12z Update And Status After A Year.

[wrmiller]

Yea, it's definitely not a stock 12z anymore. I'm running out of things to do to it.

 

[Chris Bettis]

Yea, it's definitely not a stock 12z anymore. I'm running out of things to do to it.

You're welcome to mod mine....

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[JimDawson]

Hmmm, I'm seeing servos and a computer in your future!

 

[maker of things]

Feels like a completely different machine.

It should, practically the only thing still stock on there is the cast iron. lol

 

[wrmiller]

You're welcome to mod mine....
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When I get it finished with the new controls on it you'll have to stop by when you're in the neighborhood and give it a test drive.

Hmmm, I'm seeing servos and a computer in your future!

You know, I've been thinking along those lines. I've got so much blood (literally), sweat, and tears in this thing I'll probably have to just take it with me to AZ and finish the conversion. BUT....I'm not writing the control code! Did that on that old DARPA project and almost killed myself. I'm too old to tackle something like that again.

It should, practically the only thing still stock on there is the cast iron. lol

Yea, and even that has been 'tuned up' a bit from stock. Oh, and Chris Bettis has a shop near him that will do a Blanchard grind on the table, claiming .0005 across 40", for not very much money. I may have to do that next year some time just to get all the nicks and stuff I've put in it over the last year.

 

[Chris Bettis]

Paul contacted me yesterday and asked if I was using my 12z with the ball screw kit as a manual machine only, and don't intend to convert to CNC in the future. Apparently, the ball screw conversion has become popular with some of the manual machine crowd, and there are some modifications that they can do to the bearing blocks to make using hand wheels much more easy. Once the mods are done though, you can't go CNC. So they are going to go ahead and make the mods and get the stuff in the mail to me next week.

It would be cool to talk to some of the other 12z owners that have done this and other mods, but don't hang out here. Is there a forum somewhere else for CO owners? Yahoo maybe?

So what part of this prevents cnc use? Or is it cnc with their kit that wont work? Im curious.

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[wrmiller]

Paul has the guys shorten the fixed bearing blocks, which is normally were the couplers and servos attach, to make it easier to put hand wheels on a manual machine. Since I've already gone through all the effort to locate, drill/thread, and align the mounting of these blocks all I would have to do is just get a couple of the un-modified blocks from Paul.

That and the Z-axis screw and mounts as I'm not doing that part. Not yet anyway.

 

[coolidge]

Yea, it's definitely not a stock 12z anymore. I'm running out of things to do to it.

Don't worry your friends here on the forum will help you spend more money, power draw bar for example, power feed on Z, pallet changer oh its only just begun! Merry Christmas!

 

[wrmiller]

I don't have a big enough air compressor for a power drawbar, but I've been talking to Paul about modifying a Mach-1 to work with the belt-drive system.

And a Merry Christmas to you as well.

 

[coolidge]

I don't have a big enough air compressor for a power drawbar, but I've been talking to Paul about modifying a Mach-1 to work with the belt-drive system.

And a Merry Christmas to you as well.

You can operate a power draw bar with a tiny pancake compressor from Home Depot, which is what I used during my compressor fiasco.

 

[wrmiller]

Well, it's back alive. Except for the X-axis power feed. Still need to hang the floating support block and make some bushings for the power feed. The feel will take some getting used to, in that it's really smooth. Cool.

 

[Chris Bettis]

Well I guess it's a good thing you have all weekend to take advantage of this "heat wave" we're about to have to finish up your x powerfeed!
Looking good Bill.

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[wrmiller]

Couldn't work out here in the shop Monday Tuesday or Wednesday. Just too cold. Today it's somewhat tolerable though the lathe is complaining more than I am.

The PM1340 is working well though. When I made the extension for the Y-axis I kept pushing it on the ballscrew and it kept pushing itself back off. I couldn't get the air out of the hole in the extension. I was about to put it back in the lathe and put a air hole through the center when I remembered I needed to file a flat for the set screw. Had to make it a bit longer than necessary for the set screw, but it allowed the air to escape. These polished inserts for aluminum allow me to take .0003 of the diameter of a part no problem. Makes a cute chip ball that I call angel hair.

 

[Chris Bettis]

Btw where did you get your x power feed?

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[wrmiller]

Power feed was from CO. Got mine installed this afternoon. Only thing left now is the new control box.

 

[Chris Bettis]

Ok. I was just curious because there are some less expensive powerfeed options but most seem to be designed around the smaller rf45 table sizes. Not sure how compatible they would be.

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[wrmiller]

The one from CO literally just bolted on. Are all the different make/models the same? I would think they all should be of a similar power/torque. Maybe some minor fitment issues between makes? I honestly don't know.

 

[Chris Bettis]

The one from CO literally just bolted on. Are all the different make/models the same? I would think they all should be of a similar power/torque. Maybe some minor fitment issues between makes? I honestly don't know.

Id imagine power and torque levels are similar. But all of the variations of table size and depth as well as lead screw diameter etc. I cant imagine they are all interchangeable. Without mild to moderate machining to adapt the variations. Not that I mind making parts but if im gonna buy something id rather it fit right if im gonna make something ill make all of it. Then again I may be totally wrong..

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[wrmiller]

Hmmm... Power feed, DRO, 3 hp motor upgrade, belt drive, etc., etc. Going to be busy eh? (and broke...trust me I know the feeling)

Basically it took me just over a year to get everything I wanted done to this thing. Now I can concentrate on projects again. Like a new 2011 in .40 S&W, some new fixtures for the shop, and possibly a bolt action. Should be a good year.

 

[Chris Bettis]

Hmmm... Power feed, DRO, 3 hp motor upgrade, belt drive, etc., etc. Going to be busy eh? (and broke...trust me I know the feeling)

Basically it took me just over a year to get everything I wanted done to this thing. Now I can concentrate on projects again. Like a new 2011 in .40 S&W, some new fixtures for the shop, and possibly a bolt action. Should be a good year.

Yeah. And I still need a bigger lathe too. The dro, one shot oiler, and power feeds are the big ones though. I can work well with those. Not that I can't work without them but the time savings working with them is the huge. The 3hp and belt drive likely won't happen for a couple years no matter how much I want to copycat your mill.
I also need to look at buying a house next year something with a large garage of my own. Trying to tell my girlfriend we should just build a large metal building on some land then a kitchen and bathroom but I don't think she will go for that.
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[wrmiller]

Yeah. And I still need a bigger lathe too. The dro, one shot oiler, and power feeds are the big ones though. I can work well with those. Not that I can't work without them but the time savings working with them is the huge. The 3hp and belt drive likely won't happen for a couple years no matter how much I want to copycat your mill.
I also need to look at buying a house next year something with a large garage of my own. Trying to tell my girlfriend we should just build a large metal building on some land then a kitchen and bathroom but I don't think she will go for that.
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Yeah, forgot about the lathe.

You would have loved this: We found what was basically a barn for sale on a rather large horse ranch. A new barn mind you, with a concrete floor, very well lit, and insulated/heated/cooled. Plenty of room to park the cars, trucks, combine, etc.. The South East corner of the building was walled in, with a couple of regular looking wood doors. We walked in and there was this gorgeous apartment, with a living/family room with windows to the outside, island kitchen (with rather expensive built-ins), half-bath, and another room that was a combo laundry/mud room much like we have now. The upstairs had a very large bedroom with large master bath and walk-in closets. Wife loved it. I loved it. Unfortunately, it was in GA and there is little in the way of a high-tech job market there.

Otherwise I'd be living in this monster-sized shop with a built-in apartment.

 

[maker of things]

I'll take an old, non-descript airplane hanger with elevated living quarters right in middle surrounded by classy cars/airplanes/boats and a complete shop while you are handing out dream properties. Ideally close to good fishing if you can swing it.

 

[Chris Bettis]

You can still buy land cheap here. Unfortunately that would also require a 3 hr drive to work. Out in the middle of nowhere here its realistic to buy 10+ acres and build something much like bill mentioned. For 150k problem is anything within 2 hrs of anything has gone up 25- 30% since the stoners moved in.

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[JimDawson]

I'll take an old, non-descript airplane hanger with elevated living quarters right in middle surrounded by classy cars/airplanes/boats and a complete shop while you are handing out dream properties. Ideally close to good fishing if you can swing it.

Hmmmm, just like Dirk Pitt Yeah,I could do that

 

[maker of things]

Hmmmm, just like Dirk Pitt

Yup, all they way back from when I was 13. I don't actually remember him listing a shop in there too, but I figure that was just understood.

 

[middle.road]

A guy near us moved & rebuilt his old family home (from some small town south of here), brick-by-brick.
He added a lower level to it for shop space and had radiant heat running through out.
Then, since it was on a small airstrip, he was retired USAF, he build a hanger that had full climate control
-PLUS- radiant floor heating...
He fiancée was from Colorado and didn't care for east TN. He upped and sold off everything, including his planes
and moved out to CO...
It was quite the setup. Of course it was ~$450K, but what a shop.

 

[David VanNorman]

If you are talking about the green machine on the end of the lead screw it is a magnetic drill. Handy as the devil for many things.