Messages

1101

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: What The World's Been Waiting For - Yet Another Power Drawbar Design

« on: June 26, 2009, 06:06:16 PM »

Resplining would not be a problem(;-) nor would be remachining the outside to fit . I do have a series 1 boss 5 ( BOSS HAWG)  converted to Mach.

I was just thinking for the average joe with a std series 1 it may be an option IF they wanted a Tool changer option. MOST don't as the R8 stuff is CHEAP CHEAP compared to QC30 or CAT30 stuff.

Just a thought, (;-) TP

I have to wonder why nobody is talking about making a spindle from sratch . . . by the time you get done all those modifications . . . .

1102

General Mach Discussion / Re: Bit for cutting 0.008"-0.02" (up to 0.5mm) aluminum/brass/steel sheets

« on: June 25, 2009, 08:03:21 AM »

Let me second what Rich said about breathing in the mist . . . not a good strategy.

Incidentally, I have been having good succes with a new Aqueus all pupose non staining cuting oil from Tapmatic (my favorite oil). They don't say you can cut it, but I've cut it half and half with water and it's working great so far, even for threading.

For metal test material, avoid the anodized stuff and don't imagine that soft material is easier to cut than harder stuff, epsecially in the world of aluminum.

Forget about any 3000 series. 6061 is good stuff, but tricky in sheet form because it is still a little on the stringy/I'll clog your tool just because it's Thursday type of stuff.

You might try 2024 sheet. This is free machining screw stock stuff. You want a nice clean individual chip.   www.onlinemetals.com

1103

General Mach Discussion / Re: Some Days Mach Just Hates Me....

« on: June 25, 2009, 07:45:03 AM »

I've had something similar (I don't have a tuch screen, but the jogging dies) happen a lot.

Clicking on reset twice usually clears it.

1104

General Mach Discussion / Re: 4th Axis help

« on: June 25, 2009, 07:41:08 AM »

Can you share what you found?

I'm working on a 4th axis also and I have not tackled the feed rate issue yet.

1105

General Mach Discussion / Anybody using Rutex servo drives?

« on: June 25, 2009, 07:38:26 AM »

Curious about the performance of Rutex servo drive and particularly these new ones:

http://www.rutex.com/us/index.php?productID=123

1106

General Mach Discussion / Re: Express Card Parallel port for Laptops

« on: June 24, 2009, 11:08:43 AM »

Hood, I recall you saying that swapaxis also does not work with SS.

Status on that?

1107

General Mach Discussion / Re: Phantom Limit Switch Events

« on: June 24, 2009, 11:03:57 AM »

This seems like an excelent cure. Isn't it curious how the solution to the most vexing problems turn out to be so obvious . . AFTER they are found.

Even at my 'Electronics for Dummies' level, I know that caps are a common solution for dirty signals. Can't believe I've not read this cure before.

I solved my phantom triggers AND my inaccurate homing in one swoop with photointerruprors and shielded cable, and I also wired to accomodate 12v or 24v operation if that becomes neccessary.

Methinks now I would definately try the caps first.

Kudos to you for the great tip!

1108

General Mach Discussion / Re: Bit for cutting 0.008"-0.02" (up to 0.5mm) aluminum/brass/steel sheets

« on: June 24, 2009, 10:52:54 AM »

Reading your post, it's unclear to me if you are wanting to drill, rout or do a thru cut in the material.

Adding to Rich's suggestion of a 'backer', I would add that if you can tension the sheet, that would also be helpful.

I have done a fair amount of machining tiny slots in 6061 aluminum with a .030 bit. For his I mount a 25k spindle on the mill head and use a HSS two flute center cutting end mill. In my application, the alumnum is solid enough that I can use spiral flutes.

For sheet stock, I would suggest that you will have no success with spiral flutes that will want to lift the material. Go with a straight flute and only one or two flutes. Straight flutes do not try to lift the material, but they also do not eject the chips. Most manuf today can give you the tooth chip load for the cutter. Calculate this out and folow it closely. For cutting all plastics and some aluminum, I find that compressed air is better than liquid coolant. With high spindle speeds, if you do not keep the bit cutting and remove the chips efficiently, the heat will go into the toolbit and with aluminum this will make the material instantly cling to and clog the bit. You need to keep the cutter cool and get the chips removed pretty much instantly to prevent recutting.

As Rich mentioned, this is going to get particularly dicy with materials that work harden. In the realm of yellow metals, I have only ever cut ampco bronze, which is not useful experience for brass cutting. However, I would be skeptical of success cutting stainless sheet at 20k plus, no matter what tool you use. You'll need to slow that down a lot and this is where you will likely need liquid coolant. Perhaps a high velocity mist where you could still blow the chips out. I'll be anxious to see other resonses and what you get worked out, though.

1109

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: What The World's Been Waiting For - Yet Another Power Drawbar Design

« on: June 24, 2009, 10:25:00 AM »

Hood, let me just comment that your dedication to this forum is nothing short of amazing to me. Forums are very expensive, time wise, and you spend a lot of it helping people out. Just wanted to acknowledge.

What I can gather form the photo of the drawbar mechanism looks like something similar to what I had in mind, except that using htdraulic power eliminates the mechanical advantage required for an air cylinder. i.e. no scissors. Hydraulics are arguably more expensive (depends really on what you already have aroud the shop) and certainly a lot heavier mass to move around. On the other hand, it will probably perform for 30 years like the day it was installed, save an new o-ring here or there.

The quill drive is a nice clean deisgn and is also what I envisioned as the way to go for a quill drive. Yours is the first I have seen and it looks to be very beefy. I don't know why, but that's what I expected from Hood . . rugged, non nonsense, bullet proof.   

Others have attacked the problem by motorizing the rack, which probably seems logical at first thought.

1110

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: What The World's Been Waiting For - Yet Another Power Drawbar Design

« on: June 23, 2009, 06:30:59 AM »

Oops, yes, I meant 7/16" on the drawbar thread . . . you certainly would not be turning a lot of meat off if you were starting with only 5 . . 

Hood, hard to tell from the photo how big that gizmo is, but I think you have big machines so at a guess the cylinder might be 3"??  that would be over 6,000 lbs of force. Prolly enough 
Any chance of seeing what's inside that thing?

Ray, If a wave of motivation overtakes me, I'll be doing an X3 mill. Oddly, what I am after other than the larger size is the quill. In my case, I would not CNC the quill as I would want it for the occasional drilling or tapping job. I have a Tapmatic head and that thing is  , but a lot of trouble to put up just to cut one or two threads.

I've read a few blogs and articles about CNC quills, but in each case, I just can't see how a non-adjustable rack and pinion is going to produce the required accuracy. If I was heading that way, I'd want to try to rig a ball screw even if I had to run it thru a lever of some sort. Another option that exists but I have not seen anyone use is to split the pinion and put a very stiff spring between them to take out all of the lash. Not to get ahead of you, but what is your plan for the quill?