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  1. #41
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    Default Re: RF45 (MSC branded) with Ajax retrofit

    I'm going to try to keep my eye on this, you're doing a great job with documentation. I may have to build a draw bar myself soon...



  2. #42
    Registered MikeC8's Avatar
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    Default Re: RF45 (MSC branded) with Ajax retrofit

    Thanks


    I made some small parts over the weekend, first time using fusion 360. The cad/cam was a little slow going, as I am still learning how to navigate it, and what order to do things in. But I don't think I will be using bobcad at home again.... I was even able to find a post processor that supported compression tapping. I had to tweak the post a little bit to fit my machine, and also removed the dwell at the top of the tapping cycle. Pretty cool being able to just hit post, and not have to hand edit the tapping code.

    The other cool feature I found with fusion 360, was that on my touch screen laptop I can use 1 finger on the screen to rotate the part view. drag 2 fingers to pan the view, and use pinch zoom. So with all of that covered, using the built in touch pad works great, and I do not feel handicapped on my laptop.

    They are 0.875" in diameter, holes are tapped 4-40.



    I have a few more small parts I want to machine this week. Hopefully next week I will have some time to work on the power drawbar parts. Tthese small parts are perfect for learning fusion 360 with though.

    Work: Hurco VMX42/VMX50 - Shopsabre 4896 - HSMworks with Solidworks
    Home: RF45 with Ajax CNC Controller - Fusion 360


  3. #43
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    Default Re: RF45 (MSC branded) with Ajax retrofit

    I've been working on a new stand with a chip tray design. I want to keep access to the underside of the mill, so I can service the Y axis ball screw if needed. The other option I have been thinking about, is to just cut a larger hole in the front of the mill base, so that I can pull the ball screw assembly out through the front.


    I have also been debating if I should add casters to the base. I might just go buy a used pallet jack for the few times I want to move it.




    I also picked up a HF sheet metal brake to make the chip pan. First thing I did was weld on a piece of 2x2 1/4" angle iron to the front. With wider pieces of 16 gauge, it makes a fairly soft bend, but it can do it.



    Work: Hurco VMX42/VMX50 - Shopsabre 4896 - HSMworks with Solidworks
    Home: RF45 with Ajax CNC Controller - Fusion 360


  4. #44
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    Default Re: RF45 (MSC branded) with Ajax retrofit

    Making progress on the new base. Still need to weld in 4 more vertical supports, which are probably overkill. Then I will work on the mounting tabs for the leveling feet.

    I am lowering the height of the mill about 4 inches with the new base. Hopefully that makes it a little easier to change the belt speed, as well as load and unload my vices on the table.



    Last edited by MikeC8; 07-19-2016 at 03:32 PM.
    Work: Hurco VMX42/VMX50 - Shopsabre 4896 - HSMworks with Solidworks
    Home: RF45 with Ajax CNC Controller - Fusion 360


  5. #45
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    Default Re: RF45 (MSC branded) with Ajax retrofit

    Added the last of the supports. I should have my leveling feet by the end of the week, planning on going to the steel yard Saturday to get some flat stock for the mounts.



    Work: Hurco VMX42/VMX50 - Shopsabre 4896 - HSMworks with Solidworks
    Home: RF45 with Ajax CNC Controller - Fusion 360


  6. #46
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    Default Re: RF45 (MSC branded) with Ajax retrofit

    Awesome build that looks like it's making some great cuts. Really wish I had those servos and that head/z slide on mine. The rotational point on my PM45M CNC is much smaller and suspect at this point to flexing much more than I'd like.

    By the way, how thick is the aluminum you used for the belt drive motor mount rails? I just picked up a 4" x 6" round bar, two pieces of 3/4" x 4" x 12" and one 3/4" x 8" x 8" that I'm hoping will end up close to your design as I'd like a draw bar at some point in the future as well.



  7. #47
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    Default Re: RF45 (MSC branded) with Ajax retrofit

    Thanks, progress has been a bit slow this year. But its still moving along. Getting a laser cutter a few weeks ago isnt helping either though... Keep finding my self playing with that, rather then working on the mill.

    My brackets are 1" thick, but 3/4" would work just fine.

    Work: Hurco VMX42/VMX50 - Shopsabre 4896 - HSMworks with Solidworks
    Home: RF45 with Ajax CNC Controller - Fusion 360


  8. #48
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    Default Re: RF45 (MSC branded) with Ajax retrofit

    Finally finished painting the new base, and moved the mill over to the new base today. And thankfully the holes lined up perfect!





    And just a random shot of a part I was making before taking everything apart... Clearance is clearance, this is the closest I have ever had a tool holder to my work holding without crashing, I was a bit nervous on the first part.



    Now I need to figure out where I want to mount all of the components and route the wiring along the base.

    Work: Hurco VMX42/VMX50 - Shopsabre 4896 - HSMworks with Solidworks
    Home: RF45 with Ajax CNC Controller - Fusion 360


  9. #49
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    Default Re: RF45 (MSC branded) with Ajax retrofit

    Finish looks almost flawless from what I can tell in the picture. Any chance you can post some close up pictures of your best work with this conversion? I have been fighting with mine to produce a quality finish and I am now convinced that my version of the mill is a bit light on the castings, has extra slots drilled in column and is missing the extra "webbing" a lot of the RF45 clones have inside the column.


    Btw, it looks like you have the extra bolt(5th) on the front of the column base that supposedly the original Rong Fu 45's had. Pretty rare from all of the searching I have done and I wouldn't doubt that things probably quite a bit stiffer then my Precision Matthew.



  10. #50
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    Default Re: RF45 (MSC branded) with Ajax retrofit

    Thanks, I still think the finish could be better. But I am using cheap endmills, and most of my finish cuts are either with a 1/8" or 1/4" endmill. And all of the conversion was done before I got the machine. I have just been redoing a lot of it. And it is hard to compare this machine to others, as the dovetails are not even used. The boxways are very stiff, at times I feel the Y axis is to stiff and affects the finish. But you are correct on the 5th bolt, mine was made in Taiwan. Pretty sure mine is a real RongFu, with a MSC badge on it.

    I do not have any good pictures showing the surface finish. And all of the good parts I made are either in other peoples hands, or have a bead blasted finish now.

    Work: Hurco VMX42/VMX50 - Shopsabre 4896 - HSMworks with Solidworks
    Home: RF45 with Ajax CNC Controller - Fusion 360


  11. #51
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    Default Re: RF45 (MSC branded) with Ajax retrofit

    I have been using Fusion 360 for just about everything I do at home now, and only going to Onshape for parts I designed before using Fusion 360. So I decided to finally import my RF45 assembly file from Onshape into Fusion 360. I spent the first night learning how joints work in Fusion, which are very similar to onshapes mates. But very different from Solidworks, which I use on a daily basis at work. Then I started working on rough ideas for the servo brackets. I am finished with the x axis, and need to move onto the y axis now.

    Here is a rendering of the finished bracket.



    I verified the design by cutting 2 sheets of 6mm plywood on my laser cutter, and bolted everything in place to check for clearance. And everything looks like it clears the same as it does in cad. And all of the holes match up perfect. Having the ability to quickly cut prototype templates is great, and gives me peace of mind before cutting the actual parts out.



    Work: Hurco VMX42/VMX50 - Shopsabre 4896 - HSMworks with Solidworks
    Home: RF45 with Ajax CNC Controller - Fusion 360


  12. #52
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    Default Re: RF45 (MSC branded) with Ajax retrofit

    Done working on the y axis for now, current design uses the same servo bracket on both the x and y axis. I need to work on the guards/chip pan around the y axis servo, which might require some changes to the main plate.




    Checked my hole locations again using my laser.


    Work: Hurco VMX42/VMX50 - Shopsabre 4896 - HSMworks with Solidworks
    Home: RF45 with Ajax CNC Controller - Fusion 360


  13. #53
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    Default Re: RF45 (MSC branded) with Ajax retrofit

    Y axis has been moved, should have the new belt tomorrow. Though I did fail to check that the spacers used were the same on the Y, as the X axis. So I will need to shim the servo out 0.25" to line up the pulleys on the Y axis.




    The aluminum that I picked up for the X axis plate is to narrow, so that is on hold for now. But I can still work on the chip trays now that the Y axis has been moved. So I finished running the rest of the wires, and powered everything back up.



    Hoping to start working on the chip tray Friday

    Work: Hurco VMX42/VMX50 - Shopsabre 4896 - HSMworks with Solidworks
    Home: RF45 with Ajax CNC Controller - Fusion 360


  14. #54
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    Default Re: RF45 (MSC branded) with Ajax retrofit

    Worked on the chip tray over the weekend, pretty happy with it so far.



    Work: Hurco VMX42/VMX50 - Shopsabre 4896 - HSMworks with Solidworks
    Home: RF45 with Ajax CNC Controller - Fusion 360


  15. #55
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    Default Re: RF45 (MSC branded) with Ajax retrofit

    I cut the last bracket I needed to move the X axis servo yesterday. Only scrapped one part in the process.... Apparently I changed the stickout on my 1/4" endmill that I used to touch off the z height, and did not update it in the offset library. I should have checked the heights of the tools I was using, as I haven't machined anything on it since I started on the new base for it several months ago :roll:



    But in the end it turned out great. And Fusion seems to have made it even easier than I remember it being when it comes to selecting holes.



    It will be nice finally having the servo below the height of the table. And its tucked in much closer as well.



    Its a tight fit, but everything clears. I will be bending up a sliding way cover for the front Y axis.



    And the chip pans are already making a huge difference in helping to contain the chips. I still have to sweep up chips in front of the machine, but most fall into the pans.




    Going to get the pans mounted to the base this week. And hopefully start working on the enclosure frame next weekend.

    Work: Hurco VMX42/VMX50 - Shopsabre 4896 - HSMworks with Solidworks
    Home: RF45 with Ajax CNC Controller - Fusion 360


  16. #56
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    Default Re: RF45 (MSC branded) with Ajax retrofit

    I ordered a bottle of SEM Rust Mort to clean up the rusty sheet metal, and WOW! that stuff is magic, I was shocked at how quickly it worked.

    The right side was cleaned using Rust Mort, a red scotch brite pad, then wiped clean with WD40.



    Saturday I trimmed both pans level, and welded on some bracing along the outside. Now I am starting to toss around ideas on how I am going to handle the upper enclosure framework, side doors/windows, and front sliding doors.



    I have also decided that I am not going to set it up for coolant, as I don't see my self using the mill frequently enough to keep it from growing bacteria. And I won't have to worry about disposing of the old coolant, or coolant leaks. But if I did change my mind at some point, it wouldn't be hard to modify the pan for drains.

    Work: Hurco VMX42/VMX50 - Shopsabre 4896 - HSMworks with Solidworks
    Home: RF45 with Ajax CNC Controller - Fusion 360


  17. #57
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    Default Re: RF45 (MSC branded) with Ajax retrofit

    Started working on the enclosure yesterday, and made a lot of progress. Also really appreciated having heat in the garage today with it being -20f outside today, and a toasty 60f in the shop!





    I also finally got to try out my new LED lights, really pleased with them so far. I am going to move them around a bit, and figure out what placement works the best.

    Still plenty of details to work out with the side doors/windows, and front doors. As well as closing up the front of the chip pan, and the Y axis way cover.

    Work: Hurco VMX42/VMX50 - Shopsabre 4896 - HSMworks with Solidworks
    Home: RF45 with Ajax CNC Controller - Fusion 360


  18. #58
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    Default Re: RF45 (MSC branded) with Ajax retrofit

    I always wondered , if you turn off the lights will the mill care?

    youtube videos of the G0704 under the name arizonavideo99


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    Default Re: RF45 (MSC branded) with Ajax retrofit

    MikeC8,

    Man you really do nice work. Where do you get all the energy, this is an amazing build. Congrats.

    Russ



  20. #60
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    Default Re: RF45 (MSC branded) with Ajax retrofit

    Thanks, normally I tend to work on projects like this at a much slower pace due to lazyness.... But I have been finding my self working on this just about every day for the past month or so.

    I picked up some more steel yesterday, as well as some 4" Marlboro weld on hinges from the local steel yard. Finally decided on the side doors, first one is almost done.



    And if I ever need to, the doors do lift off.



    Hoping to finish welding up the first door tonight, as well as tack on its sheet metal skin. Then work on the inner seal lip. Saturday if I goes well, I should be able to knock out the other side door. Next week I will either work on finishing the chip pan, or the front door setup.

    Work: Hurco VMX42/VMX50 - Shopsabre 4896 - HSMworks with Solidworks
    Home: RF45 with Ajax CNC Controller - Fusion 360


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RF45 (MSC branded) with Ajax retrofit

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