12z Update And Status After A Year.

Open up the casting? You mean the top slot in the base? If that is what you mean, no I did my best to imitate a complete noob with a 4.5" angle grinder and cutting wheel. It is really ugly, but it's functional and I didn't loose any fingers or anything. The instructions said to open up the front hole so that the screw and nut can be inserted from the front. But once you screw on the ball screw nose and red loctite it per the instructions you can't remove it that way. So I made a notch in the bottom of that square hole in the back of the mill using a half round file and angled the screw assy into the base from the top. Didn't have to use the round hole cutter thingie. Need one? ;)
 
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One particular thing I noticed is that the Y-axis screw is backwards (not a left handed screw). That will take some getting used to...
 
you can reverse the motor direction in the pull down menu... yeah that will be an odd duck. If you do get used to it, that will be one week before you order a knee mill.
 
If you wanted to get a little fancy it shouldn't be too hard to make a plate that bolts on the front that you could mount an auxiliary handle and mesh two gears to change the direction.
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If this is becoming more popular maybe Paul will work with you to develop it, or find a source for LH thread/nuts.
 
you can reverse the motor direction in the pull down menu... yeah that will be an odd duck. If you do get used to it, that will be one week before you order a knee mill.

I'm the motor here, and it's a forgone conclusion I will screw this up. (pun intended). :(


Interesting that you mentioned a gear drive. I just happen to have a couple of steel gears I bought to eliminate the plastic gears in my PM25 (the Hossmachine mod), but never used them because I converted it to belt drive. They've just been sitting in a bin waiting for me to do something with them. I may have to look into this. I would be a very unhappy camper if on the final passes of machining a pocket I forget and move the handwheel the wrong way... :cussing:
 
I'm the motor here
Eww, your control circuits are all mushy. I wouldn't trust the programming either, no matter what you put in, the processor usually just spits out the same code that it has been for the last many years.
I would be a very unhappy camper if on the final passes of machining a pocket I forget and move the handwheel the wrong way... :cussing:
I'm not normally a betting man, but if I can place one now, I'm sure to be a winner.
 
Eww, your control circuits are all mushy. I wouldn't trust the programming either, no matter what you put in, the processor usually just spits out the same code that it has been for the last many years.

I'm not normally a betting man, but if I can place one now, I'm sure to be a winner.

:p
 
Ok, finished the oiling system, and put the table on the saddle, and...wait for it... the ball nut nose hits the table in several places, lifting the table about a 1/16" or so. :burned up::cussing::bang head:

So, after some minor yelling and threatening to throw things I took a carbide burr and file to the top of the ball nut nose because I stupidly forgot I have this new angle grinder that I could have attacked the underside of the table with (the Irish in me takes over sometimes and I don't think very clearly when that happens). :burned up::cussing::bang head:

(note to self: the next mill will be ordered with EVERYTHING I want, even if it takes an extra year to scrounge the funds)

This table isn't that heavy for me, when I'm only moving it once within an hour period. But when I have to put it on and off a half-dozen times this Old Guy gets tired. Which is why I'm sitting at a bench typing this and drinking coffee. :D

Current status is that I have the table on the saddle and am getting ready to mount the fixed bearing block on the right side of the table. I'm hoping for no more surprises going forward, but I still have to figure out how to get my X-axis power feed hooked to the left end of the X-axis ball screw.

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