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Thread: Large Epoxy granite VMC building

  1. #81
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    Default Re: Large Epoxy granite VMC building

    Hi guys, just one more little update on the thread, as always I've been extremelly busy so been really hard to get anything done on this build, anyway I'm almost done gathering the expensive big stuff, I'm almost finished with the gathering of materials. So last thursday I received the spindle unit and all I have to say is that this think looks amazingly AWESOME and it's very large and heavy, now I'm starting to have an idea of the overall machine.... rails are huge, the rail blocks look like trucks, the spindle is a monster, the ATC cylinder is quite big also...
    here are some pics:


    everything looks amazing, I just made a rough test for runout with my 1 micrometer mitutoyo test indicator not even cleaned the grease (it's packed with very soft grease) and the needle barely moves, it measures like half micrometer runout or less. So it's 12000 RPM, BT40, 4 coolant nozzles and it has a cooling circuit on it's body. I Really like, looks really wel built and comes with test relatory for whatever it's worth. I also bought the Aircylinder-hidraulic press for the toolchange from the same company and also looks very nice, it comes with the open/close sensor switches and all ready for mounting ang working. I think it was a fair price 2093usd shipped with all the customs clearence for Portugal.
    Now just missing the spindle servo motor and also ordered a small servo for the 4th axis that should be here next week.
    some pics on the ATC press:




    I'm really excited to start making the machine body... need to make some testing epoxy molds but first I need to make a vibrating table so I can make some serious testing...

    anyway, I'll keep you guys up to date...



  2. #82
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    Default Re: Large Epoxy granite VMC building

    That spindle looks delicious looking forward to the rest of your build.



  3. #83
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    Default Re: Large Epoxy granite VMC building

    Hi guys, been a while since I posted anything... really busy times... I intended to spend all this month in the machine but it just wasn't possible... Lots of work and . Been gathering more missing materials, already have the way covers, resin+hardener AND all the wood for the castings!!! YAY!!

    well later today gonna test some mix ratios and release agents and see how it goes... also should start the Base mold... lets see if this thing starts growing... FAST.... I've quite a bit of money invested already so need to keep going!







    see you soon!



  4. #84
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    Default Re: Large Epoxy granite VMC building

    So, been some busy weeks for a change... Finally got some time to spend on this project. Made a vibration table, just quick and dirty and guess what, it works! Bought 2 cheap 150w benchgrinders, wheels off, couple of steel bars drilled offcenter instead of the wheels. Screws the benchgrinders to a base plate, 8 rubber dampeners between the body frame and the vibration plate and that's it... couple pics:







    test 1 motor


    test 2 motor


    test actual table with 300kg load


    also made a test casting with the final mix ratio (10% epoxy, 90% aggregate, aggregate is made from 5 different sand sizes, equivalent to Silimix261) it wasn't vibrated since I hadn't the table at the time but it's a small cast so I just beated the mix into the cast. it was a mix test and release agent test at the same time, went really well. this thing turned up realy strong. Threw it 3 times as hard as I could against a rock trying to break it in half and just managed to make a dent on it... it's not post cured.





    now the mold, good molds take time to make... all parts ready for waxing and pva coat, this is for the machine base alone:





    getting assembled:




    ready for casting:




    mixed sand:




  5. #85
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    Default Re: Large Epoxy granite VMC building

    ok I'm limited to 15 images so I had to split the post, casting coming next

    - - - Updated - - -

    the casting:












    it went really well, this was my first casting so really curious to see how it went. this was cast yesterday so should be getting out of the mold tomorrow evening. so today or tomorrow I'll be making the oven to make the post cure, 16h @60c.
    that's it for today, finally getting this thing actually started... took next to a year to get actually start the thing...

    I'll keep you guys posted! take care



  6. #86

    Default Re: Large Epoxy granite VMC building

    Your machine is looking good, glad to see some more full recent builds on this forum. Have you completed the post cure yet? I think we are all anxious to see more pictures.



  7. #87
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    Default Re: Large Epoxy granite VMC building

    Hi Vak - Although the epoxy requires 16hrs at 60degC with the thick casting and mass you have its unlikely the middle of your parts will get to 60C in 16hrs? Maybe go for 24hrs, have you spoken to the supplier about thick part schedules? Peter



  8. #88
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    Default Re: Large Epoxy granite VMC building

    sorry, I didn't got notifications on replies and I'd problems with my PC and internet, anyway...


    Quote Originally Posted by AutomatedIngen View Post
    Your machine is looking good, glad to see some more full recent builds on this forum. Have you completed the post cure yet? I think we are all anxious to see more pictures.
    like I said, been having some tech problems, but yes I finished the cure, 20H at 60ºC.

    Quote Originally Posted by peteeng View Post
    Hi Vak - Although the epoxy requires 16hrs at 60degC with the thick casting and mass you have its unlikely the middle of your parts will get to 60C in 16hrs? Maybe go for 24hrs, have you spoken to the supplier about thick part schedules? Peter
    yes I talked with guys from RG and they told me even that big casting 16h would be enough, anyway I gave it 20h just to be extra safe!


    now about the cast itself, I had release problems, I used MDF and Particle board for the board (both with that coat on sides, not raw stuff), Particle board released just fine (used same release at all parts, first WAX coat then PVA), MDF didn't... This was my first casting and my test mold was made in particle board so it went perfectly, if only I would have made the test piece in MDF... anyway took me a few hours sanding the glued MDF, not the end of the world but it was painfull, demolding was very hard also... Guess we're always learning, however, the part I was affraid the most (the dragchain strip) came out very well, that one I wrapped in that plastic sticky sheet that we use to wrap the kids books for protection and it came out perfect, finish was like glass, very smooth and shiny so I decided to do that in the entire mold for next castings!

    here's some pics of the base cast result:










    the curing oven:





    over all it went fine, it was my first casting anyways... so lots of learning I'm pleased with it!



  9. #89
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    Default Re: Large Epoxy granite VMC building

    so also finish my column mold meanwhile, here're some pics:





























    looks pretty good I guess, and like I said before, this time I'm not messing around, all the pieces are sticky plastic wrapped and waxed, estimating 330kg of EG in here...

    Last edited by vakeiros; 10-28-2019 at 05:14 AM.


  10. #90
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    Default Re: Large Epoxy granite VMC building

    so this was a big update, last Friday I filled the column, I hadn't taken any pics of the filling (was very busy filling it) but yeah, essentially was mixing EG and pouring it to a wooden box, compressing it and vibrating...
    here's a pic of the full cast:



    and 48h later the demold. I'll let the pics talk for themselves:















    now this one came out next to perfect, super easy realease, great finish I'm calling it 99.5% :P
    the ribbons came out very nice. really happy with it. now 20h at 60degC for post curing.

    already started next par mold. I'll keep you guys posted!



  11. #91
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    Default Re: Large Epoxy granite VMC building

    also machined my spindle sleeve, this was already made sometime ago but I think it's worth sharing, made out of a 175mm diameter block, bore 120mm H7, this was a challenge, never had machined something this big, not even close to...



















    and that's it for today!



  12. #92

    Default Re: Large Epoxy granite VMC building

    Wow you have made really good progress since your last update a few weeks ago. The castings look really good. Can't wait to see this put all together.

    Are you going to level your machine by machining the column and base surfaces or going to inject leveling epoxy in-between?



  13. #93
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    Default Re: Large Epoxy granite VMC building

    Quote Originally Posted by AutomatedIngen View Post
    Wow you have made really good progress since your last update a few weeks ago. The castings look really good. Can't wait to see this put all together.

    Are you going to level your machine by machining the column and base surfaces or going to inject leveling epoxy in-between?
    thanks mate, yeah I finally start making something about this machine, to much money stalled already so work needs to wait a bit XD
    I'll be making outside work until Nov 8th then it's all for the machine until the end of the month... so expect more updates soon, also I should be taking the pieces to the big mill wednesday or thursday.

    I'll be injecting moglice in between the pieces.



  14. #94
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    Default Re: Large Epoxy granite VMC building

    ok guys, it's been a while since I posted updates and there are quite a few. So I finished the saddle mold and filled it:







    here's the final piece:



    after these parts were finished I went to my friend shop and he has huge machines so he machined my way and ballscrew holder surfaces to spec:







    final results:









    after the machining I add some color to it:







  15. #95
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    Default Re: Large Epoxy granite VMC building

    Couple of days ago I finally placed the column on the base, this is the first actual piece of the machine going for the right place! huge step in the build, finally started the actual build!



    now I finally could mount the rails and ballscrew for the Y axis in the base:



    and get the saddle ready to go in the base, all lubrication tubing and so on (I got told that these oil distributors are garbage so I'm now waiting for the right ones, I have zero experience on this so yeah noob mistake, anyway I have easy access to this so I can put the saddle in place and then replace the part without any problems)



    so saddle in place:



    also mounted the X rails ballscrew and motor! all ready for the table!


    now it's staring to look like a mill!



  16. #96
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    Default Re: Large Epoxy granite VMC building

    now I'm working on the Head.

    made all the sides for the head block, all sides aluminum and will be EG filled:









    the lid for the bottom so I can fill it from the upside:



    currently I'm working in the nose mold that's almost done:





    and the table mold that's almost finished also (all parts are done, just need to assemble):



    the big screws will act as anchors so my idea is to fill the mold with EG by the top of the screws or cloce to it (they are 2-3mm lower than the top of the mold), the last 2-3mm will be filled with a mix of epoxy+aluminum powder so the aluminum will increase the compression resistence of the epoxy and can be machined after by the machine itself, the fixing holes will also be made by the machine and that's what the big screws are for, 2 of those screws will be drilled and reamed for lacating pins and all the others wil be drilled and threaded. I'll use a aluminum plate (25mm thick) as table, will be drilled and threaded in a 50mm pattern for holding whatever I need. the locating pins will allow me to swap top plates easily (intend to have some fixturing plates and so) without need of aligning... that's my plan, don't know if it will work but that's my idea.... it will either work or I'll learn something from it lol. let's see...

    hope you guys are enjoying it!!



  17. #97
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    Default Re: Large Epoxy granite VMC building

    Great progress you are making.

    Regards,
    Mark


  18. #98
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    Default Re: Large Epoxy granite VMC building

    What did you insert for mounting the linear rails? Steel or Alu? And why did you choose that?

    Sent from my MI 8 using Tapatalk

    www.cncmachineplans.com


  19. #99
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    Default Re: Large Epoxy granite VMC building

    Quote Originally Posted by CNCMachineplans View Post
    What did you insert for mounting the linear rails? Steel or Alu? And why did you choose that?

    Sent from my MI 8 using Tapatalk
    I used steel, why? well because it's easy to get :P



  20. #100
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    Default Re: Large Epoxy granite VMC building

    All good. You spoke about thermal dissipation and how alu was a better choice on your Facebook post so was just curious.

    Sent from my MI 8 using Tapatalk

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