Digging the X3 out of Storage.

[dneisler]

Well it has been 2 years plus since I done anything with my X3. Moved once since and it was still in storage until this weekend. Now it is in my shop floor in 100 pieces. I need to build a new stand for flood coolant. It was in a 3' x 5' x 4' box type enclose, it worked, but looking for something a little nicer maybe.

Show me your stand/enclosures for your X3 or similar.

[cjdavis618]

Here is some shots of my work area (Please disregard the mess).

Made out of wood, and fiberglass in this case. Fits the mill into the corner and the doors really cut down on the noise.

If I had to do it over again, I would skip the fiberglass and use sheetmetal for the pan and then fis the drain to allow more coolant and settle the metal to the bottom and then flow over a drain pipe rather than slope it all down to the drain. On long cuts, I sometimes have to get in the cabinet to clean the drain as it is.

The Doors are really simple, I just used some Delrin rod and made 4 (8 total) bushings that are screwed to the bottom and top corners of each door, then I have some 1/2" U channel Al that runs the edge of the cabinet on the inside from side to side. The doors just slide out of the way by following the track.

[Jeff Davis]

I was hoping to see some pics! An enclosure is one of the next things on my to-do list.

[dneisler]

I think I am going to build a modified slightly Tomach DIY enclosure. Lots of pics will come soon.

[yantra3d]

Wow, I love this work area that you have setup for you and your x3! It looks really comfortable. Great job and thanks for sharing these photos!!

[dneisler]

Well I started redoing my old one, it will be a littler different this time. Here is where I am so far. I didn't get allot of time today.

[PriddyShiddy]

NICE! your ahead of me still

Blew up the controller today... so your even further out. gonna post a new thread

[dneisler]

Not allot of progress, to many other things going on...

Base shower liner installed, mostly. I ran out of time before I got the back corners done. At least when I finish this i can start assembling the mill again before I deal with sides. That will make it seem like I am making some progress at least.

[dneisler]

Well I made a little progress, I put some red dykem on the Y axis gib and installed it tonight. I played with moving the table for several minutes adjusting the gibs and what not. I then pulled the gib out, and guess what I saw. It has a bow to it. I faced it up like a smiley face, and pushed down on one end, and I could measure at least .012" of air under it, maybe more. So I think I need to do some gib work. Any suggestions?

[dneisler]

Finally making some progress. I got the Y axis installed, and tuned up. I think I have about .001 backlash, but I need to find out the correct way to measure it so I know for sure.

On to the X axis after that.

[PriddyShiddy]

.001" is pretty dann good. I have about .0035 from my "zero backlash" cncfusion kit.

to measure just mount something on the table (vice, 123 block, hold down strap) and run a DTI (mounted in the spindle) into the fixed object on the table. go past 0 on the DTI. reverse direction and carefully creep back to zero on the DTI so you are "loaded" in the direction away from the part. zero your DRO. make a 1" move away from the part then a 1" move back. your DRO should be back to zero. your DTI will register exactly how much backlash you have.

I hate how often I hadn't ti adjust my gibs and re do this process. hopefully when I scrape my Z gib, if all goes well, I will order a new set for x & 3 and scrape them too. Your picture of your gib really has me wondering how hunch of my backlash is from the same. if I loosen my gibs I can get almost zero backlash... more work on the mill. yay :-/

keep the pics coming. they beat the crap out of a thousand words B-)

[dneisler]

Well I don't have a table mounted yet, so I had a DTI mounted on the saddle and making contact with the column and did the test. Shows about .001"