First Job off CNC Mill

[electrosteam]

For all my fellow Forum Members that have been following progress on my mill, the first job is done. :)

I cut a clamp ring out of 12.4 mm aluminium plate to encircle the quill to mount a DTI to enable easy pick-up of a circular work piece.

First half was a 8 mm slot drill to full depth with job divided into 4 to allow changes in clamping at each step.
Second half was a 8 mm slot drill to 10 mm complete shape, then a 6 mm slot drill to miss the previous edge by 0.1 mm, and cut to full depth with triangular tabs included.

The second method will be the way I do future similar jobs.

385391385392

John

[BaronJ]

Hi John,

I assume that you have cracked the striations problem. I have to ask, but what happened to the piece at the bottom in the second picture.

Having said that, I do like the way you have mounted the test gauge for centring work.

[electrosteam]

The striations have been put aside for the moment.
I decided to just use the machine to make some parts and see how I go.
For real components, striations are not visible.

The clamp ring was made as two identical parts, with one reversed (the lower one) for the assembly.
The lower half is the one I programmed to "full depth", which I missed by the thin web visible in the photo.
The web on the outside had been cleaned off before I decided to take a photo.

The upper half shows the remnants of the tabs which held the job to completion.

Once the hinge and threaded fitting were finished, the complete ring was held in a 4-jaw on the lathe for boring to size.
To check, I sat the chuck with job on the mill table, removed the two dogs from the NT30 spindle, and extended the quill into the job.

Have ordered neoprene rubber sheeting for protection and magnetic proximity switches for the limits.
Inductive proximity switches would have been preferable, but they were 10x the price.
These will keep me busy for a while.

John.

[BaronJ]

Hi John,

Would the sensors that are supplied with the cheap tacho's work for you ? The ones with the little tell tale led on them.

Silicon rubber sheeting is widely used in the food and confectionery industry. There is a factory near here that pays to get rid of the stuff. I don't know where it ends up, but I did end up getting a roll of 3 mm thick white materiel, from the local scrap yard. I've used it a couple of times for protecting the mill bed and on the lathe and grinder.

[jatt]

Am sure with use, many of the bugs will be ironed out.




There is a factory near here that pays to get rid of the stuff

Yeah have a similar prob with offcuts. The bin is only so big.

If you can find it in my scrap section without taking up my work time, then you may get it for zip. If I have heaps of it of course.