Hello Guest it is March 28, 2024, 07:34:25 AM

Show Posts

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.


Messages - Sam

741
Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: 4th axis - show and tell - pictures
« on: November 22, 2008, 01:35:55 PM »
Neat setup you have there. We have the same indexer at work. Never thought of slapping a pulley on it and using it as a 4th axis. I might just have to implement this to my own machine.

743
Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: New CNC Machine
« on: November 21, 2008, 06:48:12 PM »
Yep, that is indeed a slick setup. Looks real nice.

744
SmoothStepper USB / Re: Backlash issues.
« on: November 20, 2008, 08:22:53 PM »
Quote
The screws themselves seems no be new

"to be"..... or "not to be"......THAT is the question.  ;D

Couldn't decipher what your actually trying to type.

745
Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: My cnc machine
« on: November 17, 2008, 05:12:21 PM »
Nice looking machine ya got there. By looking at your site, you've got several R/C toys, and some Husqvarna bike stuff. Do you make parts for them? C'mon, show us some of your projects :)

746
General Mach Discussion / Re: Z AXIS KNEE
« on: November 15, 2008, 12:25:09 AM »
Quote
The whole knee z axis is a pretty dumb argument.
>:( No, it isn't. I know I've learned a few things from reading about peoples experiences on this topic. I will bet I'm not the only one, Ed included.

Quote
i replaced the screw with a ballscrew and a custom pedestal. I replaced the original straight cut bevel gears with hardened spiral cut ones. BTW, i've got 500lbs worth of gas springs under the knee.
So basically you've made some significant modifications that will allow the knee to be used as a Z-axis dependably.

When I first read Ed's post, I agreed 100%. I have never seen a knee used in place of a quill feed. Of all the mills in the small shop I work, I couldn't imagine using the knee as a Z axis. Not in the worn out abused shape that they are in, anyhow. It just seems that using the quill would be the logical choice. I'm glad to learn that using the knee is indeed an option. With the right combination of mods, it CAN be done, and achieve results just as good or better than a quill. With the right combination of mods, pieces of metal can fly to the moon, and return to earth, too.
I have full confidence Ed was talking about a standard mill running on a cheap screw on a brass nut. (Ever seen a brass nut fail? It's not pretty!) If given the task of converting our J-Heads to CNC, would I choose the knee as the Z instead of the quill? No, I wouldn't. I suppose it's just my personal preference. I would feel more at ease driving the quill, instead of diving into unknown territory. To be done reliably, it seems there is quiet a bit of work involved, and most likely more costly. If given the task to convert our J-Heads to CNC and use the knee as a Z-axis....Could I do it? Oh heck yeah, I know that now for a fact! So case in point...It's not a dumb argument. 
In no way should anybody think that Ed has a screw loose, or is inexperienced in any way from reading this topic. Those of us that have been here for a while know for a fact Ed is a very capable machinist, and could teach us all a thing or two. He does some super good work, and is a valuable part of the forums. He's a forum "regular" and helps when he can, so "Thank you, Ed"

747
General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach Conv. Candidate ?
« on: November 12, 2008, 01:22:56 PM »
Do you have 3 phase capability? Any way to check it out before purchasing? A bad spindle or a phase converter would jack the cost up considerably. That's an interesting quill feed, never seen one like that. There's allot of money in just the power draw, motors, electronics, and other stuff if they are good, even if the mill was worn out beyond use.

748
G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: cad-cam purchase?
« on: November 11, 2008, 11:14:50 PM »
Word on the street is they send you a complimentary case of brew, a magic dog whistle that returns your childhood dog, and next weeks lotto numbers. I won't ruin it for ya Dave, I'll even play along.

749
General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach3 Install and setup document
« on: November 10, 2008, 07:31:16 PM »
Might be helpful to be a sticky.

750
G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: cad-cam purchase?
« on: November 10, 2008, 05:06:49 PM »
Hehe..there is no such thing as a good price for mastercam cheaper than vcarve. But anyhow......be prepared for a steep learning curve with mastercam, or any dedicated cad/cam package for that matter. I dont have any vectric software, but what I have seen, it seems to be worth every penny for somebody that just wants to get cutting with the least amount of hassle, with a good end result.