grizzly vertical mill conversion plans/kits

[coolman]

Hello,

I am thinking about buying a full size vertical mill (not a benchtop size) from grizzly.com. Once I get this mill, I would like to convert it into a CNC mill. Are there kits and/or plans to do this type of CNC conversion?

Also, what other alternatives to grizzly.com are out there? Is grizzly.com good for vertical mills or should I look at another brand?

Thanks,

[boosted]

well I will tell you this...
First you will be told to convert to ball screws.
Then you will ask about mounting motors and such...
You will be told to use the search function (which is handy by the way) and search for grizzly conversion.
Once you do that you will most likely find hundreds of threads from people that did exactly what you are asking about. Those threads will also most likely have pictures and details that you will want to know.

To be honest, it does not matter what kind of mill, or the manufacture (most the time) they all have the same basic things done to them for conversions.

So get to searchin.

[MikeWB]

Originally Posted by coolman Hello, I am thinking about buying a full size vertical mill (not a benchtop size) from grizzly.com. Once I get this mill, I would like to convert it into a CNC mill. Are there kits and/or plans to do this type of CNC conversion? Also, what other alternatives to grizzly.com are out there? Is grizzly.com good for vertical mills or should I look at another brand? Thanks,

Coolman,

I am in the process of doing this now and it has been a great journey. I started with a DRO back in 2005. Then there was an article in The Home Shop Machinist last year by Roland Freistad(?) that gave the basics of how to begin the process of converting a mill to cnc. I read that article and started the conversion of a Grizzly Vertical/Horizontal knee mill. I spent lots of hours searching CNCzone for the collected wisdom here and I feel pretty confident to finish the conversion. There is an article in Digital Machinist (Village Press) that will give the complete process of converting a knee mill to cnc. The author started with the ball screw installation but intends to give the electronic information in subsequent issues. It is great so far.
For information: I bought three Gecko 212 motor drivers, the PMDX power conditioning board, the PMDX breakout and motor driver signal board, and a Plitron toroidal transformer. I will put that into a 16 x 22 electrical cabinet. I am shopping for the stepper motors now.

The key to my success will be all of the wisdom collected on this site so searching it for the information is worth while.

I hope this helps with your planning and decision to make the conversion.

Cheers,

Mike

[MikeWB]

Originally Posted by coolman Hello, I am thinking about buying a full size vertical mill (not a benchtop size) from grizzly.com. Once I get this mill, I would like to convert it into a CNC mill. Are there kits and/or plans to do this type of CNC conversion? Also, what other alternatives to grizzly.com are out there? Is grizzly.com good for vertical mills or should I look at another brand? Thanks,

Coolman,

Here is some additional information that might be helpful to you and others.

The first article that caught my attention appeared in The Home Shop Machinist, Jan/Feb 2003 [Volume 22, Number 1], page 56, the Computers in the Shop section. Village Press is the Publisher. The article was titled Universal CNC Controller by Roland Friestad. It's a great introduction to the components required to build a conversion from scratch. Part 2 appeared in the next issue, March/April 2003 [volume 22, Number 2] and contains a list of suppliers for the components. Part 3 appeared in May/June 2003 [Volume 22, Number 3], and included work on the electrical enclosure and a great way to fit a 24" box on a 12" mill table !
After some time, the Computers in the Shop section had more on the Universal CNC controller. In the Sept/Oct 2004 [Volume 23, Number 5] issue titled Adding MACH2 to the universal CNC controller, Friestad covers Art Fenerty's MACH2 software to run the controller. Part 2 appears in the Nov/Dec 2004 [Volume 23, Number 6] issue and covers some components in detail, like a toroidal transformer. Part 3 follows in the Jan/Feb 2005 [Volume 24, Number 1] issue and covers how to get the software to communicate with the electronics.

Up to this point, I was hooked but didn't have the time or resources to do anything. I bought the Grizzly V/H mill in 2004-2005 (Christmas gift) and had no money left over ! Then in the July/Aug 2005 [Volume 24, Numbre 4] issue of The Home Shop Machinist the good stuff began to appear. Friestad began a new series on The New and Imporved Universal Controller. He has great pictures of several incarnations of the new controller and I saw the one I wanted to build for my mill. This is the article that really set me going toward a conversion. Part 2 came along in the Sept/Oct 2005 [Volume 24, Number 5] issue and gave some information about the electrical enclosure. Part 3 appeared in the Nov/Dec 2005 [Volume 24, Number 6] issue and gave part numbers, suppliers names and coordinates for mounting many components. I liked this issue because it let me use my mill to make its conversion to CNC !!

After a break, The Universal CNC Controller Revisited ... Again appeared in July/ Aug 2006 [Volume 25, Number 4]. New and better componets are discussed and a variable frequency drive is considered for spindle speed control. Part 2 followed in the Sept/Oct 2006 [Volume 25, Number 5] issue. Friestad showed how to machine the mounting holes for the components in a 17" x 21" mounting plate in a 12" x 42" table mill !! I learned a lot from this issue. He also gives the components and suppliers for a specific controller. This is the one I built ... with modifications. Part 3 was in the Nov/Dec 2006 [Volume 25, Number 6] issue and it gives hints of how to mount the components and shows some of the boards and drivers. I started buying comnponents and making chips after this article appeared.

I'm looking for motors now and hope to have the MACH3 software soon.

I know this a bit long but I hope it helps someone else who wants to make the journey to CNC conversion.

Coolman, good luck with your conversion.

Cheers,

Mike

[MikeWB]

Originally Posted by coolman Hello, I am thinking about buying a full size vertical mill (not a benchtop size) from grizzly.com. Once I get this mill, I would like to convert it into a CNC mill. Are there kits and/or plans to do this type of CNC conversion? Also, what other alternatives to grizzly.com are out there? Is grizzly.com good for vertical mills or should I look at another brand? Thanks,

Coolman,

The other post was getting a little long so I thought I would give you some information from another more recent magazine that has a direct application to our mill conversions.

In the Digital Machinist, Village Press publisher, Spring 2007 [Volume 2, No. 1] issue is an article titled CNC Milling Machine Conversion, written by Peter Stenabaugh. This is a great beginning to a series of articles. Stenabaugh starts with the installation of some ball screws in a cloned milling machine. He promises to convert "... a manual milling machine into a full 4-axis, CNC controlled machine." Part 2 appears in the Fall 2007 [Volume 2, No. 2] issue and finishes the installation.

Stenabaugh promises to build the electronics and wire up the motors in the series. If the rest of the series is anything like these first two articles then it is going to be great. I bought a subscription to the Digital Machinist just to follow this series of articles.
I don't want to leave the wrong impression here ... the rest of this magazine is wonderful. The other articles are really helpful and contain a lot of usable information over a broad range of subjects in digital machining. I am just focused on the mill conversion right now and want that to succeed first.

Cheers,

Mike

[coolman]

Thanks for the information. I do have the Digital Machinist issues with part 1 & 2 of the CNC conversion that was sent to me for free. I ended up subscribing to this magazine a few weeks ago. I read both parts last night and gave me some confidence that I can do this conversion myself.

I have to dig up the Home Shop Machinist articles and read up on them. I will go to their web site to see if they have a digital version subscription.

My original idea was to buy a Grizzly full size knee mill and convert it into CNC myself. Lately however, I found out about the www.industrialhobbies.com and there is a forum here devoted to this type of mill. Their manual mill cost $2100 and the CNC Conversion Kit costs $4500 (complete kit). If I go with the Industrial Hobbies route, I am thinking about doing the CNC Conversion myself and buying/installing the components myself rather than getting their $4500 kit. At the end, I can probably save atleast $1500 bucks as opposed to getting their kit. I am assumming their kit has a high mark up price.

What is the opinon on either getting the kit or doing all of it myself? Is it worth the extra cost getting the kit? My skill level is beginner in the machining area. Although, I do have experience drilling, tapping, and welding mild steel stuff.

Thanks,

[MikeWB]

Originally Posted by coolman Thanks for the information. ... At the end, I can probably save atleast $1500 bucks as opposed to getting their kit. Thanks,

Coolman,

That $1500 will get you a set of ball screws and nuts !! You will have a great machine and be able to do precise work.

Good luck.

Cheers,

Mike

[Runner4404spd]

buy the kit. that will be $1500 well spent on an engineered product. i too started with the notion of buying manual mill and then building parts slowly to convert to cnc. one thing you realize is that if you pull your mill apart to do this then you no longer have a mill to make parts with. also what if you make a mistake measuring and have to take it apart and reassemble multiple times. i know alot of people will say the fun is in the journey, but your also paying for scienced out ballscrews and mountings and the knowledge that was put forth on their website to help you through the conversion process, not to mention tech support when you mess something up and you will. i also bought an IH mill. in fact i have two of them, one cnc and one manual and they are great machines. not without their flaws and limitations but great machines for the money.

Btw one last thing you have to ask yourself...how much is your time worth? my time now that i have a family is very precious to me and well worth the $1500 savings your proposing compared to the hours spent drawing, detailing, machining, hunting, etc for parts.