Warco Major CNC build log

[Robin Hewitt]

X handle fitted and screw tensioned, Pic 1

An overall pic 2

I'm going to test this out before I redo the Z, see how Gary's screws perform before I buy any more.

I have to take it all apart tomorrow, add the other 3 bolts to the X nut housing, lube the slides, add some Loctite so things can't twist etc.

2 problems

I'm getting a collision at either end of the X travel so I'm not quite getting quite as much as I was looking for, need to go back to the drawings for that one,

The old pulley on the X motor doesn't want to come off. Easy to shatter the magnet in an Escap Discmagnet motor if you end load the shaft, I'll have to contrive some kind of puller.
Still, not bad for one day
Incidentally, I have a new 16mm drill chuk on there, 100% better than the Warco supplied one, got it from RDG tools for £22

Robin

[irving2008]

Incidentally, I have a new 16mm drill chuk on there, 100% better than the Warco supplied one, got it from RDG tools for £22

Robin

Looking good Robin - I wonder how similar my Minor is? BTW, I have the same chuck, is yours on an MT3 or R8 taper?

[Robin Hewitt]

Hi Irving it's Morse :D

I got the lack of travel nearly sorted today by angle grinder. Tested it with a loose Gibb, lost about 1cm with a tight Gibb. Can only be a few thou left to remove think I'll leave that until I need it an extra cm. Pics attached.

THE BIG BACKLASH TEST (this being the whole point of the exercise)

Put a DTI on the bed and turned the handle, by hand. I could feel the stepper motor cogging and with the 2.5:1 reduction the slide should move .01mm per clunk, 0.0004".

Well it didn't move that far when I sat there rocking it back and forth one clunk, but it did move a little bit so backlash is now <10 microns, not bad for 20 micron nuts

I totally destroyed one of the stepper motors while trying to remove the old pulley. I was thinking to replace them anyway with some of these new fangled hybrids.

Robin

[Robin Hewitt]

I have just sent the picture for the Z axis screw machining to Gary and ordered a girt lump of aluminium.

The spindle doesn't like running at 5000 rpm which is top whack, 2500 rpm of the pulleys and 100Hz from the inverter, the bearings run hot. I would actually like twice that so I can run tiny ball end mills.

The plan is a false spindle set inside a 3MT soft end arbor and a lay shaft with two timing belts. That way the false spindle with it's ER11 collet can turn at 9 times the main spindle speed.
Give me something to do while I wait for the Z screw