took the plunge

[bilinghm]

O.K., I stopped talking and placed an order with Harbor Freight for an X2. This will be my second Asian mill. I have an old Enco that will be very handy converting the X2 to CNC. In fact, the X2 base will fit nicely on the Enco's table. This should be fun!

Bill

[bilinghm]

My x2 arrived today via Yellow freight. The driver set it down on my driveway with his lift gate. The box is very stout. I was surprized to see that inside the box was a massive block of rigid styrofoam that completely enclosed the machine. Inside the foam box, the machine was totally bagged in heavy plastic. No red grease! The ground surfaces are all heavily oiled. Fantastic packing. Everything looks exceptionally nice. What a cute little machine! I'm impressed so far.

Bill

[Regnar]

I dont know if you need this but I found this website lastnight and will be getting this dvd. 10 bucks doesnt seem like its that much for some knowledge. http://smartflix.com/store/video/912...s-101-volume-5 I am also order the rest of the series and I let you know how it goes.

[bilinghm]

I am working on an idea to eliminate the inherent weakness of the X2 mill: the pivoting column feature. Although this might be considered of value by some, I think it diminishes the little mill’s utility. Both the X2 and the Taig have this useless feature.

Several people have created good fixes that strengthen and stabilize the pivot. I like the use of a bracket or angle plate affixed to the rear of the column providing better support and rigidity. Turnbuckles would also do a good job.

However, I am considering something different. I am thinking of building a wooden work station/table with a tall “back splash” that is built with great strength and rigidity. I would then add a sheet metal flange to the rear of the column, and bolt the column to the table’s back splash. This should make it column very stable, make tramming a cinch, and resist twisting and deflection.

Has anyone tried this?

Bill

[bilinghm]

See the sketch of my idea:

[Regnar]

Here is another alternative http://warhammer.mcc.virginia.edu/ty...ods/BaseBrace/

[philbur]

Using a wooden structure to stiffen a machine tool is a bad idea. Wood by it's nature is flexible and is not dimensionally stable over time. A better approach would be to weld up a massive steel fabrication.

Phil

Originally Posted by bilinghm I am working on an idea to eliminate the inherent weakness of the X2 mill: the pivoting column feature. Although this might be considered of value by some, I think it diminishes the little mill’s utility. Both the X2 and the Taig have this useless feature. Several people have created good fixes that strengthen and stabilize the pivot. I like the use of a bracket or angle plate affixed to the rear of the column providing better support and rigidity. Turnbuckles would also do a good job. However, I am considering something different. I am thinking of building a wooden work station/table with a tall “back splash” that is built with great strength and rigidity. I would then add a sheet metal flange to the rear of the column, and bolt the column to the table’s back splash. This should make it column very stable, make tramming a cinch, and resist twisting and deflection. Has anyone tried this? Bill

[hoss2006]

The GrizHFMiniMill Yahoo forum has a few discussions going on right now about column flex and stiffness.
The Photos section also has several solutions people have tried.
Very informative.
This pic shows how I beefed mine up.
Hoss

[bilinghm]

In terms of using the wood table to stabilize the machine, if done properly, wood can be extremely stiff. Remember, one of the highest performance fighters of WWII, the Mosquito, was made of plywood! Also, there are whole sections of this site dedicated to making CNC machines from wood. The wooden structure would have to be a "stressed skin" design in order to perform up to expectation, but I still think the concept has promise.

Bill

[Regnar]

I say go for it. Plywood is cheap and not hard to come by. Take measurements of before and after to compare the numbers and see if the project is worth it. I know I cannot do it down here(florida) the humidity is killer and all the tools live out in the garage. Something else to consider is making a form out of plywood and pouring concrete. If done properly you could absorb alot of vibration and make it pretty stiff. Use the 5000psi or better. Also it sticks to the not very expensive/easy to find materials. Goodluck with everything

[bilinghm]

I wonder if anyone can provide the necessary "footprint" for a CNC Fusion converted X2. I am ordering the kit for my little mill, but it would be nice to be able to get started immediately on appropriate bench. I suppose that I could just add 6-8" of additional room on each side of the X?

[bilinghm]

I wonder if cement board might be good?

http://www.nationalgypsum.com/litera.../PermaBase.pdf