[TiagoSantos]

As some of you may have read on my other thread, I have a complete RF-40 and an almost complete RF-45. I got the 45 for a steal (I only needed the column) and it came with almost everything, BUT a table.

The plan for the moment is to convert the head to belt drive, get the Z axis ready for CNC, then move the 45 column and head to the old RF-40 which has already been converted.

BUT.. If I could find a table or something I can use as a table for the RF-45, I could use that instead, along with the slightly bigger base and longer Y travels.

I've tried a few sources for spare tables but doesn't seem like I'll have any luck. I've got a bunch of linear rails that I could use, so I'd settle for something I could adapt to the saddle with the linear rails rather than using the dovetails. I've even thought of a nice plate of steel that I could then surface on the machine itself and drill out a bunch of holes as a makeshift tooling plate. Tool steel is expensive, but a 3/4" x 10" x 36" plate of 1018 cold rolled is pretty darn cheap, and easy to machine.

The upside of all this work is I could sell my RF-40 complete as is and offset a lot of costs for CNC'ing the 45..

Any ideas? What would you do if you needed a spare table?

[TiagoSantos]

Best options I found so far are a 29.5x7" table for $330 shipped from the UK, or a g0704 table which is 26 5/8 x 7" for 214 + shipping.

Grizzly lists the RF45 table for $420.. If I knew for sure that it would fit, it seems like an ok price, but there's probably no way to tell.

[Tex-VA]

Hey Tiago, The Little Machine Shop has a longer replacement table for the X-3 mill that might be good if you're going to rework it anyway. The price is much better and it's in North America. Good luck with your mill. Tex

Super X3L Long Table Kit - LittleMachineShop.com

[wizard]

Excuse me a metal recycling center! You might lick out and find an old mill coming through that you could strip a table off. Machined to accept your linear ways and you are all set.

As some of you may have read on my other thread, I have a complete RF-40 and an almost complete RF-45. I got the 45 for a steal (I only needed the column) and it came with almost everything, BUT a table.

The plan for the moment is to convert the head to belt drive, get the Z axis ready for CNC, then move the 45 column and head to the old RF-40 which has already been converted.

BUT.. If I could find a table or something I can use as a table for the RF-45, I could use that instead, along with the slightly bigger base and longer Y travels.

I've tried a few sources for spare tables but doesn't seem like I'll have any luck. I've got a bunch of linear rails that I could use, so I'd settle for something I could adapt to the saddle with the linear rails rather than using the dovetails. I've even thought of a nice plate of steel that I could then surface on the machine itself and drill out a bunch of holes as a makeshift tooling plate. Tool steel is expensive, but a 3/4" x 10" x 36" plate of 1018 cold rolled is pretty darn cheap, and easy to machine.

There is nothing wrong with a steel plate if is stress relieved steel. Further it should be cut out of the parent material not burnt out with a torch or plasma. Stress relieved wold result in hopefully more stability over time. However 3/4" is way to thin!!! Think about your average mill table. Further 3/4" doesn't offer much in the way of thickness for drilled and tapped mounting screw holes.

Think about the threaded holes a bit because you will want those holes counter bored at least one thread pitch deep to keep the threads away from the surface of the table. More so if you make an array of holes you may want different sizes or dowel pin holes.

In any even a quick guess would be that inch and a quarter is a minimal thickness for such a table. Yes it would be heavy but probably less so than a regular Bridgeport table.

The upside of all this work is I could sell my RF-40 complete as is and offset a lot of costs for CNC'ing the 45..

Any ideas? What would you do if you needed a spare table?

Search junk yards first and then go with a slab of iron or steel if a used table isn't found. In either case make use of the linear bearings you have.

[TiagoSantos]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a local place where machinery goes to die.. I've called the metal recyclers that I could find and none seem to ever see milling machines. There isn't a whole lot of industry up here ( which also seems to explain the ridiculous prices bridgeports and similar clones sell for - a $1500 Bridgeport is a mirage in BC).

Yeah, the steel plate might be a last resort and you're right, 3/4in might not be enough! Much better off waiting for the right table to pop up.. The UK table is long enough for my needs, but at 7" wide and with 9" of travel, I'd be hanging off the table a bit..

[wizard]

A steel plate isn't going to be flat and parallel enough from the mill so if you go that route you will need to get somebody to mill or grind it flat and parallel. If machine shops are thin in your area that could be a problem. Of course you could hand scrape it in.

Just something to keep in mind when buying a plate. Finding a supplier that offers machining services might help.

Thanks for the suggestions guys. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a local place where machinery goes to die.. I've called the metal recyclers that I could find and none seem to ever see milling machines. There isn't a whole lot of industry up here ( which also seems to explain the ridiculous prices bridgeports and similar clones sell for - a $1500 Bridgeport is a mirage in BC).

Yeah, the steel plate might be a last resort and you're right, 3/4in might not be enough! Much better off waiting for the right table to pop up.. The UK table is long enough for my needs, but at 7" wide and with 9" of travel, I'd be hanging off the table a bit..

Well 3/4" isn't thick enough for a mill to machine other metals on. However that has a lot to do with length. You could always buy a big chunk of cast iron and have that machined to order. I suspect that after a bit this mill might not look like the bargain it first seemed to be.

That takes us back to the idea of taking the table off the existing mill to transfer to this new one.

[SCzEngrgGroup]

Getting a big slab of anything, then having it surface ground into a shape suitable for any kind of machine table will cost you far more than any of the replacement tables you listed above. A piece of steel or cast iron as big as a G0704 table will probably cost you $200. Getting it ground will likely at least that much more, without even finishing the sides. And all you've got at that point is a big rectangular slab of metal - no T-slots, no means of mounting it, etc..

Regards,
Ray L.

[TiagoSantos]

I agree, the big plate of steel idea isn't great. I would have to really luck out on a great deal - like a surplus big fat piece of ground tool steel.

I bought this machine for the column and I still think the 500 bucks I paid was a nice deal. The spare complete head was a great bonus, the base and the saddle... Well, I'm just trying to find a use for them!

[hoss2006]

You could contact Weiss Machinery in china to see what that would run you, I've ordered parts from them before.
M1150-WMD45-Milling&Drilling Machine-WEISS MACHINERY
They may refer you to Precision Mathews to order the part.
PM45MMill
Do you have the gib strips?
Bet the price is very reasonable, shipping will be a bear if you need it quick.
The grizzly 9 1/2 x 32 table may be worth the money in the end, you'd still be at half the price of a new rf45.
Hoss

[TiagoSantos]

I did email Weiss, their first reply was that they didn't know what I meant by table I sent them another email last night with a diagram so hopefully that will help!

[TiagoSantos]

Yeah, found a 9x36" bridgeport table on eBay for $299, but a shipping quote from CT to WA was $368.. And I would still have to drive down across the border to pick it up, plus handling a 300lb pallet... Yeah, guess not!

The grizzly tables are looking mighty fine right now, since I haven't heard back from Weiss.

I did watch the David deCaussin video again last night where he mentions he machined the table for his UMC10 out of 1.5" thick cold rolled steel plate.. Hmmmm...

[TiagoSantos]

Fingers crossed, I may have found the perfect table! The price is right, but we're still trying to figure out how much it'll cost to ship from Taiwan.. It is from a machine with linear rails, so it'll already be machined for the rails, which saves me a heck of a lot of work!

[wizard]

Fingers crossed, I may have found the perfect table! The price is right, but we're still trying to figure out how much it'll cost to ship from Taiwan.. It is from a machine with linear rails, so it'll already be machined for the rails, which saves me a heck of a lot of work!

Nice! Just hope that it is already drilled for a bolt hole pattern matching your rails.

[vcatalasan]

Best options I found so far are a 29.5x7" table for $330 shipped from the UK, or a g0704 table which is 26 5/8 x 7" for 214 + shipping.

Grizzly lists the RF45 table for $420.. If I knew for sure that it would fit, it seems like an ok price, but there's probably no way to tell.

Where can we get a G0704 table for $214?

[TiagoSantos]

Grizzly.com - can't see the spare parts section on my phone, but it's there somewhere.

Well, the nice table from Taiwan is $240, great price for a 30.5x9.5 table already machined for linear rails. I'd probably still need to drill holes but at least they would have a flat reference surface and no dovetails to get rid of! But shipping was $540.. Through DHL. I'm asking them if there isn't a cheaper, slower option. I'm trying my best to not spend more than $500 on this table idea!

[hndswthtshdws]

Why does that table have to be flat? As long as the rails are mounted parallel and on the same plane couldn't you just chuck up a fly cutter and make the table flat yourself once assembled?

[109jb]

Why does that table have to be flat? As long as the rails are mounted parallel and on the same plane couldn't you just chuck up a fly cutter and make the table flat yourself once assembled?

Most mills can't reach the extents of the table with a flycutter. The RF45 being one such mill.

[TiagoSantos]

^^what he said

It's not impossible, I could machine the portions that the mill won't reach beforehand to leave the travel area raised a few thousandths. But.. It would also be useful to have a reference surface before hand to machine the slots for the rails.

Nothing is impossible, right now I'm just trying to decide how much effort I want to put into this and how much money I'm willing to spend. If I can get the table from Taiwan out here for $500, that would be perfect. Fingers crossed!