Search found 176 matches

by WesHowe
Fri Sep 18, 2020 10:47 pm
Forum: Home Shop CNC & 3D Printing
Topic: Why not to Buy Cheap Jet CNC Mill?
Replies: 24
Views: 52813

Re: Why not to Buy Cheap Jet CNC Mill?

I'm in late on this, but a Tormach PCNC 440 can be had for about $8K, without the ATC, stand and enclosure. I built my stand from 2x2 angle steel, and enclosure from 2x2 and flat aluminum pieces held together with 1/4"-20 bolts (transparent shower liner material for sides until I spring for ple...
by WesHowe
Thu Apr 25, 2019 6:44 pm
Forum: Lathes
Topic: Soft Start for Lathe?
Replies: 54
Views: 38636

Re: Soft Start for Lathe?

On a 4th of July weekend a few years ago, my house A/C quit cooling. A quick analysis showed it was because the outside unit (compressor) was not powered because the breaker popped. Reset the breaker, unit started and cool air returned. But after the unit stopped and tried to restart later, the brea...
by WesHowe
Thu Oct 11, 2018 11:12 am
Forum: Lathes
Topic: D1-4 Camlock Problem.
Replies: 9
Views: 9902

Re: D1-4 Camlock Problem.

I bought two different collet chucks, one expensive Polish brand and one Chinese one. Both exhibited the same problem, the biggest symptom was extreme runout on both (around 0.035"). That came from it riding on the nose and not the flat. The machining is really easy, but because you can't readi...
by WesHowe
Wed Oct 10, 2018 7:33 pm
Forum: Lathes
Topic: D1-4 Camlock Problem.
Replies: 9
Views: 9902

Re: D1-4 Camlock Problem.

I had issues with a D1-4 spindle on an import lathe, when trying to fit a collet chuck to it. The actual issue was the nose on the spindle was not machined to specification, it was too "high" from the plane of the face, and thus the collet chuck did not sit flat. The chuck that came with t...
by WesHowe
Sat Oct 06, 2018 1:16 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: metric drill set explained?
Replies: 65
Views: 31889

Re: metric drill set explained?

tornitore45 wrote: Sat Oct 06, 2018 12:44 pm It is written in small print but I always compare the unit price when grocery shopping.
Being smart, and being like everyone else are not the same thing. :)
by WesHowe
Sat Oct 06, 2018 10:39 am
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: metric drill set explained?
Replies: 65
Views: 31889

Re: metric drill set explained?

"SI" does come from the French: Système international (d'unités). The French invented the metric system, after all, and the BIPM is in France. And the U.S. was one of the original signatories. Metric was a great step, even if we don't directly use it here. Our "inch" has been st...
by WesHowe
Tue Oct 02, 2018 8:59 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: metric drill set explained?
Replies: 65
Views: 31889

Re: metric drill set explained?

Threading issues aside, metric is not bad, not good, just different. When I am working on a metric based machine tools (usually pronounced "chi-neez") I flip my micrometer and DRO to metric and machine in metric. Otherwise I work in "customary"" units, since that is what I g...
by WesHowe
Tue Oct 02, 2018 12:25 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: metric drill set explained?
Replies: 65
Views: 31889

Re: metric drill set explained?

John Hasler wrote: Tue Oct 02, 2018 12:10 pm People who say "The US should switch to the metric system" really mean "The US should outlaw the Customary system".
To quote John Lennon in response: "You say you want a revolution"?
by WesHowe
Wed Aug 29, 2018 9:55 am
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Hazardous metal dust?
Replies: 25
Views: 11117

Re: Hazardous metal dust?

We all remember the Wizard of Oz. However, the tinman in the movie was not the first person cast in the role. Buddy Ebsen started filming the movie as the tinman, but the aluminum dust they used on his skin caused him to contract emphysema and nearly die, so the role was passed to Jack Haley and ref...
by WesHowe
Wed Aug 08, 2018 2:19 pm
Forum: Milling Machines
Topic: BIG Dro Problem
Replies: 31
Views: 21301

Re: BIG Dro Problem

I have an RF45 clone mill. It moves 2 tenths pretty much always when I lock either table axis. Locking the head moves as much as 2 thousandths, as well as a slight change in the tilt. I'm not sure that 2 tenths is worth worrying about. As for the tilt, not a problem, I just tram with the head locked...
by WesHowe
Sat Jul 14, 2018 10:25 pm
Forum: Milling Machines
Topic: Questions about new DRO
Replies: 39
Views: 37555

Re: Questions about new DRO

I was wondering if a structural epoxy would be enough to hold a bracket to the machine rather than drilling it? I would think so, because I once mounted a DRO scale with magnets, and it worked. It was, as you would guess, not 100% reliable if it got bumped, and I was not very proud of it, but it di...
by WesHowe
Fri Jul 13, 2018 9:26 pm
Forum: Milling Machines
Topic: Questions about new DRO
Replies: 39
Views: 37555

Re: Questions about new DRO

I had the same issue drilling between the column and the table you experienced. In addition, the back oiler for the ways was right where the X scale was set to be installed. I solved both of these by using some 1/4" thick aluminum flat stock. I place a square about 2 inches on a side on the bed...