Messages

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General Mach Discussion / Re: New maching- Converting HM48 to CNC with mach3 or mach4?

« on: July 23, 2016, 05:08:24 PM »

Gas struts are a common feature in this retrofit and I'll be doing the same.
I'll be doing overkill on the motors currently looking at options over 400watt, I found a nice package of 750 watt motors.
I'm still undecided about the spindle, some good chinese options come up that inlcude a power drawbar and direct drive motor shaft. and I can easily get bt30 pull studs to fit my MT3 taper (atleast I think, I bought one to try it/check it.)

Hood your little mill that has the arm that swings out and indexes, how did you achieve that? I went looking for the video on youtiube and couldn't find it.

I have thought long and hard about what would be right for me in this shop and there is are 3 things.

Good, repeatable accuracy
Loads of power, for good cuts and no missed steps, encoder feedback etc.
Fast (6000rpm) spindle Power drawbar for quick tool changes.

The ATC etc can wait really, and I can interpolate holes or use an idea i had for spindle on time, dwell, and a tapping head. Probably much cheaper and easier then setting up rigid tapping.

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General Mach Discussion / Re: New maching- Converting HM48 to CNC with mach3 or mach4?

« on: July 21, 2016, 07:20:13 PM »

Hood whats the advantage of DC or AC servo's - The price is about the same and there are a few nice complete package kits here, I can get 4 for axis and spindle for around 2k up to 1kw. That should be fine for a spindle yeah? I realise I'll have to belt drive the spindle but thats no problem making pulley's on my lathe. You've convinced me to go csmio controller.

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General Mach Discussion / Re: New maching- Converting HM48 to CNC with mach3 or mach4?

« on: July 21, 2016, 06:46:05 PM »

Thanks for the reply guys,
the machine is this one http://www.machineryhouse.com.au/M126D - it's a great little mill and pretty rigid, needs a better base though thats the only thing letting it down. I got some 100x100 steel section I'll weld up next week to make a footing for it.
It's a 3 bolt tilt lock which makes tramming interesting but I have a test indicator now.

Anyway, I'm going to read up all on csmio- but I don't really see the large difference between the A and S module. I will get a VFD for the spindle but not sure how to get mach3 to talk to it, I have seen some nice little servo motor packages within budget so there is a good chance I'll go that way. The head is nearly 220 lbs it needs to lift, will 400 watt servo's accomplish that task ok?

There is also the option of flashcut products, but they are belt driven and I don't really trust the backlash on belt drive systems, or is that just me being uneducated?

An auto tool changer would definitely be the prefferred option over rigid tapping, I'm happy to keep a crib and make a draw bar for bt30 pull studs, and at this stage probable just have a flat tool table, but that means indexing the main spindle no doubt. Hood is your ATC on your mill servo driven with indexing? I might have to pick your brain on coding it mach 3.

I looked at 4th axis rotary heads last night, most come with steppers, is it possible to run 3 servo's and stepper motor on 4th? Or would I need to replace the motor? Cheers again all. Project start date is november so I got time to compile a list of gadgets and post them up


Cheers guys, and thanks hood for your input.

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General Mach Discussion / New maching- Converting HM48 to CNC with mach3 or mach4?

« on: July 21, 2016, 03:27:19 AM »

Hey all.
I bought a HM48 which is the largest machine that fits under my house,
next step- CNC conversion.

I want to run the standard motor at the moment, but have high hopes of rigid tapping and VFD controlled spindle- maybe I should go the whole hog first up?

My question is (Hoping HOOD can throw in his two cents too... I'll put the questions in number format for easy helping...

1: I am really familiar with Mach 3, but how far along is Mach4 now? With mach 3 I can even do probing and indexing hex stock on a 4th axis, how are the plugins coming along? I would like to use it as its so fast at doing things in comparison but I have so much invested in M3

2: Buy individual motors/power supplies/ drivers etc or get a kit off ebay/alibaba for about 1000 bucks for 1400oz+ steppers?

3:  Controller - I like the idea of CSMIO/KFLOP but never used them, for things like rigid tapping and indexing boring operations would I need this with a servo motor as a spindle and run it as an A axis etc? I have heard you can get servo motors with Step/Dir but how to achieve this will be mind**** without some serious help. -> Lookin at you Hood! I am happy to interpolate the threads with a thread cutter, but the machine is a gear head and I'll convert it to belt drive so I can run 6000rpm. Should I just do that and run with a CNC4PC controller or go the CSMIO

4: Ballscrews... 20mm is cheap, 25+ are crazy expensive. 20mm work ok?

5: This is the first time I'll be wiring this up from scratch, and I do have in my mind that I hated the homing and home switches on my last machine always being out. If I turned the machine off, re-homed it, it would always be a little bit different each time... is there any way to linear encode steppers or get really good home switches?

Thanks guys. I have 1 semester left at uni and plan to make videos of all my steps in a clear and easy way to contribute to future people wanting to do the same. I will ask for a bit of help along the way but its all appreciated.

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Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: 1989 Bridgeport interact 412 Mach3 conversion

« on: January 05, 2016, 05:00:35 AM »

Damnit this machine got sold fast... the hunt is on... soon as I find something I'll definitely get onto all of you... I will need help with wiring... luckily my house is insured for fire...

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Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: 1989 Bridgeport interact 412 Mach3 conversion

« on: January 04, 2016, 01:24:03 AM »

I found an interact 412 1986 model with hidenhan control i'm seriously considering buying and retrofitting. I'm sure it works fine as is, but plotting, finding centers etc etc is just so easy with mach 3.
How much in the end do you think this retrofit cost? Hood as you said in another post i'm thinking the CSMIO A or S controller, but using the drives that are already in the machine unless i MUST buy new drives? Hood if decide to go ahead can you give us a hand to get organised and buy the right stuff. I'd struggle without your help and experience, but I'd certainly pass it on, I tend to be ********* with anything to do with electronics.
Thanks guys. Heres a link to the machine, what do you both think?
http://www.machines4u.com.au/view/advert/Bridge-port-for-sale/270610/

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General Mach Discussion / Re: Help me retrofit a VMC with ATC to Mach 3

« on: October 21, 2015, 04:37:45 PM »

Ok, it has taken me this long to find it.
A 1998, Hartford HV-50. The biggest issue is probably that its 6.2 tonnes. But it looks like (I'll confirm today) that it will fit in my garage, as my ceiling height is only 2.1 meters.
I have contacted CSMIO, so if all the details line up I'll pull the trigger. It will give me something to do for 6 months.

I'm gonna need a solid helping hand to get through this though boys, and I can only promise in return to share the information I have learned with others. I'll probably video ALL of it on my gopro, and upload a series of long ass videos so people like us can watch at 1 am when we are considering doing the same

These are the two contenders...
http://www.machines4u.com.au/view/advert/Hartford-Vertical-Machining-Centre/255290/
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Machining-Centre-VMC-Cincinnati-Milacron-/331685300978?hash=item4d39fc0af2:g:BcwAAOSwKIpV-46W

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General Mach Discussion / Re: Help me retrofit a VMC with ATC to Mach 3

« on: August 24, 2015, 07:54:13 AM »

Hood bro thanks again for your advice.
If it makes it work without headache then I really don't care about spending a couple of grand on making a machine amazing.

I notice it plujgs right into mach 3... fantastic!

As I use probing routines and digitizing quite a bit, as well as centerfinding for my 4th axis.

I hear with this setup you can plug into the original servos and drivers so you dont need new ones? (With CSMIO)
Or do i need to buy new servo motors and drivers as well?

Also: I wouldn't know where to begin with the ATC. How the hell do we set that up? Hood I might have to pinch some of your time on a skype call when I finally get the machine if I buy you a few... whatever floats your boat.

Rigid tapping i will probably go for but i tend to use single point at the moment, i just hate breaking taps in important things. But I'll probably have it there as the day I don't have it is the day i'll need it.

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General Mach Discussion / Help me retrofit a VMC with ATC to Mach 3

« on: August 22, 2015, 11:58:20 AM »

Well the topic all rhymes!

Hey all- gonna need some help on this one. I've decided to sell my old router and upgrade to true second hand VMC, and add a 4th axis later. I have my Mach 3 now so well setup thanks to guys on this forum like hood, hoss and CNC2010 bloke so I can't thank you enough.

Anyway a nice (but old) VMC has come up I want to get but the controller is super old and may be busted.

It has ATC and I wanna make this work.

Can some one tell me for a reasonable price where I could purchase a kit that will plug into the existing drives and spindle?
Or would it be more economical to buy a complete servo motor kit and drives from another vendor, like gecko for example.

I did loads of research and keep banging my head against a wall and I don't have money to get it wrong. People talk of drive kits like kflop but I don't want to use their software.
Can someone suggest where I can go to buy it all in one place, I should be ok with wiring it up after provided I get what I need for motion and to use the in built ATC.
Thanksguys.
J.

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Mach4 General Discussion / Re: MACH4 and ESS with homing issues

« on: June 06, 2015, 11:58:17 AM »

Working on a similiar Mach4 2015 IE: ATC for mach4? Please say yes!