Problem Difficulty keeping the column square


Results 1 to 6 of 6

Thread: Difficulty keeping the column square

  1. #1
    Member shadowphile's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2019
    Posts
    8
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Difficulty keeping the column square

    Not sure why Taig chose to mount the column the way they did but it's horrible. Like trying to hold a broom straight out with your hand by holding only one inch of the tip of the handle.
    Anyway, I'm having problems keeping the column straight up. I keep tramming and of course any collision on the x axis automatically requires a re-tramming. I normally don't do aggressive cuts that might tilt the column but I'd like to know that I can experiment with deeper cuts.
    Most recently I've been trying to machine some cheap vises more square (I gave up and ordered some toolmaker vises) and a double-check found my column not square again and I didn't even do anything to it! I had it square to < .001" on an 8" span and it was like .003" off (sorry about mixing my units).

    My normal method to square is to put in my tramming fixture and tap the column back and forth until it's good, then tighten some and repeat. I think this might a problem because knocking the column back and forth seems like a good way to grind up particles that act like ball bearings, so now I need to take the column off and clean it up. If I could take apart the enclosure and do it gently, ONCE, that would be ok.

    I've seen some pictures of others who've made external steel rigs to hold the column rigid but that is not practical in my setup. My CNC is on a custom table in a custom sound-and-chip-proof enclosure I made, in my dining room. (yes, I'm not married, and this ensures I never will be . But I now have an adult toybox that I can run at night, complete with fog-buster-style sprayer and built-in air gun.

    Any experienced people here who can comment on my situation? They way I've boxed my mill in an enclosure makes it hard to get to the nut in the back so this is becoming a dreaded issue. What I need is an anti-anti-seize compound
    thanks

    (been thinking about sharing the whole project, which took me a year to design and put together, but I made some bad choices and other quirky choices I don't want to have to defend, but it would be fun to share all the work I put into it. Its' in my dining room, in an apartment. My landlord saw it but didn't complain because it is so well contained. Although I did hide the compressor...)

    Similar Threads:


  2. #2
    Member awerby's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Posts
    5728
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: Difficulty keeping the column square

    It sounds like you're not getting it tight enough, probably because that nut's so hard to reach in your enclosure. Have you thought of putting an access hole in there, big enough to sneak a socket into? If you really can't tighten it enough to keep it from moving, consider gluing a piece of fine sandpaper to each mating surface to give it more grip.

    [FONT=Verdana]Andrew Werby[/FONT]
    [URL="http://www.computersculpture.com/"]Website[/URL]


  3. #3
    Member shadowphile's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2019
    Posts
    8
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: Difficulty keeping the column square

    Thanks for the reply awerby. I've seen conflicting reports about tightness. Taig says there is a spacer in there so you can can't collapse the column, but the documentation isn't very good and they give no recommended torque. I've also seen somebody online who had a similar problem and he was torquing it enough to actually crush something (hard tell what from the picture). And then there is *another* thread elsewhere about setting up the Taig and they say to not over do it, by grabbing the base of the wrench, which seems like no torque at all!
    I also saw a reference to using sandpaper but unless people can verify that it works I am hesitant since the paper itself can shred. Sand alone seems possible since its very hard and would bite into the metal. Maybe the sand just bites through the paper. Sounds like I need to take everything apart and do some experiments.
    If it remains a problem I like your idea of cutting a hole. I already have some access I was forced to cut out of the tray built into the enclosure so what's another hole, eh?



  4. #4
    Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    68
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: Difficulty keeping the column square

    While I went with option One....


    I remember an old post were a taig mill owner drilled and reamed taper holes to fit a tapered pin on either side of the column mounting ring.
    So he tap on the pin on the side that needed to be moved...
    Then tap on the other side to lock it down.....
    I think it was an article on Nick Carter's site......

    Good Luck,
    Stuart



  5. #5
    Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    United States
    Posts
    149
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: Difficulty keeping the column square

    Quote Originally Posted by shadowphile View Post
    Not sure why Taig chose to mount the column the way they did but it's horrible. Like trying to hold a broom straight out with your hand by holding only one inch of the tip of the handle.
    Anyway, I'm having problems keeping the column straight up. I keep tramming and of course any collision on the x axis automatically requires a re-tramming. I normally don't do aggressive cuts that might tilt the column but I'd like to know that I can experiment with deeper cuts.
    Most recently I've been trying to machine some cheap vises more square (I gave up and ordered some toolmaker vises) and a double-check found my column not square again and I didn't even do anything to it! I had it square to < .001" on an 8" span and it was like .003" off (sorry about mixing my units).

    My normal method to square is to put in my tramming fixture and tap the column back and forth until it's good, then tighten some and repeat. I think this might a problem because knocking the column back and forth seems like a good way to grind up particles that act like ball bearings, so now I need to take the column off and clean it up. If I could take apart the enclosure and do it gently, ONCE, that would be ok.

    I've seen some pictures of others who've made external steel rigs to hold the column rigid but that is not practical in my setup. My CNC is on a custom table in a custom sound-and-chip-proof enclosure I made, in my dining room. (yes, I'm not married, and this ensures I never will be . But I now have an adult toybox that I can run at night, complete with fog-buster-style sprayer and built-in air gun.

    Any experienced people here who can comment on my situation? They way I've boxed my mill in an enclosure makes it hard to get to the nut in the back so this is becoming a dreaded issue. What I need is an anti-anti-seize compound
    thanks

    (been thinking about sharing the whole project, which took me a year to design and put together, but I made some bad choices and other quirky choices I don't want to have to defend, but it would be fun to share all the work I put into it. Its' in my dining room, in an apartment. My landlord saw it but didn't complain because it is so well contained. Although I did hide the compressor...)

    We run 4 of these machines in our shop cutting Aluminum, Titanium, Plastics, Brass...etc.... If you have the surfaces clean on the column and tighten it down it should not move. In 20+ years, I have never had one move at all. Check that everything is aligned and clean. My thought would be it just isn't tight or there is something...grease, oil ...something between the two plates. Good Luck



  6. #6
    Member awerby's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Posts
    5728
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: Difficulty keeping the column square

    Like Ican says, if it won't tighten down so it won't move there's likely something in there. Deliberately introducing sand would be a step in that wrong direction.

    [FONT=Verdana]Andrew Werby[/FONT]
    [URL="http://www.computersculpture.com/"]Website[/URL]


Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  


About CNCzone.com

    We are the largest and most active discussion forum for manufacturing industry. The site is 100% free to join and use, so join today!

Follow us on


Our Brands

Difficulty keeping the column square

Difficulty keeping the column square