Search:
Type: Posts; User: TheApprentice
Search: Search took 0.01 seconds.
-
21st Oct 2021, 07:14 PM
Thread: BF20LV Vertical (Z) axis info
by TheApprentice- Replies
- 4
- Views
- 1,086
updated video
Thanks to the input from from BaronJ and one of his photos.
Here is the updated video on the Z-Axis:
https://youtu.be/s13ytwzfMrw -
19th Oct 2021, 02:55 PM
Thread: BF20LV Vertical (Z) axis info
by TheApprentice- Replies
- 4
- Views
- 1,086
Thanks BaronJ, you are correct, the grub screws...
Thanks BaronJ,
you are correct, the grub screws are indeed very important. I will add them into the video.
Interestingly, on my machine they appeared to be doing nothing and the pin block shows... -
18th Oct 2021, 04:37 PM
Thread: BF20LV Vertical (Z) axis info
by TheApprentice- Replies
- 4
- Views
- 1,086
BF20LV Vertical (Z) axis info
The last part of my Optimum BF20LV ball screw conversion has finally been completed.
Biggest job was to work out what's inside the Z-axis tower and how the ACME screw is connected to the vertical... -
8th Feb 2021, 06:53 PM
Thread: Your latest project
by TheApprentice- Replies
- 3,015
- Views
- 1,537,894
Sticky: The answer to your question is No, but ...... if...
The answer to your question is No, but ......
if you have closer look at the drawings you'll see that the M4 bolt is not touching the threaded part at all, it locks on the plain cylindrical surface... -
8th Feb 2021, 12:50 PM
Thread: Your latest project
by TheApprentice- Replies
- 3,015
- Views
- 1,537,894
Sticky: Toll height gauge
I finally got around to finishing my tool height gauge. The concept originated from a link somewhere on this site.
The bottom part has an M30x1 thread for fine adjustment of gauge height. The M4... -
11th Nov 2020, 10:33 AM
Thread: Thread Cutting on AL336 lathe
by TheApprentice- Replies
- 5
- Views
- 1,973
Thread Cutting on AL336 lathe
First time thread cutting, looked at many youtube videos and read a few articles on the subject.
For practice, I tried cutting an external thread on brass, LH thread so the tool is moving away from... -
10th Nov 2020, 08:42 AM
Thread: todays tools gloat
by TheApprentice- Replies
- 2,681
- Views
- 1,138,936
I'm sure that warning is entirely justified. I...
I'm sure that warning is entirely justified.
I have a CNC'd BF20LV running LinuxCNC and I only manufacture one-off components for my home/hobby workshop.
For one-off's I run most movements by... -
2nd Nov 2020, 01:30 PM
Thread: Sparks when face milling ?
by TheApprentice- Replies
- 19
- Views
- 6,104
please share the results of your research with us
please share the results of your research with us
-
2nd Nov 2020, 09:27 AM
Thread: Sparks when face milling ?
by TheApprentice- Replies
- 19
- Views
- 6,104
what inserts do you use?
what inserts do you use?
-
2nd Nov 2020, 09:14 AM
Thread: Sparks when face milling ?
by TheApprentice- Replies
- 19
- Views
- 6,104
Thanks to everyone for your help. I changed the...
Thanks to everyone for your help.
I changed the inserts and reduced the RPM to 900 .... no more sparks.
The face cutter came with a pack of 10 "no-brand" inserts.
The first set hasn't done a... -
30th Oct 2020, 10:56 AM
Thread: Sparks when face milling ?
by TheApprentice- Replies
- 19
- Views
- 6,104
Thanks for your reply racingtadpole. Yes, feed is...
Thanks for your reply racingtadpole. Yes, feed is 100mm/min (sorry, brain fart on my part!).
The swarf does come off hot and blue, it's just the odd one that's glowing bright orange.
I will check... -
30th Oct 2020, 09:05 AM
Thread: Sparks when face milling ?
by TheApprentice- Replies
- 19
- Views
- 6,104
Sparks when face milling ?
I noticed a few sporadic sparks flying when face milling a 20mm wide piece of mild steel plate.
Cutter and setup:
389373
From a different angle:
389374
The mill is small, Optimum BF20 (DIY... -
8th Sep 2020, 04:07 PM
Thread: Perpendicular hole
by TheApprentice- Replies
- 17
- Views
- 6,419
Many thanks for all the answers you have...
Many thanks for all the answers you have provided, especially the extensive explanation(s) from Jekyll and Hyde.
I very much appreciate the time you have taken to make understand my misconception... -
7th Sep 2020, 05:58 PM
Thread: Perpendicular hole
by TheApprentice- Replies
- 17
- Views
- 6,419
OK, that makes sense .... BUT ..... if the...
OK, that makes sense .... BUT .....
if the shaft is not exactly perpendicular to the bar (which holds the dial indicators), once the indicators are zeroed, the plane of the indicators wouldn't be... -
7th Sep 2020, 03:39 PM
Thread: Perpendicular hole
by TheApprentice- Replies
- 17
- Views
- 6,419
That is true .... so what's the best way to set...
That is true .... so what's the best way to set the reference on the indicators?
-
7th Sep 2020, 03:05 PM
Thread: Perpendicular hole
by TheApprentice- Replies
- 17
- Views
- 6,419
Perpendicular hole
I'm building a tramming instrument for my mill consisting of an upside-down T-shape with two dial gauges about 180mm apart.
The horizontal bar is 16mm square and needs to be perfectly perpendicular... -
20th May 2020, 05:21 PM
Thread: Where to buy sulfuric
by TheApprentice- Replies
- 13
- Views
- 3,766
The May issue is still available at some news...
The May issue is still available at some news agents and at Jaycar branches.
The good part about this article is that it relates to products and suppliers which are current and Australian.
I read... -
20th May 2020, 05:01 PM
Thread: Where to buy sulfuric
by TheApprentice- Replies
- 13
- Views
- 3,766
you may be interested in the May 2020 issue of...
you may be interested in the May 2020 issue of Silicone Chip - it has a full article with exact process description and Australian suppliers of the various bits and chemicals.
386686 -
19th May 2020, 01:55 PM
- Replies
- 30
- Views
- 5,776
The only remaining questions now are - where...
The only remaining questions now are
- where does it belong
- why did it break -
18th May 2020, 10:39 AM
- Replies
- 30
- Views
- 5,776
It somehow doesn't look right ... the two halves...
It somehow doesn't look right ... the two halves are not 180°, which makes no sense as one couldn't put the top half on a shaft since the opening is smaller than the shaft diameter.
I have no... -
17th May 2020, 11:12 AM
Thread: Yep another AL336
by TheApprentice- Replies
- 45
- Views
- 15,053
Thanks Grahame, I have been concerned about mine...
Thanks Grahame, I have been concerned about mine ever since I got it. Everything appears to be OK, but it's just very noisy.
How is your AL336 going with oil leaks?
I have a permanent leak with... -
15th May 2020, 01:10 PM
- Replies
- 3
- Views
- 1,394
Mild Steel Fire Pit Surface Treatment
Hello fellow metalworkers,
young fella and myself built a fire pit as an iso project.
Plasma cut the parts out of 4mm mild steel plate and welded it all up.
I have no idea on what type of... -
14th May 2020, 11:14 PM
Thread: BF20LV CNC conversion
by TheApprentice- Replies
- 6
- Views
- 5,960
Hi John, for the Raspberry Pi I used JT's...
Hi John,
for the Raspberry Pi I used JT's instructions located here.
Another set of instructions is here.
Somewhere on the LinuxCNC forum I saw a reference to a downloadable image for the Pi ...... -
13th May 2020, 08:08 PM
Thread: Your latest project
by TheApprentice- Replies
- 3,015
- Views
- 1,537,894
Sticky: CNC upgrade for BF20LV Mill
Finally managed to cut some metal on my Optimum BF20LV CNC conversion.
386531
386532 -
13th May 2020, 08:04 PM
Thread: BF20LV CNC conversion
by TheApprentice- Replies
- 6
- Views
- 5,960
BF20LV CNC conversion
Finally made the first metal cuts under full CNC control.
386529
The machine is a stock standard Optimum BF20LV purchased from H&F earlier this year.
Retrofitted with stepper motors, linear... -
4th May 2020, 02:59 PM
Thread: Warning - Do not buy from China!
by TheApprentice- Replies
- 32
- Views
- 5,393
Update - use EMS
Whilst most of my March and April shipments are still sitting in China waiting for a flight, I have received the shipment which I ordered last!
Ordered on 16 March, delivered 4 May.
The difference... -
26th Apr 2020, 11:42 PM
- Replies
- 9
- Views
- 4,534
You are correct - thanks for pointing this out....
You are correct - thanks for pointing this out.
Nevertheless, it still has metric bolts, so doesn't conform to the imperial D1 standard. -
26th Apr 2020, 09:28 PM
- Replies
- 9
- Views
- 4,534
Metric or Imperial?
The drawings are imperial, does that mean D1-3 is an imperial standard?
On my Oz purchased (H&F) AL336 lathe I have M6 bolts where these drawings show 1/4"-20 UNC.
I wonder if there is a metric... -
25th Apr 2020, 10:02 AM
Thread: Fairly cheap way oil
by TheApprentice- Replies
- 24
- Views
- 3,662
Rather than retail stores, look for oil...
Rather than retail stores, look for oil distributors. These guys are the experts and hold stock but may only sell in 20lt drums. When I went to a local oil distributor and told him that 20lt was too...
-
24th Apr 2020, 03:16 PM
Thread: Warning - Do not buy from China!
by TheApprentice- Replies
- 32
- Views
- 5,393
Aus certainly experiencing extended delays....
Aus certainly experiencing extended delays. What's normally overnight is now one week. Toll seem to be the pretty bad, Startrack and TNT appear to be OK. AusPost absolutely woeful, by far the worst....
-
24th Apr 2020, 02:31 PM
Thread: Fairly cheap way oil
by TheApprentice- Replies
- 24
- Views
- 3,662
This may help in the search for oil:...
This may help in the search for oil:
https://prolube.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Copy-of-Cross-Reference.pdf
Due to weight + freight it may be cheaper to find a local oil supplier with an... -
24th Apr 2020, 12:56 PM
Thread: Warning - Do not buy from China!
by TheApprentice- Replies
- 32
- Views
- 5,393
Warning - Do not buy from China!
Apart form all the obvious reasons of supporting local suppliers, unpredictable quality, etc, shipping from China has now completely fallen over!
I'm tracking a number of items ordered in the... -
22nd Apr 2020, 05:35 PM
- Replies
- 26
- Views
- 3,437
Wow, what a challenge. I have no idea how I'd go...
Wow, what a challenge.
I have no idea how I'd go about it
However, there are people out there drilling holes into 0.7mm pencil lead:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCtWPbTDbuY
Maybe you can... -
22nd Apr 2020, 09:52 AM
- Replies
- 19
- Views
- 6,610
Pipeclay, thanks for your inout so far. ...
Pipeclay,
thanks for your inout so far.
Centre height should not of been too much of an issue at the point where the tool broke.
After the bang, when I finished the cut, I noticed the further... -
21st Apr 2020, 05:58 PM
- Replies
- 19
- Views
- 6,610
Thanks Pipeclay, here are the answers: Is...
Thanks Pipeclay,
here are the answers:
Is this your first attempt at parting something like this or have you performed this type of operation before.
Have parted many times, first time over... -
21st Apr 2020, 03:44 PM
- Replies
- 19
- Views
- 6,610
Thanks to all the replies so far. A few...
Thanks to all the replies so far.
A few additions to my initial post:
- Saddle was locked during parting.
- The slip marks on the workpiece occurred during the big bang.
- Coolant was water... -
21st Apr 2020, 01:28 PM
- Replies
- 19
- Views
- 6,610
Broken Parting Blade - Please help analyse the problem
I'm looking for some input on what I've done wrong here.
385985
It happened when I was parting this workpiece:
385986
The OD on either side of the parting cut is 38mm and 32mm, the lathe was... -
16th Apr 2020, 10:16 AM
Thread: Anyone bought from China lately
by TheApprentice- Replies
- 154
- Views
- 43,507
Currently very very slow
Due to very limited air traffic at this point in time delivery times are very very slow.
At work, our suppliers are having big issues with commercial freight consignments (and that's not the cheap... -
15th Apr 2020, 10:40 AM
- Replies
- 16
- Views
- 6,329
I mix my own with these ingredients: -...
I mix my own with these ingredients:
- Methylated Spirits (Bunnings)
- Shellack flakes (Bunnings)
- Blue stamp ink (Stationary Supplier, e.g. Office works) -
14th Apr 2020, 12:32 PM
Thread: Edge and Centre finders
by TheApprentice- Replies
- 17
- Views
- 4,268
Not always, I use mine in the tailstock when...
Not always, I use mine in the tailstock when clamping a rectangular workpiece in the 4 jaw chuck to align my center punch mark for drilling / boring.
The probe to use for this task is the 4th one... -
13th Apr 2020, 11:47 PM
Thread: Edge and Centre finders
by TheApprentice- Replies
- 17
- Views
- 4,268
I purchased one of these from eBay for $110:...
I purchased one of these from eBay for $110:
385779
Works extremely well. Looks very similar to the Tschorn unit mentioned earlier.
Sold on eBay as a "Coaxial Centering Indicator" -
5th Apr 2020, 06:18 PM
Thread: Your latest project
by TheApprentice- Replies
- 3,015
- Views
- 1,537,894
Sticky: Z-axis Power Feed for BF20LV mill
Finished the power feed for the Z-axis, very please with the performance of the stepper motor to lift the mill head
385570385571385572
Here is a short video of the Z-axis moving:
... -
4th Apr 2020, 11:09 PM
Thread: Anyone bought from China lately
by TheApprentice- Replies
- 154
- Views
- 43,507
Noble idea ..... but ..... I find it very...
Noble idea ..... but ..... I find it very difficult to find any tooling that's actually made in AU. Most Australian based businesses import their products from China. Unfortunately, over the past few...
-
3rd Apr 2020, 11:16 AM
Thread: Lining up for vertical Milling
by TheApprentice- Replies
- 21
- Views
- 3,793
I had a similar job and ended up taking it...
I had a similar job and ended up taking it someone with a mill, we rotated the head and ran the fly cutter across .... very nice finish and perfectly square.
-
27th Mar 2020, 11:16 AM
Thread: Your latest project
by TheApprentice- Replies
- 3,015
- Views
- 1,537,894
Sticky: Power Feed on BF20LV Mill
Finally finished the X axis power feed for my BF20LV Mill.
Stepper motor:
385393385394
NEMA23 3Nm T5 belt drive with 2:1 ratio
Operator pendant:
385395
From top to bottom: axis selection... -
23rd Mar 2020, 08:54 AM
Thread: CNC retrofit
by TheApprentice- Replies
- 8
- Views
- 1,866
Thanks for your reply .... did the Masso come...
Thanks for your reply .... did the Masso come with a good manual? I find the online documentation lacks a lot of detail.
-
22nd Mar 2020, 09:44 AM
Thread: CNC retrofit
by TheApprentice- Replies
- 8
- Views
- 1,866
I fully agree and that's the big stumbling block...
I fully agree and that's the big stumbling block for most of the Chinese stuff, even the [expensive/local] Masso doesn't have proper manual.
I will investigate LinuxCNC again ..... did you get... -
22nd Mar 2020, 09:39 AM
Thread: Your latest project
by TheApprentice- Replies
- 3,015
- Views
- 1,537,894
Sticky: Well spotted! Electronics/Automation/Control...
Well spotted! Electronics/Automation/Control systems engineering is my background, but I'm also a HAM, playing around with repeaters and other radio stuff.
-
21st Mar 2020, 09:03 AM
Thread: Your latest project
by TheApprentice- Replies
- 3,015
- Views
- 1,537,894
Sticky: Pedestal Drill Motor+VFD refit
Finally finished the motor replacement on my >20 year old Peerless Pedestal Drill.
Fitted a brand new 3 Phase 1.5Kw motor. Same frame size as the old 1Ph 1.1kW, same shaft size.
385327
New... -
21st Mar 2020, 08:29 AM
Thread: Anyone bought from China lately
by TheApprentice- Replies
- 154
- Views
- 43,507
Yes, I have just received a tool order from...
Yes, I have just received a tool order from Aliexpress. Order was placed on 16 Feb, arrived 19 Mar, so just over one month.
I have received a few orders from China over the last couple of weeks,...