Thanks: 0
Needs Pictures: 0
Results 31 to 43 of 43
-
23rd Apr 2013, 12:33 AM #31Intermediate Member
- Join Date
- May 2012
- Location
- Flagstaff Hill
- Posts
- 41
Hi Variant 22, brilliant work you have done with the DRO. I'm wondering the particular mill you have is it a General Tools mill or a Hare and Forbes mill.
-
23rd Apr 2013, 07:43 PM #32Golden Member
- Join Date
- Aug 2012
- Location
- Australia
- Posts
- 645
Thanks for the thumbs up Alby123. I am not going to mention the company, but if you search Google you can find it. It is the SM-MD45. The reason I am not mentioning the company is their service was terrible. It started out great, until they missed the delivery time frame they set (a month later than the "worst case"), then the mill turned up with damage, and missing a number of features listed on both their website and my invoice. To cut a long story short, they ended up giving me a $200 discount to make up for features which would cost me high hundreds to buy. They also made no effort to rectify the damage on the machine. I would never deal with or recommend that company to anyone.
-
29th Apr 2013, 07:52 PM #33Diamond Member
- Join Date
- Sep 2006
- Location
- Mallacoota,VIC,Australia
- Age
- 53
- Posts
- 1,010
HI,
Thanks for the Reply in regards to the Scale lengths and for the Tips. The Mill Drill that I have is a Top Tech DM-45. According to the My Manual the Table size and Travels are actually the same as Your SM-MD45. Table 800 mm x 240 mm, X:560 mm, Y:230 mm, Z:460 mm. I need to recheck the X (560mm), I seem to remember it being a bit less than what the Manual stated. So I am probably going to have to get at least one different length Scale.
I'll Edit that last bit. I am going to be fitting the Dro Scales to the Table Long & Cross Travel and to the Mill Head Travel. I have a Digital Scale (mini dro) that I bought of Shars for the Quill. Since My Z axis is longer than the 420mm Scale, I will have to either put up with a reduction in travel or buy another Scale to suit.Last edited by steran50; 30th Apr 2013 at 09:07 AM. Reason: phrased or worded wrong
All The Best steran50 Stewart
The shortest way to do many things is to do only one thing at once.
-
13th Jul 2017, 09:57 AM #34Senior Member
- Join Date
- Mar 2017
- Location
- Brisbane
- Posts
- 245
Just out of interest, what were the majority of bolts you used?
Great thread,it's helped me with mine. My y-axis is now looking similar to yours. I've been using M5 bolts for bolting the aluminium fixtures to the mill, and will probably be using m4 for bolting the rails to the aluminium - because it's what came with the kit and I have a few lying around.
-
13th Jul 2017, 11:35 AM #35Golden Member
- Join Date
- Aug 2012
- Location
- Australia
- Posts
- 645
I can't remember exactly. Either M4 or M5 SHCS I suspect. I think more leaning towards the M4 side. Basically whatever fitted between the scale slots, mount slots and whatever I had on hand. Sorry I can't be more specific than that - I removed the DRO from the RF and put it on another machine. That being said the RF is undergoing a CNC transformation (not recommended) - so DRO would have been made obsolete.
-
13th Jul 2017, 02:52 PM #36Senior Member
- Join Date
- Mar 2017
- Location
- Brisbane
- Posts
- 245
-
13th Jul 2017, 11:22 PM #37Senior Member
- Join Date
- Mar 2017
- Location
- Brisbane
- Posts
- 245
Couple more questions... Do you happen to know the angle of the dovetails on the front of the x-axis? I measured some photographs at 70 to 75 degrees (or 20 to 15).
Also, does your tramming fixture prevent the head from falling 'forward' as you loosen the main 3 tightening bolts? Although advantageous, I would be worried about the bolt's strength to do so. I am also hesitant to drill into this area to add any sort of stress concentration.
-
14th Jul 2017, 12:51 PM #38Golden Member
- Join Date
- Aug 2012
- Location
- Australia
- Posts
- 645
No idea on the dovetails. You can cut a paper template and fit and snip. Then measure. I could have a look on the weekend if you wish.
The tramming fixture was merely to put a bit of pressure on the points needed whilst tightening the bolts. Essentially stopping it pulling off center. It's since been removed. I would probably make it in steel if I were to use it again. It was only bolted to the machine at one end. The other end the screws preload the head tilt. It does absolutely nothing to stop the nod - which quite frankly is significant with these machines.
-
14th Jul 2017, 01:11 PM #39Golden Member
- Join Date
- Aug 2012
- Location
- Australia
- Posts
- 645
I'm running Nema 34 servos with additional encoders on the rear shaft. Keeling branded. 850oz on the X and Y and 1150 on the Z.
That being said, I would think carefully before you commit on the CNC conversion. If I were to do this again I would go with a much more capable machine to begin with. Remember that more capable machines really only consume the same footprint in your shed as the 45. My Deckel FP2 for instance takes about the same amount of space as the RF.
Use the RF to learn, have fun, enjoy the shed. Mine got me started and gave me a lot of joy. Then move on to something else when you know what your doing, before getting in too deep and dumping money into it.
Anyone that owns a boat or a pool knows what I'm talking about...
-
15th Jul 2017, 04:24 PM #40Senior Member
- Join Date
- Mar 2017
- Location
- Brisbane
- Posts
- 245
I managed to make a few dovetails, just using the bandsaw and a file. Not very accurate but they don't need to be - accuracy will come from shimming, slides etc.
Question - The reader head seems to have some 'spring' in it, and likes to sit at an angle. Did you force it parallel with the slide when you bolted it in? If it's not free to move where it likes it causes some (very small) deflection.
This is a big job, I just finished the x-axis and y-axis scale mountings. Boy my shoulder has had a workout.
-
15th Jul 2017, 08:01 PM #41Did you force it parallel with the slide when you bolted it in?
The read head has springs in it to cause this tendency to sit at an angle. Straight is how it is designed to sit.
Dean
-
15th Jul 2017, 08:45 PM #42Senior Member
- Join Date
- Mar 2017
- Location
- Brisbane
- Posts
- 245
Thank you, mine came with none. I have done this now (Easson manual) and the DRO is working. Wow, quite a few days work and probably more than a metalworking novice like myself should bite off. I intially thought "OK DRO purchased I'll just wack it in in a couple of hours when it gets here" lol...
Still, it was pretty awesome to see a full turn of the handwheel come up as 2.5mm (correct). then 5, 7.5, 10, etc. for each full revolution. And back to 0, so it holds its place. Hopefully it all holds up under load. For now though I need a rest...
Thanks to variant for a great thread. I did mine slightly differently, and I got a 150mm z scale for the quill (I rarely move the z).
-
15th Jul 2017, 09:09 PM #43"OK DRO purchased I'll just wack it in in a couple of hours when it gets here" lol...
I have fitted the Z scale and it works well, but I rarely make use of it as I have got used to using the compound for precise movements and I am not going to put a scale on it.
Dean
Similar Threads
-
HM46 Z axis Gib screw issue
By variant22 in forum METALWORK GENERALReplies: 6Last Post: 4th Mar 2013, 09:09 PM -
More gear head mill problems - SM-MD45
By variant22 in forum METALWORK GENERALReplies: 18Last Post: 15th Feb 2013, 10:34 AM -
HM46 CNC convserion
By chris... in forum METALWORK GENERALReplies: 4Last Post: 24th Oct 2010, 12:21 AM -
Another source of RF45 clone Mills
By hux in forum METALWORK GENERALReplies: 5Last Post: 19th May 2007, 04:46 PM