Setting up my new shop

[Bogstandard]

Kvom,

This will be the first time I will have trammed this machine, so I will do it to perfection, even if it takes me an hour. When it is done, I will then tap and bend or relocate the register pointer so it aligns as best as physically possible. Then when I come to do it again, I can use the machines scale for initial setup. I do this on all things that have pointers and scales, rotary tables, rotating bases for vices etc. They are there to be used, so why not make them as accurate as possible.

Dave,

Because this machine is only adjustable on the head in the X axis, there is no reason to tram the Y, unless of course you want to know how far out it is. But on this machine I can't put it right anyway. On a Bridgeport, that can be moved in the Y axis as well, then tramming and adjustment can be done on both X & Y.

I would expect, when I am used to the machine, to take no longer than ten or fifteen minutes at the most.

In fact on my old mill, the X was out by a very small amount, and could only be put right by using shims under the column to kick the head totally upright. I left it as it was, and used the induced backcut on the cutters to give me a better finishing cut.

I won't be doing any of this until the mill has been perfectly levelled. So if you are still in doubt, I will do a post in the hints and tips on how I do it, plus when the ordered clamp bolts come for my vice, I will show how I set that up as well.

When commissioning a machine, it is no use rushing thru things, the better you can set the machine up initially, the better results will come from your efforts. I spent an hour this afternoon just looking at the machine, not drooling, but trying to plan out how everything is going to be set up and in what sequence, so the best results will be obtained.

Bogs

 

[Bogstandard]

I hit a major problem today with the mill.
My own fault really. Because I had all three axis fitted with power feeds, plus the machine came with two axis DRO, and I will be upgrading it to 3 axis DRO.

The problem is, because of all the extra bits for controlling these things all take up space and because crucially, everything is attached around the knee casting, there is no easy place for me to attach the read head for the z axis, as the auto shutoff bar for the z axis power feed sits just where the read head should go. That will teach me for being greedy.

Anyway, me sitting down on a chair, staring at the problem, smoking fags and supping coffee, with Bandit on the other chair, chewing his recently obtained bone, and thinking of pink poodles, we came up with an idea that just might work.

There is one major problem. I need machines to make some of the bits. So with a storeroom full of machines, that I can't use because it will take me hours to get to them, and a miller that I am working on that hasn't even been commissioned, never mind having a vice bolted to it. Not even a vice bolted to a bench. I am up to the challenge to do it with what I have.

I start the assault tomorrow, first thing. So I will take some pics to show if I get around it or not.

Bogs

 

[lugnut]

That's pretty bad when you need a milling machine to set up a milling machine :big:
Mel

 

[DICKEYBIRD]

Not even a vice bolted to a bench. I am up to the challenge to do it with what I have.

I start the assault tomorrow, first thing. So I will take some pics to show if I get around it or not.

Dangit! Wish you weren't so far away. I'm out in the shop at 5:00 AM on a Sunday morning with a fresh pot brewed. You could just bring said stubborn bits along with you and we'd bash 'em into shape in no time!

Bandit could wake up Amber, the sleepy shop cat and chase her around for entertainment as well.

 

[Divided He ad]

If needed John I'm only an hour away! Minimum I could possibly make the part you need and bring it over?
Just need a crap-o-cad drawing with the dim's on (metric! ;D )

offers there if you need it Will be away from next sat for a week so you'd need to tell me quick!
Then again knowing you, you'll probably make a fully operational one out of your neighbours tree!! :big:


It's all looking good other than that, by the time you have this all done it should surely be time for the arrival of the lathe?
Keep us posted,



Ralph.

 

[John S]

Same here John, There's a whole workshop most sitting idle all the time as I can only use three mills and one lathe at the same time ;D

It's actually given me an idea though and I'll do a new post later slabbing the south 40 calls

.

 

[Bogstandard]

Thanks for all the offers lads.

I am about half way thru it, and up to now I am coping.

John

 

[Bogstandard]

Welcome to one of the most boring posts you will ever encounter, but if it just helps one person solve a problem, it was worthwhile.


I actually reset the first two pics because I was so eager to get started, I totally forgot to take piccies.
This is the problem, the factory had fitted the auto shutoff for the Z axis power feed in the only place available to mount the Z axis DRO read head.

So first things first, get rid of the initial problem, I will come back to that later.
They had already used some DRO mounting brackets, so I decided, if it is good enough for them, it will do for me.

I am fitting a very rigid cover to the head, so that needed machining. So I quickly bolted the vice to the table, found a couple of cutters to do the job, and duly put the uncommissioned machine to work. WOW!! totally different to my old machine, this took metal off as though it wasn't there. Even though the vice wasn't square and no parallels. V-E-R-Y rigid machine. If this is what it is like now, what will it be like when I get round to setting it up in anger?

This very rigid bar was then screwed to the original brackets, out came my DTI mounted onto a new mag base, that I could just reach in the storage area. By running the Z axis up/down I adjusted the bar to run perfectly true.

I then did the same on the second face.
Now that it was true all round, I could fit the read head onto it knowing that the head will be in perfect position as well.

'Well, what do you think of it so far Bandit?'

'Ruff'

Dog does a quick getaway before a size ten catches up with him.
You might ask the question, why not fit the reader to the bracket and the larger head onto the machine column. Well the destructions say, you should if at all possible have the head mounted onto the moving bit and the reader should be fixed to the rigid part of the machine. The other reason is, that only by doing it this way, will the supplied cover protect the bits correctly from swarf and liquid pentration.

The head and reader come joined together with plastic clips that set everything at the correct spacing within.
I then found the bag that came with all my DRO stuff, so I have a load of brackets I can play around with. So I screwed a flat mounting plate onto the head and used a transfer punch to mark the column in the right place.
The column was then put on the mill table and drilled. Just joking of course, I drilled them with an electric drill and tapped out the holes.

If you look very closely at the mounting plate fixed to the head, I drilled and tapped four holes and fitted jacking screws into them. The reason being, the area of the machine that this plate attaches to is tapered in all sorts of directions, so shimming just will not work. All I did was get everything into the correct positions with the holdown screws located but not tight. Then each jacking screw was screwed in until it just touched the machine frame, then given an extra quarter of a turn, once all four jacking screws were set, the main screws were then tightened. The head also uses four jacking screws and they were given the same treatment. Everything ended up spot on. The plastic holders could then be removed, the protection cover was fitted and the system checked out.

The Z axis readout works perfectly. Even when I push on the read head, it only deflects by 0.0002", and when let go, returns to the previous reading. That will do for me.

Now the main item is up and running, I now had to sort out the problem cause. Luckily, everything I had done still left the mounting holes for the stop bar fully visible.
So I hacked about with some thick walled ali tube and made a pair of spacers so that it could be mounted above the DRO read head.

By hacking about with another bracket and some longer bolts, I got the limit switches into the correct position. The top and bottom stops were then set to suit where I wanted the table to auto stop under power feed.
The cables were tidied up, job finished.

This looked like a quickie fix, but it has taken most of the day to sort out the problem completely, mainly due to lack of machine tools.

Bogs

 

[Divided He ad]

Innovation at it's best!

Looks like all is well then John?

Not long now and you'll be milling away quite happily ;D

Nice fix and a worth while write up IMO.



Ralph.

 

[ksouers]

Very ingenious fix, John. Well done. :bow:

 

[Bogstandard]

Thanks for the comments lads.

I forgot to tell you about an important bit of information if you want to site a reading head in this position.

I wanted to take the cable 'over the top' to the box.

A problem can occur if you have the cable coming out of the wrong end of the read head.
The armoured cable that comes with these units is almost indestructible in normal use, but they are made by spiral winding. So any liquid falling on the cable will automatically screw itself down the spiral.

I have done one of my rough sketches to show the effect.

As you can see, if you mount the cable coming from the top of the head, any liquid will easily be transferred around the read head. By having a loop at the bottom, the liquid just drips off from the lowest point. You can't stop capillary action running uphill, but this stops most of the problems.

This is true of any cabling that comes into contact with liquids, just putting a loop in the line can prevent liquid ingression.

Bogs

 

[Bogstandard]

The saga of the mill is nearly at an end (thank gods, and cheers from the crowd).
I went over it all with a fine tooth comb and a spanner, and could only find a couple of small niggles. Not one loose screw or bolt, so all seems set fair.

I can honestly say that Chester UK have done a wonderful job with this machine, seeing that they only had two days to prepare and modify it, then get it ready for shipment.
I can't wait to get my hands on the lathe, if it is up to this standard, I will be well pleased.

After that, I set onto finishing it off. I did the final touching up and is described in this post.

http://www.homemodelenginemachinist.com/index.php?topic=2641.0

These are the only bits wrong that I found.

I mentioned about this before, the plastic handle on the fine feed. Well Arc Euro did it again. A nice polished chrome, internally rotating handle, just under £4 ($8).

It looks good, and matches perfectly with the other handles on the machine.

The plastic handle went into the box earmarked as 'destined for future use'. I'm at it again, saving junk for the sake of it.

This little 'accident waiting for somewhere to happen' I think came about because of the third party upgrade of power feeds. Sometimes the handle would catch and spin over when the power feed was engaged, the gap between the castelations was too close and was occasionally touching. A painful moment if certain unmentionable body parts were in the way. Anyway, a strategically placed washer cured it permanently.

So five days gentle work (and sometimes not) and it is ready to be used.

Time to get a bit of it's tooling out of storage.



Feeling better Bogs.

 

[ksouers]

John,
I hope it's just an illusion, and I trust that it is, but it looks like that X axis handle on the left side could interfere with the wall. I know you wouldn't make a silly mistake like that, but I sure would!!

It's nice to see the spaces filling up properly with machinery. Thanks for sharing this experience with us. I, for one, am enjoying it as if it were my own.

 

[Bogstandard]

Kevin,

It is an illusion, when traversed fully both ways there is still a six inch gap.
One thing I did have to set rather critically was the Z fully up shutoff. At full lift, you can get the table to just reach the quill, I now have it set so it stops just before the vice top. But easy enough to change back if I need it.

I am glad you are liking the post. I didn't do it for posing, I did it so that my time until it is ready will go a little faster, and it also might give some members a few ideas they hadn't thought of.

I think I have mentioned it before, but this shop can be used by almost anyone. If they have a problem making a piece, maybe because it is too big for their machine, they will be welcome to do it here. A bit far for maybe you to come, but within striking range of a few of the UK members.

I am not experienced enough to solve all problems, but I know a man who can.

John

 

[Metal Mickey]

Looks like its all coming together John, well done. All this to make a little steam engine........we are all mad! But its great..........................................

 

[Bogstandard]

Mike,

These machines are being installed for one major reason, and you will never see any of that. Unless I decide to do some production runs of my own. I haven't done any for a while, so maybe some time soon, I will turn out a few engines for cash exchange, just to keep the workshop topped up with consumables.

But in the spare time between jobs, they will be used to the full to make little engines. But these will allow me to do no more than I could have done on my old machines, except slightly faster. I have said before, big isn't necessary, but nice to have.

Bogs

 

[malcolmt]

big isn't necessary, but nice to have
I bet you say that to all the girls !!!

Joking aside, John it's so good to read this sort of write up, as you know i am quite a newish returner to machine work and my budget is minuscule so i can't run to the bigger machines also having to work in my kitchen limits things. But by reading your stuff i can easily understand the importance of correct set up and can strive to set my tools up to a much higher standard than i would before, allowing me to improve finishes and accuracy beyond what my little machines would normally deliver. I am waiting with baited breath to see and read about your lathe set up.
Kind regards

Malcolm

 

[Bogstandard]

Malcolm,

It is years since I've seen my feet, never mind about anything else.

I'm glad you like how I am showing a few things.

I know what it is like working in a very small shop. Before I built this one, I used to have a small back upstairs bedroom to work in. My old mill used to sit on a large 5ft x 4ft sheet of 3/8" stainless, to spread the weight so that it wouldn't go thru the wooden floor, and of course the whole house used to vibrate if I was cutting a bit of rough stuff. You manage with what you have, and always dream of more space.

My shop looks large, but in fact I am very tight for space, and everything has to have its own place. I am just working on the tooling for the mill at the moment and I think I have got it down to a fairly good sized and safe area.

John

 

[John S]

What is a floor ?

.

 

[Bogstandard]

I know exactly what you mean John.

Farmers are the worst, you go into their workshops in the middle of winter, to find the tools and machines frozen solid into the muddy floor. In the summer you see the remnants of tooling poking out of the dried out earth.

I suppose yours is built onto a clay floor then.

John