Build Thread (Update)

The bearing block at the far end of ball screw was too close to the table bottom. It's clearance is increased from 0.5mm to 3.0mm with this portable mill. Khalid has many cool tools and gadgets up his sleave.

Build Thread (Update)

I am back in Sadiqabad again. Had the stainless steel sheets sheared and bended in Karachi and brought them with me here yesterday. Today we welded them together and assembled the set of guards ready to be installed on machine tomorrow. Khalid's team is going to screw in the sliding strips to SS sheets during the night and hopefull I'll get them ready to be installed on Y-axis slides by tomorrow morning. The structure for walkway around the machine is also ready. They are going to put it in place tomorrow too. I'll take a few final snaps of the machine when I leave Sadiqabad tomorrow night.

Build Thread (Update)

It is second day at Sadiqabad. At breakfast table I receive SOS call from home. Chicken pox has erupted on kids, wife needs me home ASAP. I have already planned the job to be finished by the evening. So make plans to leave at night instead of next morning.

The sliding strips are screwed onto the guards outer edges. We prepare supports for the moving and stationary portions of the guards. Putting the flexible, sagging, 180 kg SS guards in place for alignment and fastening wasn't as simple as we had anticipated. Ended up consuming most of the day in putting them straight and levelling them with the machine structure. After 14 hours of work we finally accomplished installation of the guards on one side of Y-axis. Checked their movement against the limits of machine and at different speeds. Works perfectly as calculated. Another goal achieved. Now I know why all the fabricators charge those exorbitant charges for seemingly simple jobs. No job is simple with fabrication (I've learned the hard way ). Here is a short video of guards sliding with table movement.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=4824743251181

In the end I gave instructions for installation of the other end's guards. Their alignment was already done. They had to do drilling tapping and fastening (another 2 hours work). Left Sadiqabad that night and this morning I am back in Karachi. Khalid's team must have installed it by now. I am going to give him a call and inquire about it right after posting this update.

Build Thread (Update)

Here are latest photos from Khalid. Paint job is complete on the machine. Nice inscriptions are painted onto it and the slide guards are all in place. Looking nice. They have a big job of drilling for complete heat exchanger set scheduled next month. Can't wait to see the pics and vids for that job.

That looks excellent, also look forward to the videos
Great to see how an old machine can be brought back to life and end up doing much more than it could originally and not at massive expense
Was thinking the Y was backwards for a bit then realised that the control station is at the back.
Hood

Looking good, looking good...........   

Brett

Looking good, looking good...........   

Brett

Didnt know you had a stutter, thought it was just your redneck accent
Hood

I only st udder when I get exci, excit, excite, excited. 

Brett 

That looks excellent, also look forward to the videos
Great to see how an old machine can be brought back to life and end up doing much more than it could originally and not at massive expense
Was thinking the Y was backwards for a bit then realised that the control station is at the back.
Hood

Actually it should be X here. They are going to repaint it .

NOW yu know why everyone else in the world was buying up ALL of our old machines. What we saw as junk they KNEW was just a refurbish away from being better than new iron again. It was all well seasoned. 

(;-) TP