Here we go again . . . MK4

[routercnc]

Thanks Paulus,

All thoughts are welcome. I did wonder if it might move the part but after it was cut out I grabbed it and tried to pull it around on the spoil board but couldn't move it at all. It was pretty solid.
I've cut lots of parts out using this spoilboard method and not seen this result before.
Also before I started the profile cut out I marked around the perimeter with a pen, and the part had not moved relative to this outline.
For the bores I was also only taking 0.02 mm cuts which is very little tool pressure, just taking whispers of metal off, and yet it still seemed to be progressing in the -Y direction by a small fraction each time.

So at the moment I'm assuming this is a new electrical or mechanical problem that has developed. I've put this poor little machine through quite a workout considering it was meant for plywood and balsa wood, so anything is possible. Maybe it has finally figured out it is making it's successor . . .

I also thought about whether I was missing steps on change of direction, maybe somehow the step active high/low setting had changed? Next chance I get in the workshop I'll check that and I'll run some G-code moving the Y axis back and forth various distances and at various feedrates (without load), stopping back against a DTI, and see what happens. Then I'll take it from there, repeating with the spindle on (no load), then some edge cuts, etc. and see if it returns to DTI zero.

[routercnc]

Time for one of the side jobs. The linear carriages are buried inside the Z axis box so there is no easy access for greasing them. So I designed some remote grease nipple parts, turned from some 10 mm brass bar. Here are some of the almost finished parts (4 off assemblies required, so 2 bits to go . . .plus threads need tidying . . .):


First job was to check the thread size and pitch for these 20mm hiwin carriages - turns out they are M6x0.75 (M6 fine).


So I ordered an M6x0.75 spiral fluted tap and an M6x0.75 die. Quick check to see that I got it right (using the nipples which came with it):


I had some errors transfering the photos for much of the next steps (files were corrupt) so I'll have to skip a few. First part being turned:

.


Then screwed it tight into the carriage and scribed a line on the direction of the outlet tube, and a line perpendicular to that one. This is so the outlet tube points in the right direction (as you will see later), and so that I could align the centre in the vice (next op):


Then I made a fixture which would hold the part and used the perpendicular line to get it in the centre. The outer dia of the fixture was tight against the end stop. This all put the part in the same repeatable position, so I can machine 4 off flats and holes:


Here are the first 2 assemblies, tightened up and pointing the right way (phew!):


Trial fit:


View from the outside:


I'm just in the process of tidying the threads (undercuts, slight taper on first few threads, etc.) so they insert fully home. I've also got to add 2 flats on the outside near the grease nipple so that can be installed/removed with an M8 spanner.

The 4 upper carriages will have this system, but the lower 4 will have the bolts in until they need to be greased then an access panel will be removed from the underside of the Z axis (which keeps out the swarf as it is near the spindle), then the bolt removed and a long straight nipple extension screwed into each carriage in turn. So I only need to make one adapter for the bottom ones and keep it somewhere safe. That's the plan anyway.

[Neale]

I also thought about whether I was missing steps on change of direction, maybe somehow the step active high/low setting had changed? Next chance I get in the workshop I'll check that and I'll run some G-code moving the Y axis back and forth various distances and at various feedrates (without load), stopping back against a DTI, and see what happens. Then I'll take it from there, repeating with the spindle on (no load), then some edge cuts, etc. and see if it returns to DTI zero.

That was my first thought when I saw your post. I found the same problem on my current machine on the Z axis - didn't show up on simple profiling jobs but when I did some heavy-duty 3D carving, it rapidly showed up. It's probably only a single microstep per reversal so a bit of gcode that moves, say, 50 times in each direction and comes back to a dial gauge will show it up. The clue in my case was that the error was pretty consistently number of reverses times distance moved per microstep. At least it's a quick one to check and eliminate!

[routercnc]

I managed to finish off the remote grease extensions. The threads were tied up so the grease nipples now sit flush on the end of the tubes:


Then machined 2 flats (8mm AF) which were aligned to the flats on the grease nipple. This is to allow the tubes be inserted after the bearings are fitted, making it easy to fit/remove the Z axis - something which might happen quite a lot when setting the machine up:


Here they are complete:


The single straight one (left side) is to service the lower bearings and is fitted to each unit as required, then removed.

Then onto the Z axis. These are the large side pieces, each 30mm thick. I'm machining them as a pair to get whilst I get them to size. Outer dimensions on most edges are critical as they will hold a pair of Z axis rails and need to be parallel, true, and hold a tolerance on the dimension.

They are too wide to go on their side on the bed or vice, and too thick to sit flat on the bed, so had to set them up on the edge:


Dialled them in roughly to avoid having to machine too much material away


Tops machined flat - left a tiny bit next to the vice which I filed away by hand:


As the parts were too thick to machine the ends, I marked a datum on the left end (+0.5mm longer than final dimension), and one on the right end.


Then set up a parallel edge. This was so I could flip the parts over and rest the machined edge against this. Took a long time to set it all up and be sure it was good, but them machined the other side.


I was pretty relieved to get to this point with both edges parallel and part to size (96 mm). However what I didn't know at this point was that this new top surface was actually on an angle and it was more like 95.7 mm (!) on the other side. Don't know if the fixture slipped during machining or what. But it is out by way too much for the linear rails.
I think my recovery plan will be to re-machine both parts to 95 mm (1.0mm underside) , and then use machine epoxy behind one set of bearing carriages to fill in the ~1.0mm gap. This might turn out to be a blessing in disguise as this will ensure perfect alignment.

Then onto drilling and tapping the holes. Not much to report here, standard stuff tapped to M5. But I did make this tap guide from a bit of aluminium round. The last part of the hole is tapped to M5, then there is a 6mm clearance. This guides the tap into the thread perfectly. Might make so more for other sizes:



I didn't get a picture of the last ops but I basically machined the ends to final size using the datums machined on an earlier op. I had to flip the part to do both sides.

Once I sort out the edge machining problem, there are some straightforward holes / counterbores to come, then I need to figure out how to machine some detailed features onto the ends. I think I will cut a hole in the table the machine sits on and poke most of it through into the draw space underneath.
The final op after that is to drill an 18mm clearance hole about 200mm long through the centre of the part (ballscrew sits inside). I think I'll do that on the lathe . . . bit more thought required.

[Lee Roberts]

Looking great and coming along nicely!

[routercnc]

Looking great and coming along nicely!

Cheers Lee.

If I get a chance I'll post up a more detailed set of measurements and photos of the long side parts I'm making. Having measured them on my 'surface plate' they are out by more than I thought so I've spent the last few days working out what to do, including starting them again.
They need to be accurately made because they take linear rails on both sides.

Current plan is to use the lathe to square up the parts. I've got a couple of fly cutters on order which will go in the chuck, then I need to make a raised platform which sits on the cross slide (toolpost removed) which will hold the work. I'll then feed they work by winding the crossslide past the chuck and square up the edge. I have a ground straight edge which will sit behind the other edge of the path so when it is flipped over the freshly machined edge will sit against it and mean that the second edge will be parallel to the first.
Only problem is that the cross slide had about 110mm travel and the edge is 310mm long so I will need to index it along the ground reference edge 3 times. Will this give an accurate long edge or will it give an edge with 3 facets? I will find out !

Anyone with a better idea as it won't start work on the raise platform until the weekend ?

[routercnc]

OK here are the detailed measurements showing how far off 96mm width the parts were (!). I think they slipped / tipped in the fixture, which I couldn't tell as I couldn't see the ref surface they were sitting on during the machining.



They are out along the length, and across the width. Annoying but there we go.

Current plan is to machine them square again (but obviously they will be undersize for width). Here is a sketch of what I'm thinking of attempting on the lathe:


I've bought some 5mm thick aluminium strips which I will superglue and bolt to one of the edges using countersunk cap screws, setting them well underflush. Then I'll machine the edge back to get the part 96mm wide, using the lathe again, and then remove all of the screws (except the ones at the far ends which will hold the strip on, along with the glue). I can then attach the rail. Should look like this if all goes well:


If it doesn't work then the strip can come off and I'll try something else. Thought about epoxy levelling all 4 surfaces, which I think can be done if I start on a level surface and do it in the right order so they all end up parallel to each other.

Another option is to do both sides but use steel strips instead. Then get them ground in pairs on a surface grinder so they are parallel and flat to each other.

I knew this bit was going to be challenging, but it must be right otherwise it will bind or not track straight up and down.

[routercnc]

Progress has been slow because this has turned out to be more involved than planned.

I started by making a raised platform for the lathe. This was to hold the part whilst I used a flycutter to trim and true up the long edges, ready to take the add-on strips. Here are the long T-nuts being made:

Started with the drawing and some stock:


Machined to size:


Finished:


Trial fit in the cross slide, plus made up some simple spacer tubes:


The top plate (a large offcut) was bolted and shimmed using shim stock on the spacer tubes until it was as flat as possible:




Then a straight edge was dialled in:


Edge skimmed back:


Glued and countersunk screws used to add the extra strip:


Ready to try again, this time a different set up which shouldn't move!


Skimmed it all down to 96 mm trying to get within 96.00 - 96.05 everywhere. I used the height gauge to check progress and wrote the heights on the part. Here is it getting close.


I also left a machined edge on one of the sides for the rail to align to.






Hopefully that will be good enough for the rails to run on.

Machined the counterbored holes:


Ready for the end features . . .