[letray]

Ray, Thanks for the reply. I now have two drives running under MACH3 control. I was setting the Pulse Train "1" in the zero position not the one of Pn000. When I figured this out everthing started to work properly. I built a buffered two axis breakout board that seems to be working. I am now gathering the parts to make a four axis breakout board. Do you recommend turning the servo on (S/on) on when the system powers on or controlling it some other way? Some of my servo drives have 24v holding brakes. I was thinking about using one of these to drive the Z-axis. Do you know a way to release the brake just prior to a Z-axis move?

[RayGardiner]

Hi Ray,

Good to hear it's up and running, I have servo_on whenever system is powered, the servo's will hold position without needing brakes... I'm not entirely sure (it depends on your equipment setup) but I don't think you need brakes on Z, if you do then I'd interlock it with servo on, so that whenever you drop the servo_on signal the brakes are engaged. Then if you want to manually move, like a hand wheel or something, then manually disengage the brakes. I'd avoid having the servo's enabled and brakes on at the same time. You would risk breaking something..


Regards
Ray

[carbon-rod]

Hey guys,

Great thread! I read chich2's entire thread with enthusiasm... he sure went to a lot of work to convert that sucker.... I am very glad that the prices of ball nuts have come down in price so much as I don't think I would have the know how to convert a mill in the same fashion that chich did!

Alas it will be a while before I can even attempt a conversion as I haven't even got my shed built! but thanks Ray and chich (and others) for posting your great progress pics and know how to help others over come these issues..

How has your conversion been going any way? did you end up finding a effective way of converting the quill? It seems this is the most difficult axis of them all.. I am glad I am not pioneering this work!

Cheers!

Murray

[RayGardiner]

Hi Murray,

The HM52 conversion is in a "holding pattern" state at the moment, I've been distracted by a couple of other projects, and as they reach completion, I'll be back on the CNC conversion.

Thanks for the kind comments, and apologies for the slow reply.

Regards
Ray

[ELM3060]

Hi Ray and nice to see another HM52 thread, though I only have the HM50, it is still very interesting reading.

Would be great if you can include a bit about the casting as well. Sounds like you have done a bit before.

Eddie

[RayGardiner]

Hi Eddie,

I've just finished a heat treatment furnace, and the CNC conversion is getting back to being top of the list..

I did a bit of a write up on casting on another forum, it's by no means complete you might get some tips or ideas.

I'll re-post it here... hope you can get something useful from it.

Regards
Ray

[epineh]

Hi Ray, nice write up, I am just getting into some casting myself - only aluminium for me (for the moment at least) just to make some machine parts and a few other bits and pieces.

Appreciate the time it took you to put that all together.

Cheers.

Russell.

[ELM3060]

Hi Eddie,

I've just finished a heat treatment furnace, and the CNC conversion is getting back to being top of the list..

I did a bit of a write up on casting on another forum, it's by no means complete you might get some tips or ideas.

I'll re-post it here... hope you can get something useful from it.

Regards
Ray

Nicely laid out PDF Ray, thanks.
I do frequent AlloyAvenue Network at present, as I am gearing up to do some casting as well. Only looking at aluminum at present.
Didn't realise you were an Aussie and those addresses will come in handy later on, what suburb are you in? Also if you don't mind; What was the name of the other forum (PM if you wish)?

Eddie

[RayGardiner]

Thanks for the feedback. I appreciate it.

The other forum is the woodwork forums mainly the metal working section, I don't know what the CNCzone policy is regarding linking to other forums so I won't post a link, but I'm pretty sure you will find it.

Eddie, I'm not in Melbourne, I'm in country Victoria, but I get down to Melbourne often enough. Foundry supplies are the sort of thing you have to go and pickup, posting 25kg pails of petrobond doesn't work all that well

I can recommend you pay a visit to these guys when you are looking for ceramic blanket, crucibles and refractory stuff

Refractory & Ceramic - (03) 9560 4477
50 Geddes St, Mulgrave Vic 3170, Australia

Petrobond, parting powder and crucibles
"Arnott & Guy Foundry Supplies" 20-22 Marni St, DANDENONG SOUTH, VIC, 3175

Russell, I think you are up north somewhere, there is a Brisbane address somewhere for CMS, I think they might even be a Brisbane based company..

Regards
Ray

[epineh]

Hi Ray, I am up north but a little further than Brissie, about 20hrs drive, lol. I pretty much have everything sorted, though I could use a couple of decent crucibles, I will follow up the links you have posted - very handy as Google was only showing U.S. companies.

My Father was actually a moulder by trade and it has been great getting all sorts of info from him, though I wish I got interested in this stuff about 10 or 20 years ago (he is 85) He has a couple of his original crucibles but it seems a shame to start melting in them again.

Cheers.

Russell.

[RayGardiner]

Hi Russell,

20 hours north... That's FNQ God's own country I'm told.

Talk to these guys about foundry supplies. Petrobond in particular.


Cast Metal Services 275 Toombul Road,
Northgate QLD 4013
PO Box 7, Grange Qld 4051
Tel: (07) 3266 6266
Fax: (07) 3266 6366
Email: [email protected], [email protected]
Contact: Glenn Pearcy, [email protected]
No of employees: 30
Category: Consumables/Equipment, suppliers/Consultants.
Industries supplied: Foundry, Steel Industry, Smelters, Diecasting and patternmaking.
Product range:

Ferro alloys & inoculants
Refractories
Foundry sand additives
Chemical core binders
Ceramic mould coatings
Pattern/die release agents
Patternmakers supplies
Foundry equipment
Foundry software
Minerals
Metals
Abrasive blasting media
Ceramic gating components
Exothermic riser compounds
Pre-cast refractory shapes
Silica moulding sand
Olivine sand
Chromite sand
Zircon sand

Services supplied: Advice and training in all facets of foundry technology. Consumables manufactured to meet specific needs.
Branches: Branches in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.

When it comes to Crucibles for Aluminium (and Non-Ferrous generally) a silicon carbide crucible is pretty robust and would last just about forever, for Cast Iron a Clay Graphite crucible is better.

Generally go a bit bigger rather than smaller when choosing a crucible.

Regards
Ray

PS I see you are on the CNC section of the woodworkforums, we might catch up there as well.

[epineh]

Hi Ray, yes it is nice up here at times, though at the moment it is stiflingly hot, at least the metal melts a bit easier

Actually while we are talking melting metals I have a quick question (then I will stop hi-jacking your thread) I am sure I have heard that steel crucibles are a bad idea for aluminium as the steel reacts with the ally and changes it a little. For now we are just making some knife handles but later I wish to make machine parts so getting a silicon carbide crucible would be a good idea in your opinion ?

Thanks for the contacts, I will follow them up.

Cheers.

Russell.

[RayGardiner]

Hi Russell,

I'm not sure about steel crucibles, I guess it depends on how critical you application is, and what's convenient under the circumstances, If you have nothing else a steel crucible is fine. Plenty of people have been using steel crucibles for years.

You can melt aluminium in a steel cooking pot over a gas flame, if it really comes down to it, a hole in the ground with filled with charcoal and a hair dryer as a blower (with a steel extension tube ) will melt aluminium.

Also, if you are using scrap materials, old window frames, coke cans etc.. I wouldn't be too fussed about a steel crucible contaminating the pour.

But if it's a more critical application, and you still want to use scrap, look for scrap that's been cast, like cast aluminium gear box covers etc. rather than aluminium which has been extruded or deep drawn.

Regards
Ray

[epineh]

Thanks for that info Ray, I have been accumulating some stuff to build the furnace and am pretty happy with my "stash" of goodies

Just have to find some time to put it all together.

If I have any more casting questions if might PM them to you if you don't mind, rather than clogging up your build thread.

Cheers.

Russell.