New Build, Aluminium Frame Router/Mill

[Davek0974]

Well, she survived the rewire and panel fitting, also got the VFD fitted and spindle running under 0-10v and stop/start from the BOB. Surprised how quiet the motor is.

Installed the new screen-set (2010) and got that going, looks nice. Tweaked the homing speed and at 15% the homing accuracy is now +0 to -0.02mm which is far better and will leave it there for now.

Questions ---

Touch plate -
to make this work i need to connect the probe input to ground via my tool, I presume it is OK to connect the BOB 0v line to machine chassis in order to make this work with only one probe wire??

Spinde Stop -
Do we use coast-to-stop or ramp-to-stop??

Spindle acceleration -
What sort of spin-up setting is good in the VFD?
I presume this also goes in Mach3 Spindle delays?

Got to finish my bed plate now...

[Davek0974]

Thats enough for one day ;)

Got the main bed plate on, aluminium top-bed needs to be drilled and tapped for hold-downs etc, thats tomorrows job.



Coming along :)

[JAZZCNC]

Coming along nice Dave.

Touch plate -
to make this work i need to connect the probe input to ground via my tool, I presume it is OK to connect the BOB 0v line to machine chassis in order to make this work with only one probe wire??

Yes can do it that way thou need to be careful and check the probe by touching tool every time just in case tool doesn't conduct very well ie: coated etc.
IT's good habbit to get into.

Spinde Stop -
Do we use coast-to-stop or ramp-to-stop??

Little bit of DC braking won't hurt but not too much else trip VFD with large tools.

Spindle acceleration -
What sort of spin-up setting is good in the VFD?
I presume this also goes in Mach3 Spindle delays?

I have mine set to 2 or 3 secs and spindle delay set to 2. Again if spindle startup too fast you'll get vfd throwing up error codes.
Mach delay needs to be about the same delay.

[Davek0974]

Thanks Jazz,

Will set those tomorrow.

I might have to re-visit my linear rail parallel setting - something appears to have moved slightly during build as the top-right corner of my bed seems about 0.3mm high compared to the other three which are relatively true. As you can see in the pic, I have mounted a DTI on my spindle clamp and was measuring the bed while jogging around.

Its a bit of a pain as it means almost full strip-down, not sure i can shim the bed that much to get it happy, will have another look tomorrow.

[Davek0974]

She's done! (well just about )


This was encouraging - A 300mm square placed on the bed and against the face of the Z axis tool mount - perfectly square, I was impressed with this little fact


The fixed tool-change plate for the 2010 screen-set was hastily made up from a length of nylon with an M8 bolt in the top that had the face ground flat, it lives in the top R/H corner of my bed.

The movable plate was a simple bit of unused copper PCB.

The tool change and probing routine took a bit of getting used to, as will the initial set-up for new materials etc, its all totally alien form my experience in plasma cutting, lots to learn.

A lump of junk alu was then clamped down with overkill clamps and a further half an hour expended trying to figure out the correct probing routine for a new job

The G-code i prepared was too big for the scrap so thats why it got cut off, I was running out of time :)

I used the WD40 in one hand and the blow gun in the other, a pretty intense minute or so followed as she cut her first metal.



Messy or what ?

Anyway, the result was excellent, expecting a broken tool I threw in an older 5mm HSS three-flute and tweaked the g-code down from carbide speeds, this ended up at 12000rpm and 800mm/min cut with 500mm/min ramp. Ramped in to 3mm deep on the pocket and 5mm deep on the outside.

I'm pretty stoked at the result, a simple feat but nerve-wrecking when not used a CNC before, coming from manual milling it feels odd having the control of feed and speed taken away from you!

BTW, I removed the bed and refitted it, with minor shimming I got the variation corner-corner down to below 0.1mm which i think bearing in mind the way these machines are constructed is pretty good.

Now I need to build the fogless coolant thingy and get that going before doing some proper tests.

[JAZZCNC]

Looking good dave and nice to see a proper Chip not dust. .

[Davek0974]

I don't baby my tools, causes more trouble than needed, need a good chip to carry the heat away.

As the scrap was smaller than the code, it ramped down mostly in air and slammed into the side of the part at full depth, didn't bother it all :)

It was a tense moment though I must admit ;)

Need to get the lube system working now, got a couple of jobs lined up already.
Maybe add some chip-guards as well to keep the crud on the table and not all up the wall.

[Ger21]

I'm pretty stoked at the result, a simple feat but nerve-wrecking when not used a CNC before, coming from manual milling it feels odd having the control of feed and speed taken away from you!

You still have control with the override sliders. Just grab the orange bars and drag them up or down, or type in a specific amount.