia(Brisbane).

I ordered a import mill which arrived yesterday. This is unfortunately the best quality this student can afford. I will convert this mill to CNC.

This is the mill:
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI....m=250022103370

I would appreciate some advice on the following points:

1. Engine size
2. Mill setup
3. Lubrication type
4. Do I Need to lap?

1. I am leaning towards servo drives. I plan to build the UHU drive, but I don't know what size the engine needs to be. Please help me get some insight into this. I wonder if the engines sold at: http://www.kelinginc.net/DCBrushMotor.html
for $89 would be able to pull the mill without gearing them ridiculously slow.

2. I have disassembled the mill, degreased it and put it back together on top of the table. I don't have any lifting gear so that was the only way for me to get the mill in place. Is there any other setup or preperation I should do?

3. What lubrication should I use on the ways and worm screws? Is WD-40 ok?

3. I have read through the Industrial Hobbies site and I wonder if I need to lap my mill? The x and y axis does not move as smoothly as I hoped.

I do realise that many of these questions are answered somewhere on this site and other places on the net, but I am having a hard time understanding what will be applicable to my mill.



Thank you for your time and this great forum!

Cheers
Alex
--
Do it by the book.. but be the author!

[ironDigit]

too get set-up just taking it apart cleaning ad greasing should be fine before putting it back together

you'll be wanting very tin oil for your ways and some thicker stuff for leadscrews wd-40 aint no good here

Don't lap man start with adjusting your gibs and take time too adjust your gibs check if your gibs can be adjusted by one screw or 2 one on both sides of the gib

make sure your bed is plane

and happy machining

[chich2]

Hydraulic oil will be about the best oil to use on your bed ways. Hydraulic oil is full of high quality additives to lubricate sliding and rotating components. Oil is also excellent at carrying away contaminants so if you lubricate often theres a good chance even the micro contaminants will be flushed out. Grease will hold the contimantants and turn itself into a grinding paste increasing the wear on your beds. Remember grease is only a gell that holds oil.

[the_ball]

Thank you for this info, very much appreciated.

I have measured the pitch of the x and y travels, they are 3mm per turn. As for the quill it travels 9cm per turn on the big handle!

Attached is a image of the mill. Is this a fairly "standard" import mill? Anywhere I can get more info on it, upgrades, compatible ballscrews and such?

It's marked with ZX30 and the only thing I have been able to find on the web about it is this page: http://www.yangzhoumachine.com/lichuang/e-cp2-3.htm

ironDigit: I believe the gibs are the two threaded knobs which lock up the table when tightened. I have not tightened the gibs at all, and the Y axis is smooth when moving away from the column but much tighter/harder to move towards the column. There is two gibs on both axis.

chich2: Thanks for the tip, is hydraulic oil used for automatic car transmitions the same stuff you are talking about or does it have to much anti-foaming agents and other additives in it?

PS: As you can see on the picture the quill tensioner is missing, it's lying on the floor after having a nasty argument with my thumb! These things are sharp!

Thanks again.

Cheers
Alex
--
Do it by the book.. but be the author!

[chich2]

Alex,
Hydraulic oil is more than likely something you will find in earthmoving equipment. Gear oil which you are talking about is also good but on most ocasions much thicker than hydraulic oil. It realy doesn't matter. Provided you lubricate your machine regularly and wipe it down. I will be starting a thread shortly on my cnc conversion of a Hafco Metal Macter HM 55 Hor-Vert Knee mill. I have used 24 volt motors from wheel chairs and I purchased optical encoders from http://www.usdigital.com to make servo's. I have also purchased XL series belts and pulleys to transmit drive from my servo's to my leadscrews.

[the_ball]

To answer my own question about which mill this is; When browsing the cnczone members homepages I found HomeCNC's homepage:www.homecnc.info which is the exact same mill, hurray! Lot's of good info on converting the mill.

Chich2: Looking forward to your thread. Can you tell me more about the wheelchair motors you found? Did you use the E5S series usdigital encoders?

[chich2]

The wheel chair motors are from Preslite Australia. I got them from "Babinda01" here at cnczone. He lives a stone throw away and builds snd converts cnc gear for a living.

Contact for the motors:
Darryl Richards
Sales & Marketing Manager
CPC / Preslite
4-10 Hillwin Street
Reservoir 3073
Victoria
Ph: 039 460 6566
Fx: 039 460 6823
Mb: 0413 774335
Em: drichards@cpcauto.com.au
Web: www.cpcauto.com.au

The optical encoders are: E2-1000-315 from us Digital. I also got shielded cable as well. Got em 6 days after I placed the order. They are 8mm bore which will mount straight onto my motor shafts.