# New Mill Ordered



## StrikerDown (Feb 10, 2009)

Thanks to Mirage_Man for the link and photos of all the mods to the stand I went and ordered a twin to his mill!

Here it is!

PS: Will, I will do my best with the pics! 

Checked into the PM 1236, it's out of stock for at least 8-10 weeks :mecry:


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## wquiles (Feb 10, 2009)

StrikerDown said:


> Thanks to Mirage_Man for the link and photos of all the mods to the stand I went and ordered a twin to his mill!
> 
> Here it is!
> 
> PS: Will, I will do my best with the pics!


Congrats on the Mill. And yes, please, at least 20+ pictures :devil:

I am also tempted, but must resist - RESISTANCE IS FUTILE !!! 




StrikerDown said:


> Checked into the PM 1236, it's out of stock for at least 8-10 weeks :mecry:


Sorry about that. Time does go quickly, more so since you will be playing with that new mill of yours 

Will


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## precisionworks (Feb 10, 2009)

> I went and ordered a twin to his mill!


Excellent choice

Now go mortgage the house & buy some tooling:nana:


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## Mirage_Man (Feb 11, 2009)

Good deal! I'm sure you'll like it. And yes, better open that wallet for all the tooling you're gonna buy for it.


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## StrikerDown (Feb 11, 2009)

20 pics? Wow that's almost a whole roll! 

Tooling! Where is eBay


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## SafetyBob (Feb 11, 2009)

Free shipping until the end of the month too, right? 

Man, I need to check my check book and get the old Bridgeport out of here. New machinery is getting me nervous...

And I don't even need that much tooling for it since I already have some...not enough...just some. 

Congratulations on the new mill!!!

Bob E.


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## StrikerDown (Feb 11, 2009)

SafetyBob said:


> Free shipping until the end of the month too, right?
> 
> Congratulations on the new mill!!!
> 
> Bob E.


 
Free? Suure!

I entered the code for the free shipping on orders over $99 and it gives free shipping on everything except the truck shipping. ($298 :sick2 So the mill with tax and shipping comes out to almost the same as the regular price alone. Shipping out of GA so it will be over a week, the small tools came out of NV and should be here today, not bad since I ordered it yesterday afternoon, especially since it has been snowing in the Sierras.

Thanks Bob.

The wife dropped the digital camera and the lens popped off, hope cell phone pics will suffice!


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## mdocod (Feb 11, 2009)

StrikerDown said:


> The wife dropped the digital camera and the lens popped off, hope cell phone pics will suffice!



You're going to have to buy a new camera for us... there will be no disgracing machinery with "cell phone" pictures 

Congratulations!

Eric


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## StrikerDown (Feb 11, 2009)

Camera... Tools... Camera... Tools... Camera... Tools... :thinking:

Let's see... :nana:


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## StrikerDown (Feb 19, 2009)

OK, Got the new camera just in time for a 1-3 PM delivery tomorrow!

Tools! Got a big box full to get started with, just need to find a Rotary table? 

Oh, and a book on how to run a mill! 

Already have at least 3 projects lined up for the new toy!


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## LLCoolBeans (Feb 19, 2009)

What was the freight charge, if you don't mind me asking?


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## StrikerDown (Feb 19, 2009)

$298.00 Atlanta(I think, GA for sure) to No CA. Just about a week.


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## Mirage_Man (Feb 23, 2009)

So did it get delivered??


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## StrikerDown (Feb 23, 2009)

Mirage_Man said:


> So did it get delivered??


 

Arrived Friday. Took pics can't figure out what I am doing wrong. 

Downloaded pics to imageshack, Copied url clicked, on insert image in CPF, pasted url and nada?

See practice posting forum: Pic test-Mill. 

Need to find some box tubing to make a base (sound familiar). Then arrange transport home from the shop. If not done by Friday it will be at least a week longer... going to Maui!

Maybe I should try photo bucket.


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## DonShock (Feb 23, 2009)

StrikerDown said:


> Arrived Friday. Took pics can't figure out what I am doing wrong.
> 
> Downloaded pics to imageshack, Copied url clicked, on insert image in CPF, pasted url and nada?.....


1. Highlight thumbnail in Imageshack album, it should highlight with orange border (can select more than one photo)
2. Click "Get code for forums", should get popup with code. The code should be something like:
{URL=http://img000.imageshack.us/my.php?image=9999999.jpg}{IMG}
http://img000.imageshack.us/img000/5555/9999999.th.jpg{/IMG}{/URL}
(except brackets will be [ ] instead of { } ones shown)
3. Select code and copy.
4. Close popup box.
5. Paste copied code into post.
6. Photo should show when post is previewed or submitted.


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## StrikerDown (Feb 23, 2009)

Thanks Don, I was off testing and think I have it, Lets see!

The truck Arrived Friday afternoon... when they said they would! That's always nice!
had it sent to my shop where I have a fork lift available and room to get it situated.







Hey, it worked, I'll do more.


UPS arrived days ago:








The neighbors Fork!






In my shop at work.









Didn't know it came with this, now I have 2!






Unwrapped






Cleaned up






The stand is together, M_M is right It needs more altitude! even if just a few inches plus it's not so sturdy to be putting leveling feet under without a more solid base.






What is this thing?


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## StrikerDown (Feb 23, 2009)

The mill came pre-wired 115V. The data plate says 115 V, 22 amps. The plug though is a standard 115 volt, 15 amp configuration!

Plugged it in at work, commercial here is 20 amp on all 115v circuits, it runs fine.

I think I will see how it does when I get it home where the 115v circuits are all 15 amp! If it can handle it under cutting load that would be great. If not and I have to run a circuit I think I will just rewire it for 220.

Woo Hoo!


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## 65535 (Feb 23, 2009)

Nice looking machine, I would not be upset with extra clamp parts you can never have enough. Especially on CNC when you goof on the G code or don't watch your tool path close enough.

Also before you try raising the mill table, don't forget you need to access the top to adjust Z and use it as a press. Not just the X and Y handles.


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## precisionworks (Feb 23, 2009)

> The data plate says 115 V, 22 amps.


The amps on the nameplate are FLA (full load amps) which the motor will draw with a large twist drill, a big tap, or a heavy face milling cut.

Rewiring for the higher voltage is much better for your motor, as typical inrush current is 6x FLA. That means the 120v inrush is 132a, and the 240v inrush is only 66a. Also, the 240v FLA while milling or drilling will be just 11a, which heats the motor half as much. The primary cause of motor failure is overheated insulation, and the magnet wire in a motor has an insulation thickness of as little as .00099" :shakehead


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## StrikerDown (Feb 23, 2009)

precisionworks said:


> The amps on the nameplate are FLA (full load amps) which the motor will draw with a large twist drill, a big tap, or a heavy face milling cut.
> 
> Rewiring for the higher voltage is much better for your motor, as typical inrush current is 6x FLA. That means the 120v inrush is 132a, and the 240v inrush is only 66a. Also, the 240v FLA while milling or drilling will be just 11a, which heats the motor half as much. The primary cause of motor failure is overheated insulation, and the magnet wire in a motor has an insulation thickness of as little as .00099" :shakehead




Roger that Barry. In a former life I worked depot level maintenance on ground and aircraft linear actuators (electro mechanical boxes that move trim tabs, canopies, etc). After overhaul we tested the operating parameters to insure they would work correctly on the aircraft (fancy that). One of the tests was checking the stall load current or the current draw with the motor at zero RPM, like when you first turn it on or when the silly pilot runs the canopy up on roll out while the aircraft going 150 Plus. The excessive aid load can actually stall the device, and pop the circuit breaker and temporally trap said silly pilot! Unless he wants to eject at ground level, an even sillier trick! 

So I will probably will Run a 220 circuit and rewire the motor since it has that capability, I was just thinking lazy!

Conventional wisdom says you are right about 220v being easier on the motor, but I'm not sure exactly why. 

Volt times amps = watts. watts = power. By doubling the voltage you can accomplish the same amount of power with smaller wiring since the amperage is half. :thinking: 

Maybe that is it, the wire size in the motor remains consistent and is capable of the worst case (110v) so at 220v it has fewer amps running through it. Could this be why? :huh:


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## StrikerDown (Feb 23, 2009)

65535 said:


> Nice looking machine, I would not be upset with extra clamp parts you can never have enough. Especially on CNC when you goof on the G code or don't watch your tool path close enough.
> 
> Also before you try raising the mill table, don't forget you need to access the top to adjust Z and use it as a press. Not just the X and Y handles.



65535,

Thanks, I have to admit I'm excited!

You can never have too many tools, unless you are swimming in deep water! 

Can you tell me what this means: "don't forget you need to access the top to adjust Z and use it as a press" ?


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## 65535 (Feb 23, 2009)

Well if you use the mill as a drill press you need to access the 3 armed rack/pinion drive, and for milling you need to acess the z axis feed screw (I think that's what the little handle is). I just wouldn't ever want to have to reach uncomfortably high to adjust things on a mill or drill press, especially if it's running.


Just food for thought.


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## Mirage_Man (Feb 23, 2009)

65535 said:


> Well if you use the mill as a drill press you need to access the 3 armed rack/pinion drive, and for milling you need to acess the z axis feed screw (I think that's what the little handle is). I just wouldn't ever want to have to reach uncomfortably high to adjust things on a mill or drill press, especially if it's running.
> 
> 
> Just food for thought.



I raised my machine a total of 8" and could use a couple more to make it more comfortable. There are no issues for me at the current height.


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## precisionworks (Feb 23, 2009)

> so at 220v it has fewer amps running through it. Could this be why?


I'm not sure, but believe it's probably due to voltage sag on the 120v circuit. Most are wired with #12 AWG wire, with an ampacity of 15 amps per the National Electrical code. When a 1.5 hp or 2.0 hp single phase motor is started on 120v, there's a huge current draw that causes a voltage sag (the lights dim). When that same size motor is started on 240v, half the current is drawn and the lights don't dim.


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## DonShock (Feb 24, 2009)

StrikerDown said:


> .......Volt times amps = watts. watts = power. By doubling the voltage you can accomplish the same amount of power with smaller wiring since the amperage is half. :thinking:
> 
> Maybe that is it, the wire size in the motor remains consistent and is capable of the worst case (110v) so at 220v it has fewer amps running through it. Could this be why? :huh:


That's part of the equation. Heat is the killer of motors. You have the first part right, since the voltage is doubled the the current is halved. With only half the current running through the motor windings, you cut the heat losses by a facrtor of four. The heating is caused by the resistance of the motor windings themselves. The power formula to be concerned with for the heating situation is not the voltage times current one already mentioned, but a different way of saying the same thing. For heating discussions, power being equal to the current *squared* times the resistance. Since current is squared, twice the current in a 110V wired motor will produce four times the heat of the same motor wired for 220V (theoretrically speaking of course). That additional heat will speed up the degradation of things like the varnish coating or insulation on the wires in the motor. Once you have a weak spot in the insulation, you can form a full or partial short --> more current --> more heat --> more damage ............. continued worsening untgil failure.


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## StrikerDown (Feb 24, 2009)

Hey for once I'm not all wet... only half!


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## StrikerDown (Feb 24, 2009)

Mirage_Man said:


> I raised my machine a total of 8" and could use a couple more to make it more comfortable. There are no issues for me at the current height.



I don't know how high to make it (newbie) but I thought a 2 x 4 box frame would be good to tie the bottom together and sturdy it for leveling feet. I'm not too concerned about reaching too high while it's running I am 6'2" and it won't be running when I'm changing the belts 

The stand that comes with this machine is just a tad on the flimsy side, I think it would put considerable stress on the bottom of it if leveling feet were put directly on the outside corners of the stand. Put 600 lbs on top and the bottom looks like it would splay apart pretty easily.


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## precisionworks (Feb 24, 2009)

> Put 600 lbs on top and the bottom looks like it would splay apart pretty easily.



The stand, as it arrives, is wimpy. I'd be hesitant to put it on top of a 2x4 frame, unless that frame has mortise & tenon joints, or another strong joint design.

Most local welding & fab shops can add steel angle to the stand, at a price that won't break the bank. Print out the photos of Brian's stand to give them an idea of what you want.


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## StrikerDown (Feb 24, 2009)

Barry,

What I mean by a 2 X 4 Box is "steel box tubing" Similar to what Mirage_Man used. I am planing on welding it in a square with the front and back plane of the box extending out past the square about 1.5 - 2" to bolt on the leveling feet.

If I were to consider wood it be at least 4 X 6" bolted with long lag screws holding the square frame together or such. I am not a wood worker so steel is easier for me to wrap my head around plus it a good excuse to put the mig to work. 

Ray


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## precisionworks (Feb 24, 2009)

> 2 X 4 Box is "steel box tubing"



Duh ... my bad

That's a good idea to extend the legs for levelers. My lathe is set up that way. They are extended a little too far forward, and I tripped over them a couple of times before getting used to the extensions.


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## StrikerDown (Feb 24, 2009)

Hehehe!

Took off work a little early and found some 4 X 2" box. I knew metals had gone up a lot lately but I haven't bought any steel for about 15-16 years Talk about sticker shock! 

Draged out the Chop saw and the miller also haven't used them for 6 0r 7 years... they still work, but the Co2 was down to 500lbs.

Here is what I have so far:










It's been a while since my last welding project but it didn't turn out too bad.






Drilled and tapped the holes on the top side to bolt it to the bottom of the stand and holes for the levelers on the bottom. Now to find the time for a quick sand blast, primer and paint and it is ready for the load test mill).


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## Mirage_Man (Feb 25, 2009)

Looks good man. I too was surprised at the material cost. I spent about $150 on the materials for my stand upgrade. I still have the two 24" long 4"x4" square tubing I had planned to use on the top of the stand but didn't. I have no idea what I'm gonna do with those.


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## StrikerDown (Feb 25, 2009)

Thanks M M,

It's crazy the our leveling bases cost more than the stand in your case and almost as much in mine. At least our home built parts will be sturdy! :twothumbs

Is Chris's mill like ours with the metal hand wheels? Ours had metal H Wheels in the advertising photos, I like them better. 
http://public.fotki.com/cmacclel/shop-2/

Oh well, might just have to take one off and and replace it with a power drive! Some day:naughty:


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## Mirage_Man (Feb 25, 2009)

StrikerDown said:


> Thanks M M,
> 
> It's crazy the our leveling bases cost more than the stand in your case and almost as much in mine. At least our home built parts will be sturdy! :twothumbs
> 
> ...



Chris's is an MSC branded RF31 so they probably spec'd metal hand wheels. I if I ever change mine it might be to turn it into a CNC machine :naughty:.


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## precisionworks (Feb 25, 2009)

> I too was surprised at the material cost.


If you can find a local shop that orders steel on a regular basis, they may let you combine your order with theirs. Delivery is free, as long as the combined order is over $500, but you do have to buy in full stick lengths - 20' and 24' are the most common for steel, although aluminum sticks are 12'. That means you have to bring a long trailer or a way to cut the sticks to pickup bed length.

Both the shops I order through will also sell cut to length pieces, which is nice if you need only 6' of 2x4 hot rolled flat stock. If 20' had to be purchased, the other 14' could sit here for a long time

One of the two shops buys quite a lot of steel per year, as in millions of dollars worth. Their prices are as low as I can find. If you can ever start doing work for a shop like this, you may be able to tap into their purchasing power. The jobs I do for them, which can be done on any mill-drill, is simple (and boring) drill and tap work, usually a few hundred of some size per month. Not as much fun as modding a light, but it pays the bills & opens the door for more interesting work.


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## StrikerDown (Feb 26, 2009)

precisionworks said:


> One of the two shops buys quite a lot of steel per year, as in millions of dollars worth. Their prices are as low as I can find. If you can ever start doing work for a shop like this, you may be able to tap into their purchasing power. The jobs I do for them, which can be done on any mill-drill, is simple (and boring) drill and tap work, usually a few hundred of some size per month. Not as much fun as modding a light, but it pays the bills & opens the door for more interesting work.


 
Doing work for a shop opens the door, often quite wide! 

Buying 10 feet got a dollar per foot discount over less than 10', This place charges $1.00 per cut since I was in the Toy Matrix I had it cut to 2, 5 footers. Then he didn't charge for the cuts! OK by me. 

Any way, The stand is finished. Waiting for dry weather to bring the cast iron home frome the shop.

Primer last night, one coat of paint this morning before work and a second tonight, installed the feet and bolted it together. What a change it makes to the stand! It is rock solid now! And easy to level.


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## SafetyBob (Feb 26, 2009)

I am so glad you are giving my such a good example to go by!!!!

Sounds like you are VERY close to cuttin' some metal......

Bob E.


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## StrikerDown (Feb 26, 2009)

Bob,

I hope to get it set up this Saturday... Just in time to leave town for Maui! Dang, maybe I should cancel! 

I have been running into projects to make since I ordered this thing! I can't wait to get started.


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## Mirage_Man (Feb 26, 2009)

StrikerDown said:


>



That looks vaguely familiar . Good job!


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## precisionworks (Feb 26, 2009)

> That looks vaguely familiar . Good job!


+1

Very well done. Did you bolt the new base to the stand, or will you weld it like Brian & I did?

Before you mount the mill on top, figure out what the table height is going to be. My machine has 4" of lift at the top (same as you have on the base) and about 3" more at the bottom. That's the correct height for me, but YMMV depending on your preferences. If it ends up too low, you'll have to bend over for every set up, & your lower back will remind you that it isn't happy.


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## StrikerDown (Feb 26, 2009)

Brian (M_M?) & Barry,

Thank you.

They do look like close relatives! Except the bike in my picture, under the brown sheet, has a HD logo. Now to sell it and get the lathe! So many things popping into my head to build or modify, many/most will require a lathe too... but the mill sale price was too good to pass on!:devil:

The stand is bolted to the base through the provided holes at each corner. I wanted to be able to add altitude if I was constantly flying too low for comfort! 

I'm not sure what the best height is for me at 6'2", but hope to be finding out soon!

Ray


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## StrikerDown (Feb 27, 2009)

*Almost ready to make chips!*

There was a little blue sky today, Grabbed the trailer, loaded up the mill and cherry picker and home it came... I am determined to make chips before I leave for vacation!







Almost there, Rewire for 220, Run conduit and circuit, make chips, hold the salsa!


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## cmacclel (Feb 27, 2009)

*Re: Almost ready to make chips!*



StrikerDown said:


> There was a little blue sky today, Grabbed the trailer, loaded up the mill and cherry picker and home it came... I am determined to make chips before I leave for vacation!
> 
> 
> 
> Almost there, Rewire for 220, Run conduit and circuit, make chips, hold the salsa!


 
Looking good. Mine is wired for 110v and I see no dimming of the lights. I was going to rewire mine but am to lazy plus the 220v outlet is 3 feet away and at eye level which is where my old Grizzly 12 x 36 was. 

I used mine for a few hours today the spindle got nice and toasty  I also had to replace the pinch bolts for the head as one of the nuts galled hardcore. I needed a 3 foot breaker bar to get the nut off. Lowes had some 5/8-11 x 6" that worked fine though the damn heads are smaller. The bolts that where removed where 5/8-11 also but that overseas stuff comes in oddball sizes.

Mac


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## StrikerDown (Feb 27, 2009)

*Re: Almost ready to make chips!*



cmacclel said:


> I used mine for a few hours today the spindle got nice and toasty  I also had to replace the pinch bolts for the head as one of the nuts galled hardcore. I needed a 3 foot breaker bar to get the nut off. Lowes had some 5/8-11 x 6" that worked fine though the damn heads are smaller. The bolts that where removed where 5/8-11 also but that overseas stuff comes in oddball sizes.
> 
> Mac


 
Ouch! Sounds like a little anti sieze compound might be a good idea. Thanks for posting that.

BTW your shop looks fantastic :twothumbs


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## StrikerDown (Mar 1, 2009)

Will mentioned in his new lathe thread how the machinist level he used to level his lathe is so sensitive. I know it's not as critical as the lathe but I decided to level the mill table and I'm here to tell you it is super sensitive. 1/4" movement of the 10” long wrench handle moves the bubble a whole digit then start leveling the front to back and the side to side goes way out! It’s back and forth over and over and over... But it is level now, until it gets moved and I feel better! 

I had an aluminum bar and decided to turn it into chips… This thing cuts big hunks out like butter. As soon as I get home from vacation I’m off to the metal surplus store to get some more practice scraps then on with the projects.

I found out something interesting. Did you know the bolt that holds the face mill cutter on to the R8 needs to be tight? I made a short cut and the tool kept going deeper into the piece… huh? It got close to the vice but didn’t touch it! 

Reminder to self: check the hardware!


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## 65535 (Mar 2, 2009)

Man, ALWAYS make sure EVERYTHING is TIGHT. There is nothing more dangerous in a machine shop/home shop than loose pieces on machinery. Loose parts being machined can fly out and kill, injure, or destroy whatever they hit. Tooling will usually reach higher speeds and tear right through anything soft.

Lathes are especially dangerous more times than not the piece moving at a high rate is relatively large and contains incredible amounts of energy when mobile.

Keep safe, but enjoy the machine. Nothing quite like a mill popping aluminum flakes from the cutter's face.


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## StrikerDown (Mar 2, 2009)

This was my first cut ever with a milling type of machine, other than using a drill press for what it isn't designed. But I did recognize something was amis when the cutter kept getting closer to the vise!  I have stories about thing flying, you are correct-dangerous.

Speaking of tight. How tight should the draw bar be and does the spindle need to be held or locked to get it tight enough?

Mirage_Man, 

Did your mill come with a wrench for the draw bar? 

I had to dig out a metric from the cobwebs to go to work!


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## Mirage_Man (Mar 2, 2009)

StrikerDown said:


> Mirage_Man,
> 
> Did your mill come with a wrench for the draw bar?
> 
> I had to dig out a metric from the cobwebs to go to work!



No wrench that I found. I'm using socket wrench for the time being. As to how tight to tighten it? What I do is hold on to the belt when tightening til it's nice and snug.


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## StrikerDown (Mar 2, 2009)

Mirage_Man said:


> No wrench that I found. I'm using socket wrench for the time being. As to how tight to tighten it? What I do is hold on to the belt when tightening til it's nice and snug.



That's what I did with a 6 pt socket seemed to hold good but I was just chewing Aluminum. It loosened back up with a strike or two with the heel of the hand. Then a dead blow rubber mallet to tap the R8 loose. (with threads still engaged of course)!

I gotta run for the airport! Supposed to start raining in Maui tomorrow! :nana:

Thanks,

Ray


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## precisionworks (Mar 2, 2009)

> How tight should the draw bar be


Pretty snug, but not gorilla tight

One thing I miss from running a Bridgeport is the spindle brake/spindle lock (it serves both functions). One of you new mill owners need to design that so the rest of us can make one for our machines.

The neatest way to tighten/loosen is a power drawbar:






If it looks like an air operated impact wrench, that's because it is

There are plans on the web:






The plans are $15 online, but the picture is pretty clear.


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## mdocod (Mar 4, 2009)

Seems that if you have to "tap" the top of the draw-bar to break the collet free, then it was tight enough. If it's dropping down as soon as you loosen it, then that's not tight enough. 

I've found that I can achieve plenty of tightness on my collets by holding the spindle by hand, and tightening with the tool. This is all I do when cutting plastics, for harder stuff I will always make a point to use the tool on both ends to bear down on it a bit more.


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## wquiles (Mar 4, 2009)

mdocod said:


> Seems that if you have to "tap" the top of the draw-bar to break the collet free, then it was tight enough. If it's dropping down as soon as you loosen it, then that's not tight enough.


That is exactly how I tighten mine - so far I have never got them loose 

Will


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## StrikerDown (Mar 12, 2009)

Back at the mill now and I am trying to figure this beast out.

So far all my damage has been turning scrap metal into chips until I get the confidence to put a real Flash body into the machine. But this has brought up some newbie questions.

First, for the guys that have the RF 31 mill, the face mill that came with the mill has four carbide tipped cutters that resemble lathe tooling mounted with the cutters facing downward toward the work piece. The question is how do you adjust the individual cutters depth correctly? I rotated the mill over vice and brought the lowest cutter down just touching a shim on the vise then rotated to the next and repeated for all 4, is there a better way.

Second, For milling a long work piece clamped in the vice what is the best/easiest/fastest way to get it square with the table? I noticed the scrap I had in the tilting vice was not straight with the axis of the mill so the 45 deg angle I milled on the corner was slightly crooked. I used an edge finder to try to get it straight but it wasn't very accurate. Clamp, check, loosen, move, clamp, check again, clamp, check, loosen, move, clamp, check again, etc etc.

Third, I milled a few flutes into some aluminum and the results were mixed. With the 1/2" ball end mill they came out nice but the 3/16" were rather chattery looking and then the ball end mill started having alum built up on the edge (BUE). I'm not sure if this is a speed/feed issue or lack of coolant (that I don't have)

The good news is that my copy of Machinery's handbook arrived today and I can start studying it. Hopefully answering some of the dumb questions!


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## precisionworks (Mar 12, 2009)

> how do you adjust the individual cutters depth


There is no adjustment, so you want to seat each one as fully as possible & tighten the lock screw.



> long work piece clamped in the vice what is the best/easiest/fastest way to get it square with the table?


Parallels are used to level the work to the table, if the work is horizontal. Vertical work can be squared from either the bed of the vise, or from the table.



> 3/16" were rather chattery looking


There are aluminum specific profiles for end mills, and they work many times better than anything else. Emuge Alu-Jet-Cut is one. This article discusses the different geometries & coatings needed for aluminum:

http://www.moldmakingtechnology.com/articles/030702.html

You'll need to run fast, no matter what the tool. Aluminum speeds range from 1000 sfpm up to 5000 sfpm.


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## StrikerDown (Mar 12, 2009)

precisionworks said:


> There is no adjustment, so you want to seat each one as fully as possible & tighten the lock screw.



I will look more closely. Not knowing the mill came with this face mill I bought one that uses carb inserts and they have a definite pocket for the inserts to clamp into.



precisionworks said:


> Parallels are used to level the work to the table, if the work is horizontal. Vertical work can be squared from either the bed of the vise, or from the table.



I worded the question poorly. I used a parallel to square up to the vise bottom and hopefully the table surface. I'm wondering how to get the work parallel to the axis of the mill so the cut is parallel to the work piece. 

I lightly clamped one corner of the vise and tried to adjust the other end to the first by tapping it back and forth and running the table back and forth with the edge finder running on the edge of the work. Lots of wheel turning back and forth, I need a power feed or a better technique to true it up![/quote]



precisionworks said:


> There are aluminum specific profiles for end mills, and they work many times better than anything else. Emuge Alu-Jet-Cut is one. This article discusses the different geometries & coatings needed for aluminum:
> 
> http://www.moldmakingtechnology.com/...es/030702.html
> 
> You'll need to run fast, no matter what the tool. Aluminum speeds range from 1000 sfpm up to 5000 sfpm.



These are cheapo HSS ball end mills, Probably a waste of money. I will check into the ones you mentioned and get into the handbook for figuring the correct speeds!

Thank you Barry.

Ray


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## cmacclel (Mar 12, 2009)

You need to put a indicator in the spindle to tram the vise in. Coolant or a little oil on an acid brush will keep the endmill from loading up.

Mac


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## precisionworks (Mar 12, 2009)

> I'm wondering how to get the work parallel to the axis of the mill


 I misunderstood the question.

Whenever a vise is mounted on the mill table, the back jaw (stationary jaw) must be 'indicated in'. Where I worked, if the job was non critical, we'd mount the vise without indicating ... but we had to mark on top of the vise NOT INDICATED. This told the next user that he or she needed to indicate the vise before a precision job.

To indicate the back jaw, clamp an Indicol holder to the end of the quill. Mount a .0005" dial test indicator (DTI) & bring the indicator tip down until it just touches the back jaw. Both vise bolts should be no more than hand tight at this point. With the tip of the DTI touching one end of the vise jaw, set the DTI to midpoint ... this is done by moving the handwheel one way or the other. Crank the table feed so the tip of the DTI sweeps all the way across the jaw & ends up at the other end ... the difference between the first & second readings indicates how far out the vise is.

A copper hammer is handy at this point, since you want to move one end of a 70# vise just a few thousandths. Gently whack the vise until the DTI needle is again close to midscale - no need to be really precise, because hitting one end of the vise also moves the other end a little bit. Use a wrench to snug down the end you just 'adjusted'. Rezero the DTI at midscale & crank the table back the other way, noting the difference, and whack the other side of the vise to bring the DTI close to perfect midscale. Tighten down the second bolt really snug.

Rezero the DTI & repeat, until both ends of the jaw are under .0010" TIR. After you practice this a few times, you'll be able to indicate your vise in well under five minutes.


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## StrikerDown (Mar 12, 2009)

Great, thanks guys.


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## 65535 (Mar 13, 2009)

I love tramming vices. Hitting a $800 vice mounted to a $10,000 CNC mill with a large mallet is funny as hell.


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## precisionworks (Mar 13, 2009)

> Hitting a $800 vice mounted to a $10,000 CNC mill with a large mallet is funny as hell.


+1

It is ironic that we use an indicator that reads to half a thousandth, and need a 5# copper hammer to dial in the vise

The big copper hammer (BFH), is the most used set up tool in a large job shop. We would often set up a large solid round (6" diameter or larger) in the 4-jaw. Get the chuck close by adjusting opposite jaws, then move to the far end of the stock and use the BFH to tap the piece to center. Final tighten the 4-jaw while checking the indicator, recheck the far end & tap a bit more if needed, then center drill the end. The 4-jaw chuck on the 24" lathe had a death grip, and it took a big swing to move the part just a thousandth or two.

The headstock bearings didn't seem to mind this, but the lathe weighed over 20,000#.


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## StrikerDown (Mar 13, 2009)

Haha, It kind of reminds you of a Flintstones cartoon... 
With precision indicators!


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## KC2IXE (Mar 14, 2009)

65535 said:


> I love tramming vices. Hitting a $800 vice mounted to a $10,000 CNC mill with a large mallet is funny as hell.



For some reason, this actually made me laugh. I got VERY sick at the beginning of the year, and actually made it down to the shop tonight for the first time since around November. I realized I had NOT cleaned the mill off, so I decided to do a GOOD cleaning - pulled the vicem cleaned the tee slots, wiped down the table with some solvent (I've got some good old chlorinated solvent, that leaves an oil film) WAXED the table (Believe it or not, paste wax is a great anti rust), dusted the machine, cleaned out my tool box, put things back where they belong, and started (started) cleaning off my workbench

I left the vice lose and askew so that it would be obvious it's not in tram when I come down next time (I hope tomorrow, I have some paying work to do in the lathe, and the customer has been more than patient while I've been sick)


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## 65535 (Mar 16, 2009)

It's sad, when I was on the robotics team at my highschool we had access to a 3 car garage size shop owned by the parent (and his company) of an alumni that was on the team, anyways it was a decently well stocked garage that had a large toolroom manual lathe and a large CNC mill. At the end of the season it was time to clean the shop, well I wasn't around for the cleaning, but anyways they decided muratic acid (HCl in rather high concenctration was the best choice for cleaning all the metal. It works great on tooling to help clean off aluminum which was the most used metal, but when the decided to clean the entire mill bed with it, they never put any lubricant of protective coating over the bare steel. (I'm not sure they properly nutralized the acid.) Anyways I did happen to come back one day, and the entire mill bed was pretty much ruined. I don't quite remember what happened when the owner found out, recently he donated he mill to the school, but they have no where to put it.

It was a full size CNC knee mill. It was very sad. And quite maddening actually.


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## StrikerDown (Mar 19, 2009)

More new Toys arrived today. 
8" Phase II Kit with tail stock and dividing plates
Picked up from Enco's Hot deals catalog with the 15% off recently offered.










This set up is huge. With the tail stock and RT on the mill table there is not a lot of room between the two. The RT in the horizontal position it is about right.


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## wquiles (Mar 19, 2009)

StrikerDown said:


> More new Toys arrived today.
> 8" Phase II Kit with tail stock and dividing plates
> Picked up from Enco's Hot deals catalog with the 15% off recently offered.
> 
> ...



Congrats on the new toys!

Is it incredible how HEAVY these RT's are? And it will be even more heavy once you put a 6" chuck on it. I am glad I followed Barry's advice and stayed with the 8" RT I got and not the 10" RT :devil:

Still, I will have to get ready for a workout since the Kurt Vise that I ordered on special from Enco (plus with free shipping) is 78 pounds !!!

Will


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## Mirage_Man (Mar 19, 2009)

StrikerDown said:


> More new Toys arrived today.
> 8" Phase II Kit with tail stock and dividing plates
> Picked up from Enco's Hot deals catalog with the 15% off recently offered.
> 
> ...



 I so want one of those or a super spacer. What do you plan to do with it?


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## StrikerDown (Mar 19, 2009)

wquiles said:


> Congrats on the new toys!
> 
> Is it incredible how HEAVY these RT's are? And it will be even more heavy once you put a 6" chuck on it. I am glad I followed Barry's advice and stayed with the 8" RT I got and not the 10" RT :devil:
> 
> ...



Will,
I started out this morning looking at your post on your new toys and almost said the same thing as you! These thing are quite substantial! Congrats on your new toys, Great finds!



Mirage_Man said:


> I so want one of those or a super spacer. What do you plan to do with it?



Lets see, the first thing I plan on is the hardest... Learning how to use it!

I need to find some T nuts/hardware and figure out to hold various types of work on it. I think I may make an auxiliary table for it like barry has talked about, it will be a good learning experience and will provide room for error until I learn how to keep from milling/drilling into the table!

When I get this thing (the mill too) figured out I have several flashlights I want to decorate with simple flutes or just change a little. Then there are a few things for work that I would like to make, A handle to replace a cracked plastic version on one machine, Create a new enclosure for a small punch that requires machining some odd holes for certain parts. And if I get real ambitious I might see if I can figure out how to make gears for a machine with worn ones starting with the less critical parts!

Then, I have a 1911 Pistol I want to customize the slide on when I can figure out how to clamp it without crushing it!


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## precisionworks (Mar 19, 2009)

You can make a slide spacer jig, & I'd guess a couple of hours time would be involved. They are available from Brownells, stock # 080-035-002

http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/store/productdetail.aspx?p=929&st=&s=3445


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## StrikerDown (Mar 19, 2009)

Barry,
That fixture looks great But I think it could be a problem with where I want to machine the slide. See:

http://www.harrisoncustom.com/Home.aspx The pictures on this main page rotate so you might look in the Gallery. (caution: don't drool on keyboard) 

Notice the chamfer on the bottom edges of the slides on most of Harrison's work. The Yavapai attaches at the bottom of the slide. I would have to machine into it to make the chamfer. I wonder if a snug insert inside the slide would allow clamping tight enough without crushing anything.

The Yavapai would be very handy to machine the Sight dovetail and lowering the ejection port.


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## precisionworks (Mar 19, 2009)

> Notice the chamfer on the bottom edges of the slides


If I were doing that type of chamfer, it would be ground on the surface grinder, using a 45° magnetic V-block. I'd almost bet that's the way Harrison does it, as grinding introduces no impact forces, and leaves a dead smooth, perfectly flat surface. Wouldn't take long either, as there is almost no set up time involved.


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## StrikerDown (Mar 19, 2009)

precisionworks said:


> If I were doing that type of chamfer, it would be ground on the surface grinder, using a 45° magnetic V-block. I'd almost bet that's the way Harrison does it, as grinding introduces no impact forces, and leaves a dead smooth, perfectly flat surface. Wouldn't take long either, as there is almost no set up time involved.


 
That could be how he does it. How is the grind interrupted to leave the extra material (boss) at the engagement (back) side of the slide lock notch? Like in the pictures top row of the gallery, left side of the pistols. The profile of the bevel seems to flare out forming the rear end of the boss like the side of a round cutting tool.


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## precisionworks (Mar 20, 2009)

> like the side of a round cutting tool.


My guess is that a wheel is chosen with a diameter corresponding to the radius, or flare, needed.


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## StrikerDown (Apr 2, 2009)

*Oops- Too tight*






After all the discussion about how tight! I have been tightening the draw bar with a 3/8" ratchet and holding the center pulley by hand. To loosen the R-8's it only has needed to be loosened a few turns and a light tap on the draw bar with a mallet to shake loose.

Seems the draw bar has a shear pin in one half of the nut that pulled straight up and off the shaft of the draw bar! (it didn't spin, just sheared and pulled straight off) 

Edit:

I drilled broken pin out (it only pins half of the shaft to the nut) and pressed in a slightly larger roll pin that goes all the way through the shaft and nut.

Note to RF 31 users, the pin shears off fairly easily and yours might go away just when you are in a rush to get a job done. A back up draw bar might be a good idea to have.


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## Mirage_Man (Apr 4, 2009)

Barry mentioned an Indicol holder in a post above. A machinist buddy of mine also recommended one to me. Enco has them on sale right now for like $39.99. I got mine the other day and all I can say is I don't know how one would do without one. :thumbsup:

Here's mine.


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## wquiles (Apr 4, 2009)

Awesome Brian!

What is the Enco part #? I need to get one to tramm my mill 

Will

PS. Did you made a decision on the DRO for your mill? Have you heard back from Matt?


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## gadget_lover (Apr 4, 2009)

wquiles said:


> Awesome Brian!
> 
> What is the Enco part #? I need to get one to tramm my mill
> 
> Will



This knockoff fits on your/my mill for under $10

http://www.shars.com/products/view/1412/Test_Indicator_Holder

And this "zero set" can be used in much the same way. It fits in the collet.

http://www.shars.com/products/view/7544/Zero_Set_Universal_Attachment


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## precisionworks (Apr 4, 2009)

> This knockoff fits on your/my mill for under $10


Being cheap, that was the first one I bought. Never could get it to hold adjustment ... bought an Indicol after my boss let me try his.

I added the Adjustol rod, which is a nice time saver:

http://www.jtmorderonline.com/servlet/Detail?no=118


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## Mirage_Man (Apr 4, 2009)

wquiles said:


> Awesome Brian!
> 
> What is the Enco part #? I need to get one to tramm my mill
> 
> ...



My buddy told not to get the knock off. He said it was a POS.

Here's the Indicol. Looks like it's not on sale anymore though. Part#891-5414

http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PARTPG=INLMKD&PMPXNO=3905141&PMAKA=891-5414

As far as the DRO? Yeah, I'm waiting for the shipment to come in.Gonna go with the Easson.


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## StrikerDown (Apr 4, 2009)

Brian,

Looks like you removed the depth stop? Is it not needed?

If it is not needed I will get mine out of the way also, the indicol just barely fits on the spindle, it hangs off the bottom about half way so the adj thumb screw will clear the depth stop adj.

Humm, I wonder if a Z axis DRO would mount in there?

Have you trammed your RF-31 yet? 

Do you know if the base is threaded for the column bolts to screw into or are there nuts down below?


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## Mirage_Man (Apr 4, 2009)

StrikerDown said:


> Brian,
> 
> Looks like you removed the depth stop? Is it not needed?
> 
> ...



I took the depth stop off because it was in the way of the Indicol.

I plan to mount a DRO there anyway.

Tramming is not in the cards for this machine. If you loosen and then re-tighten the bolts that hold the head to the column the reading you get will change. I figured it's close enough for what I'm doing. The only way to adjust the tram on this machine would be to shim between the base and the column anyway.


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## StrikerDown (Apr 4, 2009)

Just pulled the depth stop, now my indicol will go on correctly. :twothumbs

I thought so, It seems that a DRO Would be nicer to have that the depts stop.

You using a 3 axis? 

Going to check the tram right now. I face milled some Alum for a slide fixture I trying to make and it shows cutter marks but zero following marks. It must be out pretty far.

For most things it is probably okay but for this fixture I want it square.

Ray


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## StrikerDown (Apr 4, 2009)

Not happy!:thumbsdow

Front to back tram:

Rear





Front





Left to right:

Left



Right





Is that .004 high in front and .010 high on the right?

Interapid gauge is strange, when the big dial turst clock wise the little dial goes ccw and vise versa is this correct?


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## Mirage_Man (Apr 4, 2009)

StrikerDown said:


> Not happy!:thumbsdow
> 
> Front to back tram:
> 
> ...



How big of an arc are you swinging left to right? Are both the bolts that hold the head to the column tight and to the same torque?


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## StrikerDown (Apr 4, 2009)

Roughly 10". 5 each side of center. Both pinch bolts are tight. Torque? didn't think of that. now I need a torque wrench! I pulled the wrench about the same... not a calibrated arm doing the pulling though!


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## precisionworks (Apr 4, 2009)

> The only way to adjust the tram on this machine would be to shim between the base and the column anyway.


That's the way it's done on any mill-drill. On Ray's machine, the total front-back error is .004", so start with a pair of .002" shims and see how close to zero that makes it. Same with the side-side error. You have to play with it, but it isn't difficult - shouldn't take much over an hour to dial it in.

FWIW, my mill was out at least that much, but mostly side-side. There are no shims on the right side of the column, just on the left:








> Tramming is not in the cards for this machine.


There is probably one mill-drill in every hundred that's dead nuts square when it arrives in the dock. For the others, if left out of square, facing cuts will be rougher some directions than others. And every hole that's drilled or bored will not be concentric with the reference surfaces.


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## precisionworks (Apr 4, 2009)

> Interapid gauge is strange, when the big dial turns clock wise the little dial goes ccw and vise versa is this correct?


NO WAY. Yours is messed up. Since I'm a nice guy, I'll PayPal $20 & take it off your hands

Couldn't resist that ... you'll get used to the Interapid in a short time. It is the absolute Cadillac of DTI's, and will never lie to you. The Brown & Sharpe BesTest stays clamped on the Noga base, but the Interapid sleeps in the little red box


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## StrikerDown (Apr 4, 2009)

precisionworks said:


> NO WAY. Yours is messed up. Since I'm a nice guy, I'll PayPal $20 & take it off your hands


 
So it must be messed up... it's only worth $20! Glad I only paid $15

Thanks for the advice I'm pulling bolts as we speak... hey there is chinese bondo on this thing!


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## StrikerDown (Apr 4, 2009)

precisionworks said:


> the Interapid sleeps in the little red box


 
My box is gray, is that why it was so cheap?:devil:


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## StrikerDown (Apr 4, 2009)

Happy now, at least until I can find some .001 shim stock!

Front to rear came out .0002 on the right side and .00025 on the left!

Left to right not as good, .0015 so if I want better I need to find some .0005 - .001 shim stock.

The bondo I was not kidding about, almost .25" thick in spots. It made the lines on the mill flow together nicely... til now!

Left rear:





Right Rear:


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## StrikerDown (Apr 4, 2009)

Although it does require some time, tramming an RF 31 isn't hard at all. 

I figured out that the with the head lowered almost all the way down it is pretty well balanced and you could probably take all 4 bolts out and it will just sit there. I did not try this by the way! Even though I could have taken out all the bolts I left at least three in at all times, this is Kalifornia and you don't want the ground to shake while trying to balance 600 pounds on your nose! Why did I take out any of the bolts you ask... Simply to get the Lock washers out so they would not chew up the bolt heads and castings every time I loosened the bolts, that is how they LOCK things together. I also cleaned the grit and Chinese crap off the threads and put on a little anti seize compound since I didn't want to risk galling the threads and breaking a bolt off in the casting. And besides the bolts just turn so much easier this way!

Next I was wondering how to lift/tip the head and column and I remembered how they had shipped it with the spindle lowered down on a wooden block quite tightly. So I put a block under the spindle and lowered it using the micrometer down feed it jacked the front up very easily, like I said it is pretty well balanced. Doing this tipped the column back enough to slip shims in the front and back quite easily.

Once I had figured out the easiest way to get the shims in I (of course) started off all wrong. I tried to shim to correct both directions at the same time... Wrong! After screwing around for about an hour it was worse than when I started!

Frustrated, I tried another approach. I pulled out all the shims bolted it down and measured it again for front to back only. Put in the shims I thought it needed and... WOW it only needed 2, one on each side of the front!

With it still tight from checking F-B I checked the side to side. Put in the shims I thought would work, not enough, 1 more F&B for a total of .012 front and .008 back and that is where it now. It was so simple fixing one direction at a time. All I had is .004 shim stock, when I get hold of some .0005 and .001 I will get it tweaked real close, but for now this is much better than new! 

The silly Chinese had one shim in the wrong corner by the way, it helped in one direction but made it worse in the other.

Hope this help any of you that thinks this is not something they want to try.

I might mention that my base and table are dead nuts level with the earth. If your mill is not level front to back and side to side the balance of the head with the bolts loose may not give you the same results as I got, in other words it may tip, so proceed with caution while loosening the column to base bolts.

Thanks Barry!

PS: Oh Barry, my interapid says night night!


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## StrikerDown (Apr 4, 2009)

Barry,

Before I start making chips what should the bolts be torqued down to? 
Right now I have them at 80 ft lbs, is this tight enough?


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## precisionworks (Apr 4, 2009)

Awesome job & very nice post 

Aluminum shim stock is readily available in .001" thickness ... Reynolds Heavy Duty foil measured that last time I checked. Reynolds "regular" foil is roughly .0005".



> what should the bolts be torqued down to?


The torque wrench is a great idea, but I never thought about using one for this (even though there are two in the chest). 80 lb-ft should be about right, as that gives over 6000# of clamping force.

http://www.engineersedge.com/calculators/torque_calc.htm


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## StrikerDown (Apr 4, 2009)

I guess that means that aluminum shims are okay... by the way orange crush cans measure .004 plus or minus .0005 depending where in the can it came from 

Shoot, I didn't think about foil I have a roll of regular and HD restaurant grade in the kitchen!

I going to make a quick pass with the .75 inch end mill in some scrap to see what it looks like!


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## Mirage_Man (Apr 4, 2009)

StrikerDown said:


> I going to make a quick pass with the .75 inch end mill in some scrap to see what it looks like!



Some before and after pics would be cool.


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## StrikerDown (Apr 5, 2009)

Mirage_Man said:


> Some before and after pics would be cool.


 
Lets see...

Before:
Here is a piece that was cut with a 3" face mill that shows almost no trailing cut, mostly just some vice marks:













After:
Here is the 3/4" end mill"









This the best I have for now Brian When I get around to a face mill pass I can post those for an aples to aples B4 & after.

Also when removing the Accordian Chip catcher I noticed a small pile of chips on the ways on both sides in back. I noticed that the chip catcher mounts to the column on a boss that is raised in the center where it bolts up but not at the sides. As the chips hit the column they drop down in the gaps on both sides piling up on the ways. To help the chip catcher catch more chips and keep the ways cleaner I filled the gaps with some foam rubber:










I will see if this helps to keep the chips out.


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## StrikerDown (Apr 5, 2009)

*Smother running Belts*

I wonder if anyone can tell me if those "flex Belts" like Will put on his PM 1236 lathe run smoother than the v belts that came on this mill? 
 
When I removed the motor belt to hand turn it I notice that the belts have one spot that it seems loose like the belt takes a set when it sits for a period of time. This has to cause vibration as they spin. It is like old fashion Nylon belted tires that would be real bumpy for a while after being parked over night.
 
Am I nuts or would a smother running machine make smother cuts?


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## precisionworks (Apr 5, 2009)

> "flex Belts" like Will put on his PM 1236 lathe run smoother than the v belts


By a factor of 2 or 3, at the very least 

My mill has the Fenner Power Twist Plus, on both sheaves, and they reduce vibration on every machine I've tried. Available at most industrial distributors, as well as bearing supply houses.

http://www.fennerdrives.com/high_performance_composite_vbelts/powertwist_home.asp

http://www.fennerdrives.com/assets/ptpinstall.pdf

I can't remember the belt width on the mill ... Fenner belts are available in 3L, 4L(A) , 5L(B), C & D, and in 4', 25', or 100' lengths.

http://www.engineersedge.com/vee_flat_belt_menu.shtml


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## Anglepoise (Apr 5, 2009)

+1

I have Fenner Power Twist on my lathe and I installed them to avoid having to dismantle the spindle to replace an old de laminating belt.

They worked perfectly, didn't stretch and are smooth and quiet.

However I was a little concerned as they sit high in the pulleys and I thought this was a fault in me selecting the wrong size, but a call to Fenner confirmed that this is by design.

Like everything else in this crazy world, there are cheap imported copies
that I have had no experience with, but highly recommend Fenner.


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## Mirage_Man (Apr 5, 2009)

precisionworks said:


> By a factor of 2 or 3, at the very least



That much eh? I've been putting this off since I got the mill. Too many other things that I needed more. After all the belts aren't exactly cheap. I think I will order some very soon for both the mill and the lathe. 

If anyone wants to do a group purchase to save some cash let me know. I know it's cheaper in larger quantities.


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## StrikerDown (Apr 5, 2009)

My RF-31 has one B42 belt and one B33 belt. 
 
If the “42” and “33” is the length of the belt that is 75" total.
 
That is exactly 4 RF-31 mills on a 25' roll of power twist assuming that the belt numbers translate into inches!
 
BUT, I wrapped a tape measure around the B42 belt and the outside measured almost 44 inches! How are belts measured? Inside, outside or as if they are cut and laid out flat?

If we can figure this out I'm up for a bulk buy if the numbers work out.


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## precisionworks (Apr 5, 2009)

> How are belts measured?



Baum's calculator is one of the standard methods:


http://www.baumhydraulics.com/calculators/belt_length.htm


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## Mirage_Man (Apr 5, 2009)

StrikerDown said:


> My RF-31 has one B42 belt and one B33 belt.
> 
> If the “42” and “33” is the length of the belt that is 75" total.
> 
> ...



I know Mac has some on his RF31. He told me before how much was needed but I forgot. TB mentioned that he'd be in for some if I ever ordered any. So that's at least 3.

Edit: I have to pull the cover off the belts on my lathe. With any luck they are the same size as what the mill uses. :thinking:


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## precisionworks (Apr 6, 2009)

MSC/J&L is running a 35% off sale on all power transmission, including the Fenner belts. Today & tomorrow only. *Promo Code PT35WA*

http://metalworking.mscdirect.com/CGI/NNSRHMW


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## Mirage_Man (Apr 7, 2009)

precisionworks said:


> MSC/J&L is running a 35% off sale on all power transmission, including the Fenner belts. Today & tomorrow only. *Promo Code PT35WA*
> 
> http://metalworking.mscdirect.com/CGI/NNSRHMW



That's a great deal. It's like $150 for 25ft. delivered. Anyone want to go in on a box with me?


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## Mirage_Man (Apr 7, 2009)

The belts on my lathe measure .470" at the widest point. I assume this should be replaced with a 1/2" size Fenner, right?


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## cmacclel (Apr 7, 2009)

Mirage_Man said:


> The belts on my lathe measure .470" at the widest point. I assume this should be replaced with a 1/2" size Fenner, right?




EDIT I thought you where referring to your mill.........

Mac


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## StrikerDown (Apr 7, 2009)

Mirage_Man said:


> That's a great deal. It's like $150 for 25ft. delivered. Anyone want to go in on a box with me?



25' Is a very comfortable 3 way split for our mills and depending how long the belts actually are there is a slight possibility that it would fit 4( Murphy says probably not, it would be at least 4 links too short).

I would be in for a split order How much and where do I send it? 

Too bad your lathe takes the smaller size.


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## Mirage_Man (Apr 7, 2009)

Alright then. I talked with TB and we have 3 to go in on this. I will order the belt tonight and should have it in a day or two. I'll send you a PM later tonight.

Edit: Belting has been ordered.


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## Anglepoise (Apr 7, 2009)

If you guys go for the 25ft and are a few links short, I have 6" left over in 5/8th size that crosses over to a B33 width. Will mail, no charge ,no problem.


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## StrikerDown (Apr 10, 2009)

Anglepoise said:


> If you guys go for the 25ft and are a few links short, I have 6" left over in 5/8th size that crosses over to a B33 width. Will mail, no charge ,no problem.


 
David,

That is a very gererous offer, thank you. I needed we will let you know.

Thanks again,

Ray


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## scottly (Apr 14, 2009)

*Re: Oops- Too tight*



StrikerDown said:


> I drilled broken pin out (it only pins half of the shaft to the nut) and pressed in a slightly larger roll pin that goes all the way through the shaft and nut.
> 
> .


 

I drilled a hole down through the center of the nut, inserted shaft, then rosette welded the nut to the shaft. 
Funny thing is, I don't see any kind of pin in mine (Grizzly-brand). It looks like they just pressed the nut onto the shaft.


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## StrikerDown (Apr 21, 2009)

*Re: Oops- Too tight*



scottly said:


> I drilled a hole down through the center of the nut, inserted shaft, then rosette welded the nut to the shaft.
> Funny thing is, I don't see any kind of pin in mine (Grizzly-brand). It looks like they just pressed the nut onto the shaft.


 
Didn't think of that, but then I already had a hole and a pin the right size. Seems to be holding up nicely so far. 

I think they built it with the shear pin so if you decided to turn the mill on while holding the wrench... 

What do people use for a spare draw bar? 

Is there all thread rod in this size? 

Or just thread a piece of the correct size rod and weld on or double nut the other end.


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## scottly (Apr 22, 2009)

Well, I have seen draw bars that come with the hydr/pneumatic setups, and the draw bar is extra-long, to be trimmed to fit. It looks like just a piece of threaded 4130 rod. 

Don't know that to be true, though.


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