Messages

111

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: Ex-Cell-O Spindle Wizard to retrofit

« on: August 18, 2007, 02:43:14 AM »

Also the bellows on my table ballscrews seem to be flaking on the inside.  Anybody know a good place to order rod bellows?

112

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: Ex-Cell-O Spindle Wizard to retrofit

« on: August 18, 2007, 02:40:01 AM »

Thanks.  That sounds like an idea.  I haven't even put power to the machine since it's three phase.  I haven't decided what I want to do about that yet. 

If the servos and drives are functional you might want to consider keeping them and getting a Step,Direction to analogue converter such as the pixie board. Would certainly be a lot cheaper and would save a lot of hassle.
Hood

113

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Ex-Cell-O Spindle Wizard to retrofit

« on: August 17, 2007, 11:42:28 PM »

I just got an Ex-Cell-O Spindle Wizard mill to retrofit.  It's a large machine with 40" x 20" travels on the table and 5" on the quill.  The table slides on tubular ways/linear guides.  It has 5 tpi precision ground ballscrews all around.

The original control was a bandit hooked up to siemens drives and motors with tachometers and resolvers.  I'm looking for new motors with encoders but the motors are Nema 42 and the places I know of like homeshopcnc, etc don't seem to have anything larger than Nema 34.  I've found some Nema 42 steppers but I much prefer the idea of getting servo motors.  Does anybody know of a source for Nema 42 servos fitting a home cnc retrofit budget?

I'm also considering picking up ac servo motors and drives off of ebay.  It seems like there are more comercial systems that use ac servos for motors of this size.

The overal plan is: mach on dell's latest pc model on sale -> grex -> new drives -> new motors

I figure with the grex I'll be able to hook up all of the limit and home switches as well as the air controled devices like the mist coolant, spindle brake, spindle lock, back gear, and speed control.

114

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: hardinge hnc to retrofit

« on: July 27, 2007, 10:23:15 PM »

Thanks, I will.  I want one of these to retrofit now.  If anyone has one they want to unload send me a message.

I found one for less then $500 locally. Just keep looking.

115

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: hardinge hnc to retrofit

« on: July 27, 2007, 03:40:24 AM »

just posting to subribe to the thread.  I'm considering purchasing one of these and retrofiting it.  it's a lot more than $500 though.  is that a once in a lifetime find or do these pop up at all regularly at prices like that?