X2 mill modification for tram adjustment

[black85vette]

I have been tweaking the mill to get things set up the way I like them. So far the spindle lock modification has exceeded by expectations and works a treat (do I have that phrase right?? I am trying to broaden my "English") The magnetic mount for the DI is functioning so well I doubt I will put a DRO on the Z axis.

This weekend I took on the tram adjustment. It just seemed dumb to have a single big nut responsible for holding everything in position not to mention trying to tighten the nut without knocking things out of whack. So here is my solution. I made two "L" brackets out of some existing scrap pieces. They are about .20" thick. I drilled a vertical hole and tapped it 5/16 -24 so that it was centered over the bottom frame part. Then I drilled and tapped some holes in the upright to mount the brackets. I put some tension on both sides and then loosened the nut. Using the two socket head bolts I could then move the upright back and forth until I had it where I wanted it. Then tightened the nut and everything stayed put. While I was adjusting I could easily make .001" changes in the DTI.

Yes I know I can't tilt the head but for the life of me I can't imagine wanting to do that.

 

[vlmarshall]

Nice. Give those bolts some swivel feet and locknuts and they'll look like factory parts. ;D

 

[websterz]

OMG...give that man a cee-gar!! :bow: Simple, elegant solution to a PITA problem. I have moved this to the top of my mod list! Thanks for sharing!!!

One suggestion I will offer is to take that big washer off and replace it with a solid plate that spans the width of the column. As-is it compresses the column and affects Y axis tram. I have already done this to mine...now to add your mod!

 

[Troutsqueezer]

black85vette, you seem to have a knack for coming up with mods for this mill. I've been checking out the different motorized X axis mods a few have been making. There are a number of them out there but I haven't seen any that I really like yet. When your wrist gets tired of cranking the x axis, be sure to post whatever excellent mod I'm sure you will come up with so I can copy it. Thm: :bow:

-Trout

 

[black85vette]

black85vette, you seem to have a knack for coming up with mods for this mill. I've been checking out the different motorized X axis mods a few have been making. There are a number of them out there but I haven't seen any that I really like yet. When your wrist gets tired of cranking the x axis, be sure to post whatever excellent mod I'm sure you will come up with so I can copy it. Thm: :bow: -Trout

Funny you mention that. I took my variable speed DeWalt drill and put an end on it to couple to the lead screw and then using the low speed range of the drill powered the table back and forth while cutting. I started looking on Ebay and Craigslist for a cordless drill with no batteries or charger. Should go pretty cheap. Then it will just be a matter of pulling the guts out and finding a way to mount it. Hope to keep the project around $20-30.

One little :wall: I had in my hands on a DeWalt nut driver with a 1/4" drive but a broken handle that they threw out at work. It had a round metal body that would have mounted nice. But my curiosity got the better of me and I took it apart to see what the gear reduction in it looked like. When I did a BUNCH of ball bearings and roller bearings hit the floor and went everywhere. I think it would have worked great. oh:

 

[websterz]

Funny you mention that. I took my variable speed DeWalt drill and put an end on it to couple to the lead screw and then using the low speed range of the drill powered the table back and forth while cutting. I started looking on Ebay and Craigslist for a cordless drill with no batteries or charger. Should go pretty cheap. Then it will just be a matter of pulling the guts out and finding a way to mount it. Hope to keep the project around $20-30.

One little :wall: I had in my hands on a DeWalt nut driver with a 1/4" drive but a broken handle that they threw out at work. It had a round metal body that would have mounted nice. But my curiosity got the better of me and I took it apart to see what the gear reduction in it looked like. When I did a BUNCH of ball bearings and roller bearings hit the floor and went everywhere. I think it would have worked great. oh:

black85vette, I have 3 extra 14.4 volt cordless drills that I picked up on Ebay. They are the same as the one I built my power feed with. I used a modified ATX power supply to power the motor, and this PWM controller I got on Amazon.com A 450 watt power supply can be had for $10, all you need to do is add a $3 resistor and a $2 LED.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000WYAN92/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

The controller gives a very good speed range, and adding a simple DPDT switch between the controller and motor makes the unit reversible.

If you'd like I can pull the cover tomorrow and take some pics of my setup. We have the same mill so it would be easy enough to duplicate my setup. If you are interested in one of the drill motors it will fit in a $4.95 flat rate box. They are already out of the drill housing and still have the clutch and chuck on them. I might even have another aluminum project box like the one I mounted my controller in. If I do, and it'll fit in the mailer, I'll toss it in. PM me your address.

 

[black85vette]

A note about the adjustment using this modification. I got out in the shop to just do adjustments and test cuts tonight. Should have been obvious to me because of the position of the brackets in relationship to the mount of the column. You have to go easy on these bolts because as you tighten them they push the column forward and affect the X axis tram. The more I messed with it the more it looked like a good thing. I put a shim at the top of the mount for the column right at the pointer for the scale that shows the angle of the column. That pushed the top of the column back just a bit. Then I tightened the two bolts just slightly and adjusted the Y axis tram by always loosening one side and tightening the other. Kind of like doing a 4 jaw chuck. Then I set up and measured the Y axis tram and adjusted it by tightening or loosening the bolts together the same amount. Had to go back and forth just a couple of times but ended up with good looking readings. The proof is in the cutting so I cut with a fly cutter and an end mill in both axis. I got a good pattern showing the trailing edge was very close to the leading edge and parallel rows did not have stair steps from one row to the next.

I think this is close enough for now. I still want to put a plate on the back to try to stiffen it up just a bit since you can see a lot of movement in the DTI just lightly pushing on the motor. Not looking for perfect, just better.


Websterz: Thanks. A PM should be on its way.

 

[zeeprogrammer]

Very neat mod black85vette. Very neat.
This might be dumb...but I wonder if a similar thing can be done for Y?
Long screw in back that can pull the column back or forward? But I imagine a support plate and shims is sufficient.

 

[black85vette]

Very neat mod black85vette. Very neat.
This might be dumb...but I wonder if a similar thing can be done for Y?
Long screw in back that can pull the column back or forward? But I imagine a support plate and shims is sufficient.

Hello Zee; good to have you back. I have been thinking about a screw in back and make it part of the plate on the back of the column. Have not decided the best way to do that. By using the two screws together I get enough Y axis adjustment for now, but a third screw should make it easier to adjust.

 

[Bill S]

Nice mod. I was trying to figure a way of having a similar setup, but just on one side so you could still angle the column if needed.
Here is a link to an x axis cordless power feed.

http://www.homemodelenginemachinist.com/index.php?topic=3885.0

Bill

 

[Troutsqueezer]

But my curiosity got the better of me and I took it apart to see what the gear reduction in it looked like. When I did a BUNCH of ball bearings and roller bearings hit the floor and went everywhere. I think it would have worked great. oh:

You're not alone. Two weeks ago I took one of my two 12V Ryobi screw guns and took the motor and clutch assy out of it intending on making my version of a motor drive. It wasn't easy to separate the main shaft from the chuck, it didn't want to unscrew and so I wound up having to grind it away with an angle grinder. Then, I too decided to remove the four screws holding the clutch assy together to see what was in there and.......viola! Tiny ball bearings all over the bench and the sound of teeny tiny steel balls hitting the floor! Holding the now-separated parts, one in each hand, there was absolutely no clue as to how they fit in there in the first place. I found myself wondering how in the world they ever assembled it in the factory. That was a perfectly good screw gun 2 hours before.

 

[black85vette]

Nice mod. I was trying to figure a way of having a similar setup, but just on one side so you could still angle the column if needed. Bill

That would work also for just adjusting the X axis. I would put the single bracket on the left side as you are looking at the mill. That way when you tighten the nut it will be against the bracket and bolt and should hold its position.

Thanks for the link to the other power feed. I had not seen it.

 

[itowbig]

websterz how about some pics of that plate and poss plan would be just great if you would please.

black85vette nice i really like that idea been wondering about that my self. as i dont want to tilt that anyway.

 

[websterz]

websterz how about some pics of that plate and poss plan would be just great if you would please.

black85vette nice i really like that idea been wondering about that my self. as i dont want to tilt that anyway.

The support plate for the back of the mill column is just a simple rectangular plate, about 1/2" thick, with a hole in the middle. It needs to be at least as wide as the column, a half inch or so wider is actually better. This distributes the force of the nut across to the edges of the column where there is more material, and thus is less prone to flex. My plate is about 3 inches high, give or take. The measurements are not at all critical. Use what you have on hand...I usually do.

 

[black85vette]

PHASE II - make the column more rigid and provide a Y axis adjustment.

Using the same approach as others on the forum have done with some changes. Used a .5" x 4" x 10 steel plate. As I looked over the issues the problem did not seem to me to be flex in the column. It looked more to me like the cheesy mount system. So I did not focus on reinforcing the vertical part as far up as others. This seemed to be confirmed when I measured the amount the spindle moved in the Y axis when pushing and pulling on the top of the motor. I get about the same amount when the spindle head is at the top or the bottom. This makes me think the mounting is more the culprit.

So I made these changes: I did not go as high up the column. I went almost down to the workbench. I only used a couple of medium sized bolts since I was not going after the column. I added a bolt at the bottom pushing against the frame. I added a 10 thou shim in front of the mount for the column. I think this will work for me. Not trying to make a CNC mill out of this and I got the amount of deflection under the spindle head reduced from five or more thou to about one and half thou. Close enough for me.

Here is the adjustment process I used. Starting with the bottom adjustment screw back away from the frame and the nut just past hand tight. I adjusted the two bolts on the sides until I got the X axis pretty close, then tightened down the nut and check the X axis again. Looked good. Part of the key here is to not tighten them TOO MUCH. They should be snug but not really tight. So loosen one and then tighten the other to make the adjustment. If they are both tight you start to push the column forward too far. So just enough to hold things in place as you tighten the big nut in the back.

Then I used the 3rd bolt at the bottom of the new steel plate to set the Y axis tram. It took some trial and error to find the right sized shim. Too big and you have to really put a lot of force on the screw. Too little and the column is too far forward and cannot be adjusted by the bolt. Just right and just moderate pressure with the bolt will put the adjustment right on the money.

I am thinking that adding the 3 bolts gives the mount more support in the rear where it needs it. The bolts also provide some opposing tension which helps with stability and rigidity.

For now I am satisfied with the results. I will post more when I have a few more hours of time actually making chips. Some pics of this phase are below.

 

[Jared]

Hey, I like that! I'm thinking I'll do mine like that, but I'll wait and see how you like it after making chips.

 

[zeeprogrammer]

Hi all, I'm interested in doing some of the same mods that black85vette, rudydubya, and others have done to the X2 mill...in particular the angle supports for tram...

The only angle metal I've found so far is aluminum, stainless steel, and A36 steel from SpeedyMetal.

I don't know much about metal...

Would aluminum be strong enough? Maybe 1/4"
I wasn't considering stainless.
The A36 is hot rolled...is there any consideration I should have? Can I just cut it to length and drill as needed? Or is there some heat treatment that's needed?

I also want to support the column...1018? 1/2 x 4 by 10.

Thanks.

 

[Kermit]

Hey Zee, I also plan on doing some mods as well and since I have access to lots of 1018, I'll be using that for the stiffener. I would think(no experience) an ability to flex would be a good thing for large piece of metal used in this way. Something harder might crack or break if a jam occurs and it can't move with it to some degree. At least that is the un-initiated view I have currently I Welcome any other more educated viewpoints.

 

[zeeprogrammer]

Thanks kermit. Yeah, I expect the 1018 will be used for the plate.

BV...you put the plate on after doing the angle brackets..would you still do the angle brackets?

 

[black85vette]

Thanks kermit. Yeah, I expect the 1018 will be used for the plate. BV...you put the plate on after doing the angle brackets..would you still do the angle brackets?

Yes I think so. I looked at doing the X axis by putting screws at the bottom of the back plate. But having the two angle brackets provides some vertical support for the column at the rear where it needs it the most. So now I adjust tram for X with the two screws on the sides (very light tension) and then adjust the tram for Y with the single screw in the bottom of the back plate.