Buget Warco Major 5 axis conversion

[Tweaky]

Auto tool changer would be nice though, complete the system, …..next time.

Cut my first metal using the X Y controlled by Mach. I faced the blocks for the Z axis, and cut shoulders on each.
What a difference, simply having DRO on the screen is a huge improvement, but coupled with little or no backlash (as opposed to half a turn on the X and a quarter of a turn on the Y) and a “go to” facility and constant federate it is a million miles from how it was.:dance:

I used a newly acquired ripper cutter, 0.5mm side cut, 12mm deep, feed rate 700mm/min. I like this too, fast removal of metal and small chips of swarf, I have not finished these surfaces yet, so have not encountered the “print through” that Robin talked about.

This was the first time I had used G-code as well, and that is not a daunting as I first thought (only simple stuff so far) but this is fun.
Back down to earth though, when I measured the blocks.
Not square by a long way.
I am still using my vice, as I don’t have many clamping bits yet, so I put a parallel in the vice with the DTI on the spindle, blimey, I can file squarer than that!

Before I started on the Z axis, I should have trued the column, so I’ll start there.

Set the DTI on the spindle, with a bar, so that I could measure the compass points, so about 3 ½” from the spindle.
Starting with West set to zero, South was +3 thou., East = +7 thou. and North = +5thou. So that is an error of 0.001” per inch! on the East West axis.
Four hours later, it was zeroed.
Cranked the head up and extended the quill to max, then repeated the tests, OMG.
The quill lock moves the spindle to one side by 0.005” (on a 10” extension from the spindle)?
Removed the quill lock, it is not even cut to fit the column, just an angle each side.
Re-ground the contact surfaces as they were a bit rough.
Now 0.003”, not good, but this must be wear in the quill housing, bugger.
Whilst doing this, I noticed that the head is actually quite well balanced, and if it still had the single phase motor, which is much heavier, I think it would have been near perfect.

Next, I put the vice back on, parallel in the vice and ….. still not square.
Stripped the vice, yuk, made in Poland, but exactly like Chinese machinery, a reasonable collection of bits, but completely un-fettled.
Re-assembled and back on the table it is better to operate, but still not square.
So the next step is to turn the vice over and machine the base, then maybe I can make my Z axis.
Hopefully my finish will have improved with things a little truer.

I have a day off tomorrow, so will hopefully get some actual progress on the machine.

Fursty Ferret time.