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  1. #16
    Dave J Guest

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    LOL,
    Even if you run a extension lead with a power board, but place a double adapter where it plugs into the extension and split it off to the mill. That way it's not running through the power board and as long as you have a decent extension it should be fine.

    Dave

    Edit
    Use a real old style Y double adapter, not one of those junky side by side ones.

  2. #17
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
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    Quote Originally Posted by variant22 View Post

    simonl
    :One important thing for anyone looking at DRO is to consider how you want to do your Z. If I had of thought hard about it I would have purchased a DRO that takes two scales on the Z. That way you can have the best of both worlds, in a scale on the Z column/head, and a scale on the quill reading out on the single axis displayed on the DRO screen. That being said, I get by just fine with the setup I currently have. The Z scale just helps set tool position and the quill is just depth of cut if I am not worried about rigidity. I do not find it to be cumbersome, it seems to work nicely. I quite often need to change out tools for a small bit, then go back to my original tool with the correct Z. If I only had Quill DRO I am not sure how I could do this, as I need to move the head up to change the tool.. that said my Quill DRO is rather essential for quick and nasty depth of cut stuff, like in my machine swarf guards where it is aluminum and the loss of some rigidity is not really of any consequence (that I can see).
    Hi there,

    There I go..... Learnt something! Never realised that a single DRO axis can have 2 inputs but it does make sense now you mention it.
    So, with 2 inputs the DRO changes (in the correct direction) with either quill or Z movement? Sounds like a great idea.

    WRT milling aluminium I have only done very minimal milling with the stuff but i too have experienced very poor finish with (seemingly sharp) endmills. Mainly the sides of the cut, not the bottom. Is one of the causes of this due to the swarf collecting up on the cutting edge? I can never pick it, sometimes I get a lovely clean cut and then I get terrible rough edged finish that looks like it's been hack sawed! I'll try some WD40 next time. The only time I get great finishes EVERY time is with my TCT face mill

    Cheers,

    Simon

  3. #18
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    Are you using cutting tools designed to work with ali.

  4. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by pipeclay View Post
    Are you using cutting tools designed to work with ali.
    Probably not! I have a box of endmills of varying sizes and I just pick out what size i need and use it....... on everything! No doubt my approach is a little simplistic. Are you suggesting I need endmills specific to softer metals such as Al?

    Cheers,

    Simon

  5. #20
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    Only if you wanted too,if you were doing a lot of work in ali then I think that would be a good idea,it will allow the chips to clear better and stop or reduce build up.
    Same if your using indexable tooling,use tips suited to ali.

  6. #21
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
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    Melbourne
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    Hi Variant,
    Good work on the DRO.
    Are you wondering how you got by without it yet?
    Just one thing, your mounting point for the display, Whats going to happen when you tilt the head over?

    Stuart

  7. #22
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    Stuart just reminded me about a question I wanted to ask. WRT the tramming aid, how does it work? Do you just re-attach the mounting brackets and it brings it back into within spec for tramming? Or, do you turn the allen head to produce a fine adjust when you are close?

    Cheers,

    Simon

  8. #23
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Mornington Peninsula
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    183

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    Quote Originally Posted by simonl

    WRT milling aluminium I have only done very minimal milling with the stuff but i too have experienced very poor finish with (seemingly sharp) endmills. Mainly the sides of the cut, not the bottom. Is one of the causes of this due to the swarf collecting up on the cutting edge? I can never pick it, sometimes I get a lovely clean cut and then I get terrible rough edged finish that looks like it's been hack sawed! I'll try some WD40 next time. The only time I get great finishes EVERY time is with my TCT face mill

    Cheers,

    Simon
    Intersting I get great results with Aluminium, in fact I love machining it.

    I usually just use the fastest speed for end mills and slot drills. Usually it's fine without any coolant but I do use coolant if it's a heavy cut.

    Cheers

    Justin

  9. #24
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
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    Mornington Peninsula
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    Quote Originally Posted by variant22 View Post

    Jarh73:Nice to see your setup. I really like your quill DRO. I neglected to install a glass scale on my Z. I have one of those cheap vernier type scales on my quill. It came installed on the mill. I should havedone it the same as you have done. What DRO are you running to take two Z scales? Mine (drostore) only has a single input for Z.
    It's a Meister DRO.

    I'm not sure if it's a normal option but as I was in Singapore I asked about it so he modified the 3 axis DRO to have an extra input and then an extra switch to switch between the scales.

    I'll be sure to post that up to.

    Cheers

    Justin

  10. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jarh73 View Post
    It's a Meister DRO.

    I'm not sure if it's a normal option but as I was in Singapore I asked about it so he modified the 3 axis DRO to have an extra input and then an extra switch to switch between the scales.

    I'll be sure to post that up to.

    Cheers

    Justin
    So with a 2 input axis, the two inputs are internally hard wired together with no further electronic components? If so you could easily make a small box to allow 2 inputs that then connects to the display?

    Simon

  11. #26
    Dave J Guest

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    Hi Simon,
    If it's the same set up he offered me, yes it's just a switch to go between scales, so either one or the other.

    On the Meister 4 axis when I inquired about it, he said the quill scale is a stand alone readout, not integrated with the rest.
    Why it's like that I have no idea as the lathe DRO's have carriage and compound summing at the push of a button, so why didn't they incorporate that into it.

    Dave

  12. #27
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    Quote Originally Posted by pipeclay View Post
    Only if you wanted too,if you were doing a lot of work in ali then I think that would be a good idea,it will allow the chips to clear better and stop or reduce build up.
    Same if your using indexable tooling,use tips suited to ali.
    Thanks for the tip PC!

    Simon

  13. #28
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    HI,
    Thanks for Posting the Pics Variant22, the Installation looks really good. I am actually just about to fit a 3 Axis Sino that I won on Ebay Yesterday to My DM45 Mill Drill. I like the Tramming idea, I have seen a very similiar set up before on the Internet for a Mill Drill. I am seriously thinking about doing the same to My mill drill to save set up time. I was a bit Puzzled with You Mounting the DRO Display on the Head and not on the Column (actually another guy on the internet has his mounted on his mill drill head to). I guess though if You are going to tilt the Head and the display was mounted on the column, Your vision to it would be some what restricted.

    Could You Please tell Me what Scale sizes You used ?. I didn't have a choice with My Scales as that is how the unit was being sold. The Scale lengths that are coming with the Unit are 720 mm, 420 mm and 320 mm . I will Post some Pics of the Installation on Mine once I've finished.
    All The Best steran50 Stewart

    The shortest way to do many things is to do only one thing at once.

  14. #29
    Dave J Guest

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    Going by the H&F web site the 46 has 450mm travel, so you will only miss out by 30mm. Most mills will allow the spindle to touch the table so you might be better off limiting it there, and when you swing the head over at an angle you usually use a vise so it should work fine.

    Dave

  15. #30
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
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    Quote Originally Posted by Stustoys View Post
    Hi Variant,
    Good work on the DRO.
    Are you wondering how you got by without it yet?
    Just one thing, your mounting point for the display, Whats going to happen when you tilt the head over?

    Stuart
    Hi Stuart, apologies for the delayed response. I have been a bit run off my feet lately. I should have credited you at the start of this thread as you have certainly offered me a ton of advice such as on the start capacitor, indicators AND even my two new Stiefelmeyer instruments (level and square). Thanks!

    As for the DRO, it has made a massive difference. I could not do anything even remotely accurate without it. It is nice how I can look at a plan and punch some holes in exactly the right places. On the weekend I made some small clasps for some casting boxes/flasks that I made. I needed 16 clasps with each having 3 holes, with two being counter-bored. It was a breeze with the DRO to place each hole exactly 12mm apart down each side. Then do the counter-bore in the same manner. It is also nice being able to zero with the Haimer and measure with the DRO..

    As for the position of the DRO screen, I took quite some time to think about the placement. I figured that I could not think of a situation (I have a tilting table) where I would want to tilt the head in normal use. Last time I tilted the head the oil ran out! I also thought about the irritation of it going up and down with the Z. Then I thought about the general placement and being able to see it unobstructed from my favorite X hand wheel position. I also thought about it getting in the way of the Z handle, the Z scale (opposite side to the Z handle) or my bikes and circular in an alcove on the other side. So the head was the best spot and I tell you I have not looked back. It is a really nice place to mount it. I get perfect visibility everywhere and it never gets in the way and having it move with the Z is not irritating at all. If I ever had to tilt the head I could mill up a nice little bracket to allow me to tilt the display up as the cords are long enough to tilt the head. I considered making a sub-arm (so I could see it from my preferred side of the mill and not have it get in the way "much") and mounting to the column, but I thought better of it. A longer arm and it would just get in the way.. The tramming fixtures also stop the tilt, which is fine as I can loosen them and swing them out of the way (only bolted at one side). In summary, I could not be happier with the placement. I agonized over it

    To answer the other question: The tramming fixtures are tapped into the head on only one side (not the tilting side) and the opposite bolts tighten which moves the head ever so slightly. This allows one to get a perfect tram without tapping with a hammer for hours on end until one is either hair-less or fingernail-less. It also allows one to tighten the bolts without the head moving out of tram.

    As a general item, if I could weld the head perfectly square, I probably would. I find it a major annoyance that the head on these mills is held by 3 bolts. I think it affects the rigidity quite a bit. For my usage the tilt is worthless and the mill would be a much better machine without it.

    As for the travel, I could list my scale lengths but it would not be much good. My mill has quite a bit more movement and a larger table than the H&F mill. That is pretty much why I purchased it. One point I would make about the scales is to get them a bit longer if they will fit on your machine/table. When you are fitting them you might remove the axis stops, which means that your table will travel further than the specifications. The last thing you want is to move past the "end movement point" on the scale. If they are a bit longer it also makes it easier to mount them, such as on the Y axis. If I recall correctly, Dave J here even extended his table a bit to accommodate his longer X axis scale, with some angle iron .

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