Thread: Your latest project

Originally Posted by racingtadpole

I spy a roll of ZCG 400 series coax.. RF/Comms tech by any chance?

Well spotted! Electronics/Automation/Control systems engineering is my background, but I'm also a HAM, playing around with repeaters and other radio stuff.

Friendly Toolmaker has some badly damaged ER32 collets. He swears that he didn't trash them, they came with one of his cheap machines (why can't I ever find cheap machines with hundreds of kilos of tooling).


Basically, the front face has had something bash into them, which has dented and closed up the slits, reducing the clamping range. The slits in most ER collets are just under 1mm wide. The thinnest Dremel ER/Speedclick cutoff wheels are 0.75mm thick. Live tooling to the rescue


Thanks to a Hercus ER spindle thingy from Peter, easy fix in my mill/grinder attachment!

IMG_0574.jpgIMG_0576.jpg

I have been meaning to try 3D printing a couple of missing knobs on my Hembrug for ages and with extra shed time courtesy of the Covid 19 issue have had success.

The originals (possibly bakelite) are a push fit with a spring steel clamping bush to grip the shaft they are fitted to. These are available but not in all of the original sizes and given they aren't mission critical I have lived with a couple missing and one cobbled up from a drilled out threaded knob.

I knocked up a couple of designs in Freecad and gave them a try. I used red and black PLA so goodness knows how durable these turn out.
In the picture below the lower black one second from the left (32mm) , the red power feed knob (32mm) and black tailstock knob (40mm) were 3D printed.
I sanded out the 3D printing surface marks and gave them a run over with metal polish and they look pretty much spot on.
I used some pieces of plastic strapping tape in lieu of the spring steel clamping bush and that provides a very firm fit.

IMG_0941.jpg

Knobs look good! If you have trouble with PLA (I do in my shed in summer but I'm further north than you) try PETG, it's more robust and has a higher temperature tolerance before it starts to lose the plot.

nice nobs mate. Ray thats a fancy looking lathe you have how well does it go??
aaron

JC, thanks for the suggestion - I have only tried PLA so far but have a Christmas present voucher for a 3D supplies mob here in Melbourne so will get some & give it a try.
I have had great success with PLA for change gears for an ancient lathe I have but so would like to see how PETG goes in that application.

Aaron, it is a nicely made machine and I have almost all of it operational but a bit limited at the moment as it only has a single speed, single phase motor - even so it has more capability than its owner.

Finally finished the X axis power feed for my BF20LV Mill.

Stepper motor:
Attachment 385393Attachment 385394
NEMA23 3Nm T5 belt drive with 2:1 ratio

Operator pendant:
Attachment 385395
From top to bottom: axis selection (OFF-X-Y-Z), Speed potentiometer, rapid traverse switch (spring return to off), feed switch

Electrical enclosure:
IMG_6014.pngIMG_6015.png
Circuit breakers, 24V/5A Power supply, control board

Enclosure mounted on the stand:
IMG_6017.png

Enclosure and pendant are ready to plug in Y and Z axis motors but I have yet to design and manufacture the motor mounts.

Somewhere in the [hopefully not too distant] future the enclosure will be replaced a CNC controller.

Thanks for looking at my post.

On a big HafCo mill, the factory installed slide was loose or mis-aligned, which tore the read head off. Replacement heads seem to be available, https://www.machineryhouse.com.au/3DR1003, but at $192? A whole new linear slide seems cheaper.

I actually bought a 3 axis DRO kit from Hare & Forbes, https://www.machineryhouse.com.au/K5202 – which was down to $495 during last 2 week's sale. It has SINO scales with a DB9 male plug on the end.



Problem 1: the mill's DRO, an SW4000, has HDI-15 plugs and sockets:
Attachment 385543Attachment 385542

Hare & Forbes does have an adapter for $56, but I'm handy with a soldering iron.
I google and find the DRO display's manual.
It lists pinouts for the 15pin socket, plus DB9 and mini-DIN7 types (factory options?).

I try to cut the existing broken old cable, but the stainless spiral cable protection is too tough. Easier to just extend the cable from the broken read head casing. Soldered it to match the manual's 9pin layout.


Problem 2: it didn't work. I google further, and find a different pinout which I hope will match. Resolder:
IMG_0608.jpg

and SUCCESS! Slide the thingy, and the Z numbers change!


Problem 3: this scale is 570mm, the broken one was 500mm.
It has different mounting system and length (about 20mm longer).
I spend a few hours trying working out the simplest way to mount the new scale. Decide to only attach the bottom of the slide and the moving read head, to reduce any misalignment forces on the scale:
IMG_0609.jpg



The way I have this, with the head at the back and a big sweeping bracket, means that the extruded cover cannot fit, so I fabricate some swarf guards from old Alu. cover:
IMG_0610.jpg

Great work on the wiring, I have pinouts for a lot of DRO's here.

Usually the bracket extends further out and has another 90 degree in it, the reader head is then attached from the rear. This allows the cover to be fitted.
When you say only attached from the bottom, do you have a bolt in the scale top and bottom? The reader head needs to be kept at a distance from the scale through it's travel.

Originally Posted by Dave J

Great work on the wiring, I have pinouts for a lot of DRO's here.

Usually the bracket extends further out and has another 90 degree in it, the reader head is then attached from the rear. This allows the cover to be fitted.

I could have done that, but would have needed much longer M5 bolts to go through spacers (to clear cover) and bracket (10mm Ally extrusion).

When you say only attached from the bottom, do you have a bolt in the scale top and bottom? The reader head needs to be kept at a distance from the scale through it's travel.

Bolt through bottom of scale only, because...

previous slide was destroyed by head being forced into slide as bed was raised/lowered (possibly mis-aligned when Hafco installed DRO?), so I wanted to try a flexible "self-aligning" system. Time will tell if this was a stupid idea.


These SINO slides have a plastic guide between the read head and the extruded slide casing: Main.jpgwhich I'm hoping will do this alignment consistently through the travel.

Originally Posted by nigelpearson

I could have done that, but would have needed much longer M5 bolts to go through spacers (to clear cover) and bracket (10mm Ally extrusion).




Bolt through bottom of scale only, because...

previous slide was destroyed by head being forced into slide as bed was raised/lowered (possibly mis-aligned when Hafco installed DRO?), so I wanted to try a flexible "self-aligning" system. Time will tell if this was a stupid idea.


These SINO slides have a plastic guide between the read head and the extruded slide casing: Main.jpgwhich I'm hoping will do this alignment consistently through the travel.

That is a packaging/ alignment spacer and should be removed once installed.

Make sure your gibs are adjusted properly on you knee, then use a dial indicator on the knee to align the scale to approximately 0.1mm over the length.
You don't want to do in another scale.

Have a look around this site for installation instructions

https://www.dropros.com/Digital_Read...stallation.htm

Finished the power feed for the Z-axis, very please with the performance of the stepper motor to lift the mill head

IMG_6027.jpgIMG_6023.jpgIMG_6024.jpg

Here is a short video of the Z-axis moving:

A safety cover for the tooth belt is still in the making to prevent fingers getting caught.

Also installed Z-axis scale which arrived during last week.
IMG_6025.jpgIMG_6026.jpg
I now have X, Y and Z on the DRO

Fitted the 3D printed (blue) covers for the X-axis power feed (details shown in previous "Latest Project" post)
IMG_6029.jpg


Next is the power feed for the Y-axis, motor & coupling arriving next week but I still need to design the mount.

Eventually this mill is going to be controlled by LinuxCNC on a Raspberry Pi .... but that's another project for another day!

Thanks for viewing my post.

Bugger machining when there's time for drinking, social distancing A+.

Originally Posted by pipeclay

Bugger machining when there's time for drinking, social distancing A+.

XXXX and light beer should work well for keeping drinking buddys away