I have mounted a indicator on the spindle and indicated on a precision angle plate....I got some weird readings so I switched to mounting indicator on table and indicated off drill rod in spindle...same issue. You can barely hear it but machine pulse as the indicator pulses. Also, I have the way leveled out...a machinists level barely moves in the Y axis. This obviously shows the column isn't perpendicular, how do you adjust for this on a 440?
Little by little I'm getting this machine sorted out, but it's a lot of work...
Its possible to get that much error tir from a long cutter mounted in a er collet.
Rotate the spindle/ bar with indicator at end. How much tir do you get?
I would devise a different way to check spindle and head alignment. You need to mitigate any run out from collets and holders.
sweeping an indicator mounted to bottom of spindle "no collet" down a squaring cylinder or block, would be the method used when machine was built.
I would think anyway
Thanks Mountain Dew. I did tram the column with my Edge Technology training tool. I have it under a thou side to side and just a hair over front to back. Let’s say I ignore the column perpendicularly, why any way I do it do I see the rise/fall (pulsing) on the indicator? Perhaps a not straight lead screw? You would think tight gibs mound mitigate that issue, and I did check those as well. It’s very odd, and though I don’t really have any issues with work I complete on it, it’s hard to just ignore and keep moving past that. I can post a video of me doing the same thing but the indicator on an angle plate mounted to spindle...same results on all levels. It’s got me a bit perplexed.
Hmmm. Now that you mention it, a bent leadscrew does sound like a possible explanation for the straining stepper coincident with the variation of the DTI. I'm not familiar with a 440. It is reasonable to remove the ball screw and check it with a surface plate + V-blocks or between centres? Perhaps just loosening the attachment between the ball nut and spindle casting would provide a clue.
Wow!sorry...I’m at work and my fingers are way too big for a cell phone. I can’t edit that post and it’s full of typos. Corrected below...
Thanks Mountain Dew. I did tram the column with my Edge Technology tramming tool. I have it under a thou side to side and just a hair over front to back. Let’s say I ignore the column perpendicularly, why, either way I test it, do I see the rise/fall (pulsing) on the indicator? Perhaps a not straight lead screw? You would think tight gibs would mitigate that issue, and I did check those as well. It’s very odd, and though I don’t really have any issues with work I complete on it, it’s hard to just ignore and keep moving past that. I can post a video of me doing the same test but the indicator on an angle plate mounted to spindle...same results on all levels. It’s got me a bit perplexed.
It’s possible, but I don’t look forward to it! I don’t know for sure how this 440 works, but any other machines I have, the ball screw floats on the far end. Wobbling is pretty common and since it isn’t tied down at the far end, you would think it had little influence as far as moving the head in a way to reflect wobble. (This is all guessing) BUT something is going on. Why with snug gibs it would also allow head to wobble is beyond me. I’ll have to take a look at machine schematics. Finding a way to confirm column perpendicularly is also something I need to do. The tramming tool checks it at one spot only. Perhaps it changes with raising and lower (hence the test with an angle plate or drill rod. (Both were checked on a surface plate)