My Grizzly G9729 3 in 1 CNC Conversion

[FannBlade]

Is there any difference in accuracy when using the pulleys attached to the ball screws as opposed to attaching the motor directly to the ball screw?

That will just help with speed and some torque. For me at the time it seemed simpler to just go direct.

Thank you for the list FannBlade!

So you added a separate motor for the lathe? Is that so you could use it as a forth axis?

Motor just replaced the original spindle motor. I have cut a plate in the pulley to read RPM's but it wont handle exact location.

As to the ACME screw mine had over .030 when it was new and that was just push and pulling table by hand.

[KevMoto]

Here is mine:
Drivers: KL-8056D
PSU: 48 volt Toroidial
Breakout board: C11T Also recommend PMDX 126 (I will be using this on my Hurco build)
Steppers: 640oz NEMA34 on lathe Z and 425oz NEMA 23 on the other 2
Lathe motor: 1hp 3 phase 1800 rpm
VFD drive: GS2

Ok, just want to make sure I understand what each piece does, so please don't laugh if I get it really wrong:

Drivers: KL-8056D

--- used to accept signal from breakout board and send to stepper motor(s)?


PSU: 48 volt Toroidial

--- used to supply power to the entire automation (computer hardware and motors)?


Breakout board: C11T Also recommend PMDX 126 (I will be using this on my Hurco build)

--- used to read code from Mach 3 or similar and generate signals and power to drivers and to motors?


Steppers: 640oz NEMA34 on lathe Z and 425oz NEMA 23 on the other 2

--- used to physically drive the axis' ? and which Amp choice, the 8 amps?


Lathe motor: 1hp 3 phase 1800 rpm

--- used to control the lathe separately ? and I assume with the controlling software, possibly simultaneously with the mill if 4th axis operation is desired?
UPDATE: didn't know they already came with two separate motors.... oops.

However, I am intersted in linking this motor to exact location so I can use it in that way...so if you know what piece of equipment I would need, just let me know.


VFD drive: GS2

--- Have no idea whatsoever??


Also, could you list the software you used? and if not too much trouble why you made the particular software choices you made?

[FannBlade]

Ok, just want to make sure I understand what each piece does, so please don't laugh if I get it really wrong:

Drivers: KL-8056D

--- used to accept signal from breakout board and send to stepper motor(s)? Yes


PSU: 48 volt Toroidial

--- used to supply power to the entire automation (computer hardware and motors)? Yes


Breakout board: C11T Also recommend PMDX 126 (I will be using this on my Hurco build)

--- used to read code from Mach 3 or similar and generate signals and power to drivers and to motors? Yes


Steppers: 640oz NEMA34 on lathe Z and 425oz NEMA 23 on the other 2

--- used to physically drive the axis' ? Yes


Lathe motor: 1hp 3 phase 1800 rpm

--- used to control the lathe separately ? and I assume with the controlling software, possibly simultaneously with the mill if 4th axis operation is desired?
UPDATE: didn't know they already came with two separate motors.... oops.

However, I am interested in linking this motor to exact location so I can use it in that way...so if you know what piece of equipment I would need, just let me know. I not sure on this one.


VFD drive: GS2

--- Have no idea whatsoever?? VFD is used to drive the 3 phase motor via single phase 220 volt input. It will make the motor variable speed and can be hooked up to break out board to control FWD,Reverse and speed.


Also, could you list the software you used? and if not too much trouble why you made the particular software choices you made?

I personally use:
Mach 3 (of course)
CAD: Alibre (now named Geomagic)
Cam: Vectric Cut2D This is very simple to learn and use. Another choice would be CamBam or MeshCam. Then of course Solidworks for like $4000!!

[KevMoto]

I personally use:
Mach 3 (of course)
CAD: Alibre (now named Geomagic)
Cam: Vectric Cut2D This is very simple to learn and use. Another choice would be CamBam or MeshCam. Then of course Solidworks for like $4000!!

Awesome! Thank you so much. I am finally starting to wrap my head around the whole process, theoretically anyway. Friday when I get my 3-in-1 things will get practical.

If I weren't an honest man, I'd download one of those "free" (read stolen) copies of Solidworks 2014 (full versions with serial numbers) available on the web. Man I hate temptations that hit home! But I gotta sleep at night :-)

[KevMoto]

Zer0fighter,

So is the electrical box you mounted to the wall, with your Gecko G540, power supply, etc... far from your machine? Where did you get that generic box to mount everything in? Home Depot?

Also, I looked at the Y-axis on my G9729 and it looks like the holes are the same (also, i'm not sure exactly where you mounted it -in what existing holes I mean):

NOTE: [ my machine is gross because I haven't finished my table and it's still on the crate. I haven't even wiped it down yet, still has the group from shipping. Yes, I did drill a few holes, because I needed to make a guide for my plasma cutter in order to get straight line cut.]

[zer0fighter]

So I've started to re-do the Z axis on the mill. Tired of it flexing and lack of Z accuracy. This will be the stepper to spindle mount:


It's 3/4" 6061, and yeah I messed up the bore, but I think it'll still work ok. Next is a 4" x 8" x 1/2" thick channel to go vertically and mount the bearing block. I think with the amount of material, it should prove to be substantially stiffer.

[KevMoto]

So I've started to re-do the Z axis on the mill. Tired of it flexing and lack of Z accuracy. This will be the stepper to spindle mount:

It's 3/4" 6061, and yeah I messed up the bore, but I think it'll still work ok. Next is a 4" x 8" x 1/2" thick channel to go vertically and mount the bearing block. I think with the amount of material, it should prove to be substantially stiffer.

I can't wait to see it mounted! Keep the pictures coming!

I've had to take a little break, I started heavy lifting again and hurt my low back (with a measly 315 lb deep squat) Oh well. I also tore apart the table I had made, I literally tore it down to it's individual pieces. I'm going to rebuild it. It was over 400lbs and when I went to put the lock wheels on the bottom, I could barely tip it over with my 14 year old son and I both acting as a counter balance...I thought to myself, "this is rediculous. I know I like to build over the top, but this is to the point it is dangerous and hard to move"... So I got out my new plasma cutter and took it part. Weld, by weld.

So I'm now grinding off all the slag and will re-assmble it with smaller legs (I had 4"X 4" square stock that was 3/8" thick) ... I haven't decided what size legs to use, but probably just 2" square tubing will be fine. Basically just starting from scratch.

[zer0fighter]

Bummer about the injury. Measly 315, that's all I can do on a good day, ha!

Too bad about the table too, although a table on wheels soundy awfully tempting to me. Then I could do a proper enclosure and flood coolant.

This Z modification is sort of my last straw at getting it to work well. If this doesn't help in a big way, its time to get a G0704 or one size up and convert that. Have you run your spindle on the mill at all Kev? Run smoothly like mine did when I first got it?

[KevMoto]

Bummer about the injury. Measly 315, that's all I can do on a good day, ha!

Yeah, when I was a little younger I did 610 lbs! and I stopped squatting 11 years ago when I got married and haven't lifted at all for 4 years while I was practicing brazilian jiu jitsu, but had a thyroid situation come up and had to stop everything...all is well again and so I wanted to start lifting again, so I started last week, went ok, until squat day... ha ha h It's all good...I should be ok by next week.

Too bad about the table too, although a table on wheels sounds awfully tempting to me. Then I could do a proper enclosure and flood coolant.

Yeah, I just want to be able to move it around, so I got those Grizzly heavy duty wheels (800 lbs per wheel) and they are really broad and flat with a great locking mechanism (not going to move around on me). I mean once this CNC bug bites you, you want to go all out to make it trick right? Especially when you see what FannBlade did! Can't unsee what you see... ha ha hahha

This Z modification is sort of my last straw at getting it to work well. If this doesn't help in a big way, its time to get a G0704 or one size up and convert that. Have you run your spindle on the mill at all Kev? Run smoothly like mine did when I first got it?

Yes, it runs perfectly. Even after I crushed it with my tractor (setting it down and not realizing how close the bucket was to that spindle... after that, I locked the spindle down out of the way...).
Have you investigated it at all, like maybe a bearing set got put back in awkwardly or something? I mean the casting on these machines screams China all the way, ULTRA crude. I ask because I really do want to do what you did, but maybe I can do it without removing anything... except the pulley slots (except one on the spindle) ??

[Fastest1]

Actually a VFD can be a single or 3 phase input. It varies the frequency/cycles and allows "almost" infinite rpm control. Could be well above and or below recommended rpms for the particular motor.

[KevMoto]

Just and update guys... I am in the process of moving (selling our house) so for the time being (to keep the house nice for potential buyers ) we've moved into a rental and I can't use my shop (can't make a mess and that's no fun)... So as soon as we get another house, my first home project is to get this CNC conversion done. Just wanted to keep people in the loop and didn't want this thread to die.

[zer0fighter]

@KevMoto, hope the move goes swiftly and smoothly and you can start playing around with the machine again.

I finally bought a proper endmill, a Moritool roughing EM for aluminum specifically. It's this one: ZrN Coated 5/16 dia 3 Flute High Helix Carbide Rougher X .750 loc MariTool

Can go quite a lot faster with it I find:


450mm/min full width cut 0.5mm I think. I am sure I could push it harder, I need it in a bigger vice first, and run the spindle faster too. Anyways, great tool. I will probably get some more of their products, worth the money IMO.

[KevMoto]

@KevMoto, hope the move goes swiftly and smoothly and you can start playing around with the machine again.

I finally bought a proper endmill, a Moritool roughing EM for aluminum specifically. It's this one: ZrN Coated 5/16 dia 3 Flute High Helix Carbide Rougher X .750 loc MariTool

Can go quite a lot faster with it I find.

450mm/min full width cut 0.5mm I think. I am sure I could push it harder, I need it in a bigger vice first, and run the spindle faster too. Anyways, great tool. I will probably get some more of their products, worth the money IMO.

That is so cool. Man I wish I could be messing around with mine right now! Our move could take a while,we moved out of our house and moved into a rental so we don't have to be rushed to buy when the house sells. The down side is that I don't really want to set up shop in this rental just to have to move it all again. So I'll just live vicariously through your videos and posts until we get our new home with a pool!

[BrokenRotor]

Hi Guys, this might sound lazy of me, because it probably is, but I am wondering if any of you would be willing to make me the parts for this conversion? It's been quite a while since I was last on this forum and following this thread. I am not a machinist in any way, but I have made some simple parts out of alum and plastic.

I am pretty much just looking to copy someone else's build so I can get to the CNC part quicker. My passion is radio control scale helicopters, and my machine is just to support my hobby.

So if anyone is willing to make the conversion parts I would surely pay them. So if you are let me know and we can chat on the phone and go from there.

Thank you,

Steve

[KevMoto]

Hey Zero,

Just checking in again.... I know 7 months just since we put our hose up for sale. We sold in last month, but still haven't found a suitable replacement (we moved because of psycho neighbors invoking every HOA rule known to man on us).... and there isn't a lot on the market right now where we are. SUCKS... so everything is still in storage, I'm still sleeping on a cot in a friends rental with all our stuff in boxes both here and in storage... to make matters worse, I have to build a new workshop wherever we move if they don't have one, and the place we are looking at tomorrow doesn't have one. Don't get me wrong, I love building my workshops....but I REALLY wanted to get this CNC conversion done so I can really go to town on some ideas I have... sigh... more waiting. :-) But I'm not gone and I am (God willing) going to get this done.

[lcvette]

Any updates? I just picked one of these bad boys up and have cleaned it up, taken the carriage and table off to start designing the conversion. I have the benefit of a little HF 7x10 manual Lathe and a cnc G0704 for making the parts. Just thinking of what I want to end up with and was curious if you guys had any feedback on things you wish you had done differently or if you wouldn't change a thing.

I will be removing the mill head and probably making a nice motorized heavy duty drill press as I think that may be all its worth using it for.

I have some linear rails and trucks laying around and was considering running them on the bed. Looks like it has a crappy screw tighten gib while the table is a tapered gib which I know i can scrape, lap and get perfect and tight with little friction..

I was disappointed when I removed the saddle and saw how thin the casting was in the center.. I had hoped to be able to simply mill off the dovetail edges and drill for mounting the linear rail trucks but now I'm not so sure... Isn't alot of meat there to work with.

Any how... Was wondering how you guys were liking your builds!

Thanks,

Chris

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[zer0fighter]

Hey lcvette. Mine is still running pretty well. Got the mill portion working decently, still noisy though. I am building a stand with heavy duty castors and a tool box under it now as I'm re-doing my garage and it needs to be mobile. Next up is probably a charter oak or RF41 sized mill to convert. Then the 3 in 1 becomes just a lathe. I find its good enough for the things I need to turn with it. I can get good accuracy if I sneak up on it. I would probably get better with actual probes, but I use a peice of paper between the tool and the part to touch off, high tech **** right there.

[lcvette]

Hahaha.. Nothing wrong with that if you add in the thickness of the paper.. Usually around .002-.003". I like to use receipt paper as it is already very well compressed and thinner then inkjet type.. And it doesn't get destroyed if it gets a little damp from coolant.

Shoot me a PM about the mill. I have some insights I can share if you would like!

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[lcvette]

Do you ever figure out the mill spindle vibration? I have the same vibration and I'm thinking it's unbalanced pulleys maybe.. I'm used to the spindle on my g0704 making a racket from the quill splines, but this vibration is more consistent with something being out of whack somewhere.

Chris

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[David Bord]

Chris,

Any chance you have taken pictures of your build or made progress on it? I still have plans to convert mine as well but just to use as a CNC lathe. I have a Tormach at home to machine the parts for the conversion, just dont have a good plan for how to do it.

David