X1 intial setup...

[digits]

Hi guys, I got myself an X-1 yesterday, and I've managed to clean the transport grease off it and re-oil all the moving/sliding bits and run-in the motor as per the instructions. Despite reading the instructions carefully, I'm not sure if I need to do anything else to clean or calibrate it. I am currently waiting on a CNC Fusion kit, but I want it to be all set up and read to go when it arrives.

Sorry if this is a repost - I did search but didn't see anything that looked relavant - please point me at the threads if it is a FAQ.

Cheers.

Oh, and one other very newbie question - what's the best way to remove the drill chuck so that I can fit my milling collet holder? I have removed the drawbar, but what's the best thing to bang the drill chuck out with - I'm guessing I don't want to bang the drawbar?

[itsme]

Hi,

The only other thing I can think of now is to reset all the gibs. It will probably take some time to get right if you've never done it, but it's worth getting them nicely set. Not too tight, but at the same time you don't want any play.

To remove collets and chucks from my mill, I loosen the drawbar so that it is unscrewed a few threads. I then give the drawbar a few light taps with a hammer to knock the chuck/collet out. I have been doing this for a year now and there is no obvious sign of wear on the drawbar. As far as I know, drawbars are considered 'expendable' items - they have a finite life (from what I've read anyway). Also, when tightening the drawbar up, make sure you don't over-tighten it. You'll find it requires quite a whack to remove the tools if it was too tight.

Another little bit of advice is to make sure you support the chuck with one hand when you knock it out. The drawbar will catch the morse taper part of the chuck, but I've had the chuck come loose from its own taper and hit the table. Nothing serious, but had I held the chuck, I would've prevented a small ding in the table.

I think you'll find the X1 a nice little machine to use and CNC - I have anyway.

Regards
Warren

[digits]

Originally Posted by itsme Hi, The only other thing I can think of now is to reset all the gibs. It will probably take some time to get right if you've never done it, but it's worth getting them nicely set. Not too tight, but at the same time you don't want any play. To remove collets and chucks from my mill, I loosen the drawbar so that it is unscrewed a few threads. I then give the drawbar a few light taps with a hammer to knock the chuck/collet out. I have been doing this for a year now and there is no obvious sign of wear on the drawbar. As far as I know, drawbars are considered 'expendable' items - they have a finite life (from what I've read anyway). Also, when tightening the drawbar up, make sure you don't over-tighten it. You'll find it requires quite a whack to remove the tools if it was too tight. Another little bit of advice is to make sure you support the chuck with one hand when you knock it out. The drawbar will catch the morse taper part of the chuck, but I've had the chuck come loose from its own taper and hit the table. Nothing serious, but had I held the chuck, I would've prevented a small ding in the table. I think you'll find the X1 a nice little machine to use and CNC - I have anyway. Regards Warren

Thanks for the tips Warren

I am looking forward to using this little machine, especially once it's CNC'ed.

Can you think of any good UK milling suppliers I should know of? I got the mill and some cutters etc from Arc Euro Trade and I'm planning an early morning trip to Chronos tomorrow for a few bits and bobs and some metal to practice on.

Incidentally, where do you get your metal from? I am planning on using metalsontheweb.co.uk as that seems fairly hassle free.

Cheers,
Joe.

[itsme]

Hi Joe,

I tend to buy most of my cutters from Arc and the odd one or two from Chronos (I get most lathe tools from Chronos). Mostly Arc for milling, though.

I've battled a bit in the past to find metal, but I think I have finally found a good, reliable source. I used to get 90% of it from Metal Supermarkets (there's one in Leeds), but after having some trouble with them not knowing what they were trying to sell me, I went off them a bit. One fine example was the guy not knowing the difference between cast iron and steel. What hope does that leave when I want different grades of the same material?

Anyway, I now get most of my metal from Mallard Metal Packs (http://www.mallardmetals.co.uk/). You have to order by email or over the phone, but the guy has always been friendly and they haven't messed up anything on any of my orders. I haven't come across metalsontheweb.co.uk before, but they look like they might be worth a try. The online ordering is nice - just a pity they don't stock steel and cast iron (I don't think).

Regards
Warren

[pastera]

You will need to tram the head - A fancy way of saying the head needs to be aligned perpendicular to the table in both the X & Y axis'.
The X&Y backlash needs to be adjusted.
A few minutes of work on the leadscrew/bearing blocks can make your life a lot easier - With mine, if you tightened the handles down to remove the backlash they wouldn't turn. A little deburring on the leadscrew and lapping the bearing block from face cleared most of it up.

Aaron

[Pres]

Hey pastera, exactly how do you "tram" the head on an X1?
There are no rotary axis on my X1.
Any modification to alignment would require metal removal or some kind of tapered shim.

Please explain what (& how) you align the slides to head.

Thanks,
Pres

[digits]

Originally Posted by itsme Hi Joe, I tend to buy most of my cutters from Arc and the odd one or two from Chronos (I get most lathe tools from Chronos). Mostly Arc for milling, though. I've battled a bit in the past to find metal, but I think I have finally found a good, reliable source. I used to get 90% of it from Metal Supermarkets (there's one in Leeds), but after having some trouble with them not knowing what they were trying to sell me, I went off them a bit. One fine example was the guy not knowing the difference between cast iron and steel. What hope does that leave when I want different grades of the same material? Anyway, I now get most of my metal from Mallard Metal Packs (http://www.mallardmetals.co.uk/). You have to order by email or over the phone, but the guy has always been friendly and they haven't messed up anything on any of my orders. I haven't come across metalsontheweb.co.uk before, but they look like they might be worth a try. The online ordering is nice - just a pity they don't stock steel and cast iron (I don't think). Regards Warren

Cheers Warren, I had actually spotted Mallard metals - but it is nice to get a personal recommendation. I may actually give Metal Supermarkets a go as there's one fairly near me in North London.

I went to Chronos on Saturday and had a good mosey around their showroom/warehouse and picked up some more bits and bobs and some small bits of metal to practice on.

I still haven't gotten round to adjusting my mill, let alone milling anything though

I had quite a battle getting my drill-chuck out - if only I'd tried WD40 first rather than last, it would have saved a lot of hammering and swearing! I also spent ages constructing a solid table to mount the mill on - just gotta bolt the sucker down and add some chip-guards to the back and sides and then I'll be ready to try milling some t-nuts

Now, all I need is for the postman to deliver my CNC mounts - hopefully they won't get stuck in customs for too long - though I imagine they look 'interesting' on an X-ray machine!

[pastera]

With shims at the four bolts on the column.
I used plate glass, DTI and torque wrench. The torque wrench keeps things consistent between iterations.

Mount the DTI on a shaft in the spindle such that it swings the largest arc possible while still rotating 360°.
Center the table and lock the gibbs.
Place your glass on the table to give you a nice flat surface.
Lower the head and swing the DTI to get readings at 0°, 90°, 180°, and 270°.
The difference between the 0° and 90° is the column tilt in the Y axis as I am describing it.
place equal shims under either the front two bolts if the 0° reading is higher.
repeat until aggrivated.

I didn't mill any tapered shims but that would be a good idea once you know what the correct shim stack is.

Aaron

Originally Posted by Pres Hey pastera, exactly how do you "tram" the head on an X1? There are no rotary axis on my X1. Any modification to alignment would require metal removal or some kind of tapered shim. Please explain what (& how) you align the slides to head. Thanks, Pres

[LongRat]

On an aside, I just received 2 Arc Euro 3mm endmills today. Within 30 mins both were broken. They are absolutely awful quality. There is a visible difference between the 4 flutes, and they are not at all sharp. I know they are very cheap, but even so I don't consider them to be a worthwhile investment at all. Have you not found this Warren? The cutters I have from Chronos are 10 times better (2 or 3 times the price).

[itsme]

Hi LongRat,

I'd definitely agree that the Arc cutters are not the best quality. I have only ever tried 2 Arc cutters below 6mm and both broke (they were 4mm and also broke within about 20mins)! All my small cutters now are either from Chronos or other known brands.

I recently bought a couple of 6mm cutters and a 9.5mm cutter from Arc. Both the 6mm cutters had small 'nipples' in the centre on the bottom (sorry for the poor description, but it's difficult to describe these extra features that aren't meant to be there) which I had to touch with a Dremel to get rid of. It also looked like someone had slipped with the grinder on the end of one of the flutes on the 9.5mm cutter. I have compared the sharpness of the Arc cutters to Chronos cutters and others and the Arc cutters are definitely blunt in comparison.

I wouldn't say the Arc cutters are not usable, because I have been using them for a while with reasonable success (besides the smaller ones). I am, however, beginning to think that it is worthwhile paying the extra money for better quality cutters (and tooling generally). I'm going to stop being a cheapskate and buy some decent cutters the next time I'm buying them.

Regards
Warren

[digits]

Originally Posted by itsme Hi LongRat, I'd definitely agree that the Arc cutters are not the best quality. I have only ever tried 2 Arc cutters below 6mm and both broke (they were 4mm and also broke within about 20mins)! All my small cutters now are either from Chronos or other known brands. I recently bought a couple of 6mm cutters and a 9.5mm cutter from Arc. Both the 6mm cutters had small 'nipples' in the centre on the bottom (sorry for the poor description, but it's difficult to describe these extra features that aren't meant to be there) which I had to touch with a Dremel to get rid of. It also looked like someone had slipped with the grinder on the end of one of the flutes on the 9.5mm cutter. I have compared the sharpness of the Arc cutters to Chronos cutters and others and the Arc cutters are definitely blunt in comparison. I wouldn't say the Arc cutters are not usable, because I have been using them for a while with reasonable success (besides the smaller ones). I am, however, beginning to think that it is worthwhile paying the extra money for better quality cutters (and tooling generally). I'm going to stop being a cheapskate and buy some decent cutters the next time I'm buying them. Regards Warren

I guess I'll find out what they're like soon - I bought a complete 2-flute slot mill set from them and ordered some 4-flutes. To be fair to Arc, they did actually ring me up after I'd ordered to warn me that they were having quality issues with their 4-flutes - some of them might have a 'pip' on them that needed grinding off, and they gave me the option to take them at 25% discount, or cancel. I chose to cancel and buy elsewhere. I guess I'd better try some out before the weekend incase I need to make another trip to Chronos on Saturday.

[digits]

Originally Posted by pastera With shims at the four bolts on the column. I used plate glass, DTI and torque wrench. The torque wrench keeps things consistent between iterations. Mount the DTI on a shaft in the spindle such that it swings the largest arc possible while still rotating 360°. Center the table and lock the gibbs. Place your glass on the table to give you a nice flat surface. Lower the head and swing the DTI to get readings at 0°, 90°, 180°, and 270°. The difference between the 0° and 90° is the column tilt in the Y axis as I am describing it. place equal shims under either the front two bolts if the 0° reading is higher. repeat until aggrivated. I didn't mill any tapered shims but that would be a good idea once you know what the correct shim stack is. Aaron

Thanks for that

I was thinking of slapping a carefully milled 2-3" spacer block between the column and the table to give me more spindle-table distance, I guess I could use your technique to ensure that the column is still true. Or would raising the column that much be a recipie for disaster? I think there's plenty of Z-travel for my needs, but the 1st 75mm are eaten up by collets and the mill, and the last 50-80 by my vice, so I could really do with raising the column a bit.

I haven't tried any of the alignment yet - but my CNC Fusion kit has just arrived at the Post-Office depot - is it worth aligning before taking all the handwheels etc off to fit the CNC, or should I just do it when everything's fitted?

Ta.