Finally got the Y axis scale installed after the meeting last night!
The DRO seems to be talking to the scales and everything seems to be working.
There is an ugly power spike through the crappy power supply that disrupts the readings randomly (whee) when the mill is shut down. So be careful after every shutdown.
I am going to work on getting a better power supply and maybe installing some filtering, might even just hook it up to batteries and avoid the noise altogether. Perhaps we can build a power conditioner circuit . . . .
I would still like to do a calibration test on all the axis but I think it is very usable for non critical things. I think the alignment of the scales could be tweaked, but they did full travel without bending. I still need to route the cables and mount the panel on some kind of arm.
I tried a side load cut last night and noticed some chatter. I was probably taking off a bit too much. This mill was not designed to hog off a lot.
Keep in mind that this is a benchtop mill. I’ve been playing with Aluminum and it seems to be doing fine. I have the spindle speed set pretty high for cutting Aluminum with a carbide cutter, most other setups you will slow down the spindle (shift the belts on the top to a different ratio). There are charts, called speeds and feeds, for almost any combination. If you want to work on some steel please take your time and just slow things down. We have some nice cutters in the small cabinet under the mill.
I will get some info on the DRO operation in a short one page and keep in near the DRO. It is a pretty powerful tool. You can zero, offset, bolt pattern, etc . . . .
I would like to offer an intro class for the mill, probably on a Saturday in December. Let me know if there is particular day that works for most people. Keep in mind I’m not a machinist but a hobbyist. People spend years getting good at machining.
As we said before:
If you don’t know how to use something, please ask!
Not only can you break the tool but you can get seriously hurt. Cutting the tip off a finger is no problem for this mill.
On that happy note, hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving.
Bradman
