[LatheMaster]

Well I have most of what I need and have drilled enough of you with a million questions so it is now time to start my build . I had a piece of 1.5" ply already so with $25 in wood I was able to build a descent bench . I will add improvements to it later but for now lets get the thing running . Im not one to engineer everything in advance . I like to engineer as I go along . It gives me a better visual of whats going on and where I want to go .

Heres my bench to start with and all the parts I have rounded up .

CNC Fusion has some great vids for doing there install . Kits a little pricey but the design is proven . I got the #4 kit for the X2 and the add on for the extended travel LMS X2 and had all the balls preloaded .

CNC Fusion $725.00

So far the electronics I have are as follows (all from Keling):

3x KL23H2100-35-4B (1/4” Dual shaft with a flat) 381 oz-in Page Title $49.00 x3 $147.00
1x KL-600-48 48V/12.5A 115V /230V Power Supply Page Title $129.95
1x G540 4 Axis driver Page Title $240.00

Last but not least LMS X2 Mini Mill LittleMachineShop.com - HiTorque Mini Mill $800.00 (apprx. shipped with drill chuck)
(Glad I got it when I did , its on Backorder now)




Disclaimer : I am new to building a CNC but have 15 yrs of machining experience . I will not be held responsible if anyone plagorizes my stupid mistakes .:violin:

[LatheMaster]

Reserved (group)

[chipslinger69]

Anxiously waiting on the tear down and build. Are you going to reinforce the column with a steel or aluminum plate or channel? Did you run the mill yet to make sure all of the electronics are functioning properly? In pic number 3 it looks as though you have a Robart airplane cradle in the background. You into rc planes?

[LatheMaster]

Anxiously waiting on the tear down and build. Are you going to reinforce the column with a steel or aluminum plate or channel? Did you run the mill yet to make sure all of the electronics are functioning properly? In pic number 3 it looks as though you have a Robart airplane cradle in the background. You into rc planes?

Hey chipslinger . I like your screen name . Hoss2006 just replied to me on the column brace . I was thinking steel or aluminum and just making a flat plate to go from the base to the column . I like some of the designs Hoss has on his site but half of them are overkill for what I will be doing . Check them out on the link . I wont bother with the plate though till the conversion is done . Some machinable wax and very small aluminum piece is all I will be working with at first so it can wait .

Its about 2/3rds the way down the page .
Shop Info

I am into RC airplanes bigtime . Its my passion along with machining . Heres a link to my RC-Groups blog . It has a few of my planes in it .
MikeMcChiken's blog - RC Groups

I ran the spindle and it is nice and quiet . None of the other gear will be checked out for at least a week .

Starting taredown in a few minutes .

[chipslinger69]

A little off of the subject but here are just a few of my play toys. I've got 12 planes so only a few of them ever get flown. I have been flying since I was 12 years old so for about 25 years.
http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/g...li/zzzzz-1.jpg
http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/g..._1790444_n.jpg
http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/g..._7395183_n.jpg
http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/g.../edgebox-1.jpg
http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/g...i/lg-90474.jpg

[LatheMaster]

Sweet fleet . Looks like a Revo you got there all aluminumed out . Can I assume you made all the parts ? What kinda Yak is your 'biggie' one ?

I started these (pics below) . They allow the use of a 1/8th scale team losi shock on a T-Max . I designed and built one set for a guy at a hobbie store and I got a new 3.3 Traxas motor for my troubles . I surly didnt come out ahead but I learned a lot doing it . I need to finish my set to test them out . I plan on converting my T-Max to electric for kicks and giggles . I just need to figure out a tranny design to get about a 10:1 gear ratio . Stock is like 23:1 .

It certainly is a small world .

I have the Z done so far and am working on the Y right now . I will get some new threads posted with pics in the next couple days .

[cornbinder23]

nope thats a Tmaxx, Revo has inboard suspension, Its amazing how all us "bigboys" have all the same hobbies

I do custom 1/8th electric and nitro stuff and race them

JTCUSTOMS

[chipslinger69]

Yeah it's a T-Maxx. The only thing I can take credit for is the big block chassis and chassis braces. The rest are aftermarket parts. The rest of the parts are just to time consuming for a manual Bridgeport.

[LatheMaster]

Heres some of the teardown pics . I think I tore it down further than I needed to but I wanted to clean the ways and dovetails and put some fresh grease on them . There was no casting sand on anything . There was a spot of red camel cum still inside the base but all was coated , by LMS , with something that smelled like gun oil .

Even if you dont convert one of these , you want to tear it down and just go through everything . Maybe put loctite on bolts or just make sure everything is tightened and lined up correctly . Mine had stuff loose in places that could cause problems later on .

[LatheMaster]

Here is installing on the Z-axis adaptor . It was a pain in the butt to try and grind down a allen to fit . My benchgrinder boggs down cause it has a tired motor and its small . To tell you how old it is it was made by Toastmaster . I lost the tiny screw to the arbor for my dremel cutoff wheel . CNCFusion needs to space the 2 extra bolt holes another .300 apart . There right on the edge of the slot down the center of the column .

While tearing this down I already have a vision of a solid steel "LatheMaster" design X2.5 . Hardest part will be getting my work to let me use one of there big Kuraki's .

All the CNCFusion stuff pretty much just bolts up . The connector to the column will need those 2 extra holes drilled and thats it . One little complaint is they should include a little spanner wrench for the special little nuts that tighten the lead screws bearings . Not sure if we have one at work .

[chipslinger69]

Most of the cap screws use a 5mm allen wrench don't they? Just trying to figure out what you had to grind down.

[LatheMaster]

Most of the cap screws use a 5mm allen wrench don't they? Just trying to figure out what you had to grind down.

The aluminum piece that mounts to the spindle body has a bolt that goes through the hole where the z-axis feed handle shaft was (from the inside of the spindle body) . There is limited room to fit a 10mm allen wrench in . There is not only limited room to get allen wrench in the bolt but also limited room to tighten it . If CNCFusion would counter sink the outside of the block for the bolt and just use a nut and a washer like on the column plate it would be much easier . Didnt really look at it closely but there might not be room to do what I mentioned . A counterbored hole for the head on that size bolt might interfere with the lead screw .

This is the piece I am talking about .

[LatheMaster]

While it was torn down I figured i'd cut the section for the extra Y travel . When I got the Y assembled I found the ballscrew could have been at least a 1/2" longer . The area on the base that every one is cutting or grinding down doesn't even come into play with the CNCFusion kit . I have 4.5 inches of travel in the Y just with that kit . If I modify there Y bearing block I can get almost a 1/2" more . If I made a new screw I could probly get 3/4" total . I think I saw in another thread someone bored a hole in the base in line with the Y screw .

The Y was pretty easy to put together . Just have to put the machine on its back . The carriage needs to be on it too . Move carriage back towards column and move the balls all the way to the end of the screw . Goes in easy then .

[LatheMaster]

Some pics here of the stepper motor and bearing blocks . I think they put +/- backwards . I fliped the X mounting block but couldnt flip the Y . I guess I could but the Y would be upside down . Others must look at it from the spindles point of view . I look at the arrows and figure table movement .

The X was easy too . Just drop in the lead screw . The threaded end to the right . The X block goes in between the table and stock bearing block . LMS gives you longer bolts . I wondered what the heck the long bolts were for . I left the X block in the kitchen and put the X together without it . After 10 minutes of starring I watched the last video , on CNCFusions site , to get a refresher course on the X . Dur DUUUURRRR .

The last pic is of a way to move your axis when aligning everything . Use a 1/4" allen in one of the lovejoys and put the other ends on the X and Y . Then you can plug into which ever one you want to turn . Even better if you have a T handle allen . It also helps in putting the screws on so you have something to grip and keep the screw from spinning .

[chipslinger69]

Coming along nicely. The only thing I would do different is use something such as 5w30 oil on the screws and ways. From my past experiences grease holds cuttings (swarf) way to well. Imagine the havoc it would wreak on those ballnuts and screws. But that's just my opinion. Did you ever find out what size spanner you need for the retainer nuts or did you just use a set of pliers?

[cyclestart]

I've never thought of any of the XYZ +/- markings as being backwards until you mentioned it. The markings agree with the Right Hand Rule
canplastics.com - Canadian Plastics - Tooling Tips: ABC's of Machine Movement

CNCFusion really should consider including a c-spanner in the kit. How much could a stamped piece of steel possibly cost ? Maybe they haven't found a source.

[LatheMaster]

Coming along nicely. The only thing I would do different is use something such as 5w30 oil on the screws and ways. From my past experiences grease holds cuttings (swarf) way to well. Imagine the havoc it would wreak on those ballnuts and screws. But that's just my opinion. Did you ever find out what size spanner you need for the retainer nuts or did you just use a set of pliers?

Spanner size is 14mm per video on CNCFusions site . I choose plyers . Worked fine . I just wanted to break it in with grease . I'll use vactra#4 on the screws and #2 on the ways in the future .

Time to dig into the electronics . I dont have an e-stop button yet but I think you need one to get the geko g540 to work . Guess I could use a non-latching type buton for now . Heck , wouldnt a light switch work ?

Do I need shielded wire for both steppers and home switches ? Or just one of them ? 22ga okay ?

[cornbinder23]

You can just use a little piece of wire to jumper out the input for the e-stop
to test it out

great little controller and easy to hook up

JTCUSOMS

[LatheMaster]

I have a question here . I have the powersupply and not sure what certain things mean on it . I am guessing that L=hot=black wire which goes to the small prong that plugs into the wall . N= neutral which is a white wire and the fatter prong on the plug and the round prong is G=ground which is green ? Can L and N be reversed since AC is bi-directional (just wondering out of curiousity) ? Also for the main power there is no ground hookup . Do I run the ground wire comming from 110 to the chasis or since I dont live in an old house can I just not hook the ground up from the 110v outlet ?

I have no clue what FG and NC is .

I have no clue what +S or -S is .

Kinda cool all the different voltages I can get out of this unit .

[chipslinger69]

Have you watched these videos? Number 2 might be a little helpful.
Video Instructions how to wire CNC electronics of Stepping motors and Drivers