New Milling Machine

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Hank.W.E
Posts: 53
Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2009 2:56 pm
Location: Ontario

New Milling Machine

Post by Hank.W.E »

I havn't been around lately....I've been setting up my new milling machine and DRO :D

Enter the MTW001 IH mill clone. Purchased from Machine Tools Warehouse, and features a self installed DRO.

I hooked the DRO X axis directly to the quill. I don't intend on tilting the head anyway, and this will allow me to use the DRO unit for 3 dimensional programing.

Already made some chips, and it's a keeper!
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milling machine.jpg
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GlennW
Posts: 7284
Joined: Sun Apr 15, 2007 9:23 am
Location: Florida

Re: New Milling Machine

Post by GlennW »

Nice Mill!
Hank.W.E wrote:I hooked the DRO X axis directly to the quill.
Did you mean Z axis?
Glenn

Operating machines is perfectly safe......until you forget how dangerous it really is!
Hank.W.E
Posts: 53
Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2009 2:56 pm
Location: Ontario

Re: New Milling Machine

Post by Hank.W.E »

...z axis, yes.

There are some sweet preset programs on the DRO for cutting curved surfaces, and having the z in the actual quill will allow me to do these things (with the micro depth adjustment)
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Harold_V
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Joined: Fri Dec 20, 2002 11:02 pm
Location: Onalaska, WA USA

Re: New Milling Machine

Post by Harold_V »

Hank.W.E wrote: I don't intend on tilting the head anyway, and this will allow me to use the DRO unit for 3 dimensional programing.
Having the ability (to tilt the head) is a good thing---you never know when that feature will be useful. Hopefully you haven't eliminated the possibility.

Harold
Wise people talk because they have something to say. Fools talk because they have to say something.
pete
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Joined: Tue Feb 10, 2009 6:04 am

Re: New Milling Machine

Post by pete »

Hank,
A suggestion if you don't mind? I spent a lot of time doing things I think incorrectly while learning the little I think I know. After buying my Bridgeport clone knee mill, I learned pretty quickly that it's much better to leave your spindle up inside the casting and locked in place, and then set your Z axis depths using the knee movement. I now only use the spindle for drilling or boring. But the same ideas are just as important and maybe more so for your type of mill. The more you extend the spindle outside the head casting, the more leverage it has to affect your machines overall rigidity on that column. You might want to try locking your spindle while it's as far inside the head casting as possible, and then set your Z axis height by moving the whole head. That head movement is probably not set up to be as precise as moving the spindle is, so you could use a dial indicator to measure your head movements within the indicators travel limits. I think you might see a real noticeable improvement in how your mill works, surface finish, and even accuracy if you try doing it that way. A nice side effect is you end up having the head farther down the column and closer to where that column attaches to the main base casting. That will also help to set your machine into the most rigid position possible.

Pete
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