Hi and a couple questions....

[Shev]

Hi guys...I used to lurk here a couple years ago. I design assembly machines for a living and I've always been interested in machining. I've got some tools I'd like to make and a cnc mill should make that possible (along with a small Grizzly G0602 lathe...which I may end up cnc'ing...not sure yet)

I should be placing the order for my IH mill in cnc form this coming week..I had a very pleasant conversation with Tommy (super nice guy...learned alot and he answered all my stupid ?'s) and he said that there is an 8 week wait right now He said he just hired a couple people to help out and the wait shouldn't be 8 weeks but he basically won't commit to anything shorter right now.

Here's what I plan on ordering as far as upgrades~table extensions, 3hp VFD & wire in the 4th axis (that way I can just plug in the 4th axis when I get one instead of having to wire it) That's about all I can afford right now until work picks up and I get my OT back (40 hours seriously cuts into my play money LOL) I've already ordered some tooling from Glacern and I'm hoping to place a big order before Nov. 30th...

So finally here's my ?s'

1) Is what amp breaker should the mill be run off?

2) How does the mill come...I'd assume that it is in pieces and I will have o put it together. I'm hoping to drive out and pick the mill up. The wife's bro lives along the way and that way my shipping cost is $0 since it would be disguised as a family trip and the family budget would pay for it.

3) Would it be wise to epoxy granite the base & column right when I get it?

4) Should I be able to run a 3" Glacern Facemill on this mill with epoxy grante & with a 3HP VFD and not have an issue as long as I don't take too big of a cut?

Thanks in advance...

[BobWarfield]

So finally here's my ?s'

1) Is what amp breaker should the mill be run off?

2) How does the mill come...I'd assume that it is in pieces and I will have o put it together. I'm hoping to drive out and pick the mill up. The wife's bro lives along the way and that way my shipping cost is $0 since it would be disguised as a family trip and the family budget would pay for it.

3) Would it be wise to epoxy granite the base & column right when I get it?

4) Should I be able to run a 3" Glacern Facemill on this mill with epoxy grante & with a 3HP VFD and not have an issue as long as I don't take too big of a cut?

Thanks in advance...

1. Ask Tommy about the breaker or wait and check the VFD documentation.

2. Mine came assembled in the crate. I had to disassemble it partially to get it in place. The one I CNC'd I bought already completely disassembled.

3. I like my epoxy granite, and the results are noticeable versus my second mill which is stock. With that said, it is not a profound difference. Things are just more solid. If I had to guess, I'd say 15-20% rigidity/vibration damping improvement. It's not hard to do an E/G fill. I spent a day prepping the base, a day filling the base, and a day filling the column.

4. I sure hope so because I just bought a 45 degree face mill from Glacern!

I don't think there will be a problem with the facemill, depending on how deep you want to cut. I don't have the Glacern to try yet, but I have an Iscar 2" with APKT inserts (90 degree shoulder) and a Lovejoy 3". Both are great performers and I regularly cut 150 thousandths. They might do more, but that seems to work out pretty nice for a roughing cut. I drop back to 30 or 40 thou to finish.

With my 3" face mill, I run 900 rpm and 32 IPM on aluminum. Those are the recommendations from my G-Wizard feeds and speeds calculator and they work very nicely.

Cheers,

BW

[pfred2]

What is an IH mill? I have a DJ-32 (just like an RF-32) bench top mill and I can run a 3" face cutter on it. In steel and cast iron a light cut is about all I ever want to do with it on my machine.

But then again I've some experience, depth, speed and feed rate is critical for proper face mill operation. So, YMMV as they say. It has often been said that face milling is no place for a rookie to start out. They don't just give away new inserts to everyone that walks in the door and smiles you know?

You never did say what materials you planned to work. Softer is much more forgiving. Anyhow, good luck (better to find out the likely depth, speed and feed for the material you are working. Counting on luck can be disappointing.) The machine itself plays a factor in all of this too. So it is a learning process.

[Shev]

What is an IH mill?

I posted in the Industrial Hobbies section...IH=Industrial Hobbies...

I will be doing both aluminum and steel. I agree it would be pretty foolish to blindy toss a chunk of steel in it and have at it. I have an old machinist that I work with that is taking me under his wing plus I will be taking machining courses (both manual and cnc) at a local community college.

It has often been said that face milling is no place for a rookie to start out. They don't just give away new inserts to everyone that walks in the door and smiles you know?

Nothing about this or any other hobbie that interests me is cheap...I got into woodworking thinking it would be cheaper...over 10 grand later I've got a full blown woodshop.

[pfred2]

Yes as I left the group I put IH and the group name together. I thought it was a maker or model I was unfamiliar with.

Carbide should work aluminum about as easily as a hardwood. Steel can be touchy. Old machinists are good to have. Carbide fly cutters are about the nuttiest thing you can run in a mill. They sure do make a mess. Run 400 SFPM (Surface Feet Per Minute) on mild steel if memory serves. Or about 510 RPM spindle speed. I use the formula:
PI X DIA X RPM / 12 = SFPM

Of course every machine is a little different but that is a good place to start off. Power feed yields the best surface finish too. Really, I just barely kiss the surface when I face mill. Better to do a few passes than break an insert.

Regardless of how much you're already invested the cost of a set of unneeded inserts could go towards better uses. And when they go they can go fast! Have fun!

[BlackMoon]

I would'nt bother with the epoxy fill off the bat, yea it may help but it won't super help, you have a million better things to learn/do and the fill can allways be done later.

I know my IH mill's motor is speced at about 10A 240v 2HP, and would need a 15A 240 braker (you can't find 10A's or you could use that)

'True' horsepower are 714watts per horsepower, or about 9A/4.5A (120v/240v) after inefficency and power factor and such, so your looking at 14A~ 240v for 3HP at least. I doubt the VFD is very inefficent so 20A would likey be the absolute max it needs, More likey a 15A circuit will be fine.

Face mills can be fickle, I might even recommend only running one insert for awhile so theres less cash wasted in a crash, Also you can do most of what you can do with a face mill with a simple flycutter and home ground HSS bits (easy to learn!), Just gotta hone it more often with steels, Great on aluminum!

My mill came fully intact... I believe IH's CNC kit does not come assembled onto the mill.
that said, I fully took apart my mill to clean it and used its fully assembled state as more of a blueprint
Oh, I did leave the collumn on the base however as I did'nt feel like traming it.

[BobWarfield]

Whoa, gotta disagree on the face milling. Love my face mills. Just got my third one and it is a doozy.

See my web site for a review of the 3" 45 degree Glacern face mill:

http://www.cnccookbook.com/index.htm

Just search that page for "Glacern" if it isn't at the top of the blog.

Cuts real sweet!

Cheers,

BW

[Shev]

Welp I am officially on the list and set it up with Tommy to pick it up at the end of January. Gotta do some major cleaning in the basement (one of the stipulations wifey put on getting it) and I will slowly be accumulation tooling in the meantime. I've already recieved (3) R8-ER25 collet chucks and I will hopefully be getting more before their Black Friday sale is done...the 3" 45 degree facemill is on my wishlist. I think I'm going to head out there sometime in Dec. to spend a couple of days at IH and learn the ins and outs of the mill and get some seat time...

Tommy says 20 amp breaker so I think I'll just tap into my woodshop box and add a plug...

What Bob...no video of the new facemill cutting?