complete overhaul of x2

[krymis]

so after doing a little research i am redoing my x2.
some of the mods are c-channel column bracing, hydraulic cement filling or epoxy filling the column, treadmill motor and controller upgrade, belt drive, spindle bearing replacement with SKF bearings. Once all that is done i am going to make new brass gibs and then lap the surfaces.

so the spindle motor has been harvested along with choke and controller.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFAWb6WfLWE[/ame]
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSqz4HvF-6c[/ame]
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaqCPydEfuw[/ame]

Now i am bending up a 20 gage sheet metal box and top to mount all the electronics stuff. I am housing a 3 way swith to go from pc to manual spindle control like hoss, the mc-60 controller, the motor choke the c-10 board, the c-23 board, the c-6 board, stock e-stop a forwar and reverse 3 way switch, and 4.7 POT.
I already have the column and spindle a part for changing the bearings to the needed ones.

got the column brace material. I have 2 options:
1. a 4x4x1/4 square tube that goes all the way up the column. I no longer have the control box on the back so i can brace all the way up.

2. I have a section of 5x1/2 c-channel that will go all the way up the back.

which would be the better choice?

I also figured out the belt drive base late that i will use to mount the 2 hp motor without interfering with the z axis ballscrew and mount. I will use the belt drive base plate to also adjust the x axis tram tool devised by john sheperd( http://www.homemodelenginemachinist.com/index.php?topic=6007.0 post#11). I am also putting tramming adjusters on the side of the spindle carriage as found on cnccookbook( http://www.cnccookbook.com/CCMillTramAdj.html http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showpost.php?p=745618&postcount=324. )

So this is what i am working on now.

 

[Bill S]

I used rectangular tubing for a revamp of my X2 and it worked out very well. See http://www.homemodelenginemachinist.com/index.php?topic=8481.0 The square tubing you are thinking of should be more rigid than the channel.

Bill

 

[krymis]

well i got all the bracing and tramming tools set up on the colum...

i also got a plate of glass to help tram the mill better. I also am using a starret indicator set to measure it better than the clamp style holder i was using.

 

[TroyO]

I just finished a similar bracing project and the difference is HUGE. You will love the results.

As to tramming... I've had good luck using a brake rotor. (Nice, round, flat.) It gives a good indexing surface.

What is hydraulic cement anyway? I assume it's not something you just pick up a bag of at Home Depot?

 

[krymis]

i decided to go with the west system epoxy fill instead of the hydraulic cement option. It will just help brace the interior of the column so that there is less flex. look it up on cnczone or on cnccookbook. i think bob warfeild may have even posted it here.