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VMC Tooling Advice Needed!
Hi everyone,
I have just picked up up a Myford VMC and am trying to get me head around how to use it and the different tooling (and terminology!) that came with it.
I have worked out that the machine has a R8 taper and it came with a few different tool holding parts.
Attachment 13248
The picture shows the following:-
Clarkson Autolock Chuck (and a load of end mills to fit)
ER32 Chuck and collets
A face mill
An Albrecht drill chuck (in a R8 adapter)
A Jacobs Drill Chuck
So my question is is any of these worth keeping or would I be better selling them and buying something else? The ER32 set looks like it would be very useful but the Clarkson autolock chuck already had a load of end mills with it (more not pictured). I guess I cant use the threaded end mills with the ER chuck?
Not sure if the drill chucks are worthwhile as I have a pillar drill? Or I guess the mill would be more accurate (Mill also has 3 axis DRO's).
Any advice to this novice would be most welcome! :nevreness:
Thanks,
Jim
Re: VMC Tooling Advice Needed!
Depending on what you plan to do with the machine, you might choose to ditch this lot and start again. But I wouldn't! That's a great set of starter tooling. Use the Autolock chuck with the screwed shank endmills, with the ER32 as backup if you get any metric shank cutters (assuming that the Autolock is imperial) or plain shank cutters. ER32 is also useful for larger drills that don't fit the drill chuck. I use ER32 for all my cutters (including screwed shank) as I don't have an Autolock but the latter gives a better grip on the cutter. Facemill - useful for cleaning up faces, obviously, and covers a much wider surface than any normal endmill. I've added a boring head for accurate hole-making. After that, you'll be thinking about work-holding - machine vice, clamping studs, t-nuts, etc, but maybe those were part of the deal. 3 axis DRO as well - that's a pretty useful set of kit you've got there.
Re: VMC Tooling Advice Needed!
Thanks for the reply Neale, and thanks for the advice
Well I plan to cut aluminium and steel - Mainly to make parts for a new diy cnc - I can see a boring head would be used a lot. I know there is a boring head with a lot of cutters in one of boxes of bits but I haven't checked it out yet.
Also included was a couple of machine vices, a set of clamping stuff and also a rotary table.
My inner geek is looking forward to checking out the DRO - Looks really complex and impressive with lights and buttons (no idea what they do...)! The lathe that is coming also has a 2 axis DRO :tickled_pink:
Interesting that you have used the threaded end mills with the ER chuck. Have you had any problem with this? I imagine you need to make sure that the collet has enough non-threaded section to grip?
Possible stupid question, but I cannot see any way to lock the spindle to allow me to change cutters when using the Autolock or the ER32? On both chucks there are no flat spots to put a spanner on? Is this normal?
Jim
Re: VMC Tooling Advice Needed!
Even threaded shank cutters have enough plain section for a collet to grip - haven't had a problem (although most of my cutters are plain shank anyway).
I have a Warco VMC, broadly similar to your machine; I flip the lid open and hold the pulley to "lock" the spindle and that's always worked OK for me.
DRO's are great. I doubt if I've looked at a dial on my VMC more than a half-dozen times since I've had it. No more losing count when you are moving a couple of inches, trivial picking up centre lines with a wiggler, etc.
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Re: VMC Tooling Advice Needed!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Neale
Even threaded shank cutters have enough plain section for a collet to grip - haven't had a problem (although most of my cutters are plain shank anyway).
Ah ok thanks, good to know.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Neale
I have a Warco VMC, broadly similar to your machine; I flip the lid open and hold the pulley to "lock" the spindle and that's always worked OK for me.
Yes that is what I had to do to release a cutter that was already in the autolock - It was VERY difficult though (took far longer than it should have), could not for the life of me get a good grip on the pulley. Maybe I will get use to it but I think I will try and come up with a easier solution. Maybe I could make a tool to slip over the "cog" part (or maybe one already exists?).
Attachment 13257
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Neale
DRO's are great. I doubt if I've looked at a dial on my VMC more than a half-dozen times since I've had it. No more losing count when you are moving a couple of inches, trivial picking up centre lines with a wiggler, etc.
Wiggler? Is this the tool used to find the edge of the work piece? So to find a centre line I guess you would find the edge of the workpiece with the wiggler, zero the DRO, find the opposite edge and the centre will be half the dro reading?
Jim
Re: VMC Tooling Advice Needed!
To unlock a tool, I would hold the spanner in place on the chuck nose and give it a tap with a rubber mallet. The inertia of the drive system means that most of the shock goes into undoing the locking part. Helps if you put the machine in lowest speed as well. Hopefully that's the last time you will need shock tactics, though!
My DRO lets me "find" an edge with a wiggler. I zero that axis, then pick up the opposite edge. Then there's a "halfway" button on the DRO that sets zero to halfway between the two settings. No arithmetic needed, don't need to know the diameter of the tip of the wiggler, even! Even if you want to zero on an edge, and are going to be using metric coordinates, say, you can pick up the edge with the wiggler, then set the coordinates to half the wiggler diameter (0.25" in my case), and zero is on the edge. Then switch to mm and away you go! So much easier than dials...
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Re: VMC Tooling Advice Needed!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Neale
To unlock a tool, I would hold the spanner in place on the chuck nose and give it a tap with a rubber mallet. The inertia of the drive system means that most of the shock goes into undoing the locking part. Helps if you put the machine in lowest speed as well. Hopefully that's the last time you will need shock tactics, though!
Good tip! I suppose the other consideration is tightening the tool...
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Neale
My DRO lets me "find" an edge with a wiggler. I zero that axis, then pick up the opposite edge. Then there's a "halfway" button on the DRO that sets zero to halfway between the two settings. No arithmetic needed, don't need to know the diameter of the tip of the wiggler, even! Even if you want to zero on an edge, and are going to be using metric coordinates, say, you can pick up the edge with the wiggler, then set the coordinates to half the wiggler diameter (0.25" in my case), and zero is on the edge. Then switch to mm and away you go! So much easier than dials...
Ah I see - Sounds very useful, hopefully my DRO has a similar function. Of to search the internet for a manual!
Attachment 13258
I don't suppose you know what is missing from the side of the mill do you? Does your Warco have a similar hole on the side?
Re: VMC Tooling Advice Needed!
Hi Jim
Congrats on your new purchase you have a good selection of kit with it and i couldn't see you needing much more, only disadvantage of using ER32 is the posibility of the tool coming loose and marring the collet, the Clarkson tightens the cutter hard into the rear centre so is not an issue, but i am not fortunate enough to have anything so exotic and it seems to work for Neale.
Happy metal munching
Mike
Re: VMC Tooling Advice Needed!
It worried me a bit at first, Mike, as my previous mill had an Autolock-style holder. That was on a 2MT shank, though, so not so useful with an R8 spindle (and having used both, I would have R8 over MT anyday). I haven't done any really heavy cutting, but no problems so far. It does mean that I'm not restricted to screwed shank cutters. I mainly use imperial size cutters and I only have metric ER32 collets, but they seem to grip OK. I have wondered about buying a few specific imperial collets to suit my cutters, just to minimise the closure of the collet and get maximum grip. I could imagine that the Autolock would be better for CNC work, where you might want to change cutters and go back to a known Z height setting; CNC conversion is on the plan but still a fair way off for me!
Not sure about the hole in the side. Might have been for some kind of switch box? Access to internal wiring? My machine has a removable panel on the back. The Warco version actually has a couple of 1" or so holes at that point, one each side, so that you can stick a bar through to take lifting strops.
DRO appears to be Newall - decent make, hope you can find a manual for it. It has the 1/2 button for finding mid-lines, so you're in luck there!
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Re: VMC Tooling Advice Needed!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
mekanik
Hi Jim
Congrats on your new purchase you have a good selection of kit with it and i couldn't see you needing much more, only disadvantage of using ER32 is the posibility of the tool coming loose and marring the collet, the Clarkson tightens the cutter hard into the rear centre so is not an issue, but i am not fortunate enough to have anything so exotic and it seems to work for Neale.
Happy metal munching
Mike
Cheers Mike - I am really eager to start cutting something but I am holding off until I understand how to operate the machine and tooling properly! The mill needs a good clean and I want to make sure everything that needs lubrication has it. Also it has not been levelled yet, just dumped in the garage! I got it as part of a home workshop clear out and there are still boxes I haven't checked out yet.....
This is the latest find - a boring head and a number of different types of homemade looking boring tools (I think!). I guess the longer ones would be more useful on the lathe?
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Attachment 13261
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Neale
Not sure about the hole in the side. Might have been for some kind of switch box? Access to internal wiring? My machine has a removable panel on the back. The Warco version actually has a couple of 1" or so holes at that point, one each side, so that you can stick a bar through to take lifting strops.
DRO appears to be Newall - decent make, hope you can find a manual for it. It has the 1/2 button for finding mid-lines, so you're in luck there!
Hmmm it is odd - There is a control box on the other side. I will investigate to see if its hiding a matching hole behind it. I think I will make a plate to cover it, maybe attach a flexible light to it.
Dead easy to find the manual for the DRO - Good spot on the 1/2 button!
http://www.newall.com/upload/content..._MANUAL_en.pdf
Jim
Re: VMC Tooling Advice Needed!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
cncJim
Hmmm it is odd - There is a control box on the other side. I will investigate to see if its hiding a matching hole behind it. I think I will make a plate to cover it, maybe attach a flexible light to it.
Looks like a control box was there.
http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Nick...?sort=3&page=1
Re: VMC Tooling Advice Needed!
Ahhhh ok, so the control box was originally on that side and at some point in its life had it moved to the other side. I guess it was moved when the DRO was added? Cheers for that Eddy! :applause:
Re: VMC Tooling Advice Needed!
It's a Trappaning Head used to cut holes in thin material, small hole is drilled in material same size as the bottom spigot and machine set to slow speed.
Mike
Re: VMC Tooling Advice Needed!
Nah that's not a Fly cutter or a boring bar it's some kind of knife like a tangential knife look at the blade it's sharp and angled like a stanley blade and blade doesn't clear the boss sticking down from main shaft. I reckon this boss goes into a hole on fixture of some kind and it's a knife for cutting something hard like leather.?
Re: VMC Tooling Advice Needed!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
mekanik
It's a Trappaning Head used to cut holes in thin material, small hole is drilled in material same size as the bottom spigot and machine set to slow speed.
Mike
Or it's what he said. . .Lol
Re: VMC Tooling Advice Needed!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
irving2008
That's not a boring head it's an adjustable fly cutter IMHO.
A
boring head is much more substantial.
Irving...
Ah, when I mentioned the boring head I was referring to the tool in the first picture (in the right hand tub) which I knew was 100% a boring head......... only because it said so on the side! lol! :)
I still thought the tool in the second picture was some sort of boring tool so thanks everyone for putting me straight. :thumsup:
