[thudson]

I say this because just getting the basics going took me about three times as long as I expected.

This is what I am finding out. I am just about finished with tear down and cleaning, but my gibs and some of the dovetail surfaces don't look so good.

I spent most today polishing the z-axis gib. It looked warped and was only polishing up on the ends. Some of the ways had been painted. The surface finish on important areas wouldn't pass muster for non-critical areas where I have worked.

After all my work I reassembled the z-axis and the movement was noticeably improved.

I still don't think I did that good of job on the dovetails, now that my gibs are parallel and mirror finish I may try lapping the dovetails.

I'm beginning to realize what you're really buying is all the raw materials to make a mill. It's up to you to actually make it one.

BW, thanks for that link, I may go ahead and do that for dampening, since I already have epoxy on hand. While I am at it I might do the base as well.

I am aware of the potential allergic reactions. I know some people that had to give up boat building because of the reaction. You don't ever want the stuff wet or dry touching your skin (and if you're sanding it, you need a mask and good dust collection). After my initial fears I became an epoxy nut. It is the solution to *everything* .

TroyO, plan on doubling your estimates for time spent getting the machine ready. I'm pretty sure I won't be cutting chips for another two or three weeks. Of course I tend to go OCD on tool accuracy, I even have a DRO on my table saw.

Tearing it down completely has been a good exercise. Every step shows me another potential area for adjustment.

[thudson]

Definately do not overlook the last part of Hoss's tramming section with this link:

http://homemodelenginemachinist.com/...p?topic=6007.0

This made a world of difference in the accuracy of my mill.

Wow. I am a constant reader of Hoss's site. I haven't seen this though. Thanks!

[TroyO]

LOL, yep I'm sure it will take a while. I'm somewhat less OCD about the tool accuracy.... but maybe not by much. I dropped $200 on a Incra cross cut sled so I could set angles to within .01 degree.. LOL...

A tip, if I may... start with a file on the jibs and dovetails. On my 8x12 lathe I started with sandpaper and after an hour gave up and jumped to a file to get them close. Actually, I think I even used the belt sander, then the file, then sandpaper. Glue the gibs down with hot melt and you can file/grind on them better.

I was also considering sacrificing a diamond hone and cutting one side to the compliment of the 55 degree dovetails. Maybe it would go faster?

[degreaser]

I picked up some great home/limit switches from Allied Electronics for cheap. I may try to install these before re-assembling things. They are snap switches with rollers and SPDT, so they can be wired up NC or NO.

Tomy

Take a look at this limit switch installation. I plan to use something similar in my rebuild. Best I've seen...

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showpo...7&postcount=45

[thudson]

Take a look at this limit switch installation. I plan to use something similar in my rebuild. Best I've seen...

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showpo...7&postcount=45

That's sweet, good idea.

[thudson]

I dropped $200 on a Incra cross cut sled so I could set angles to within .01 degree.. LOL...

Yeah I love Incra stuff, I have the router fence, made quite a few 'double-double-through-double-dovetails' LOL

A tip, if I may... start with a file on the jibs and dovetails. On my 8x12 lathe I started with sandpaper and after an hour gave up and jumped to a file to get them close. Actually, I think I even used the belt sander, then the file, then sandpaper. Glue the gibs down with hot melt and you can file/grind on them better.

Yeah, my mistake. I thought I was dealing with some precision gibs and the thought of taking a file to them horrified me. Honestly I could have started with a course grinder.

[TroyO]

Haha, I know what you mean... it's "oogey" to choose an aggressive tool on something that's supposed to be precision.....

Still, the Gibs really aren't that precision... so I feel better hacking at them that way. The dovetails I will still use a file... but gently and carefully as possible.

Argg... getting impatient, I want mine in hand already! LOL.

Anyway... I just finished using a hunk of granite countertop to make a base for my lathe... drilled a couple of 1/2" holes and epoxied threaded rod in to it. My theory is that it should be flat within a pretty reasonable precision and it certainly makes the lathe stable enough on the bench that it doesn't move around. It *can* be moved without unbolting it though... which got old as I was constantly working on/upgrading it.

I'm considering the same move for the mill, except maybe with a larger block of granite.

There's a home reclamation center near me where I got the slabs from, about 10" x 36" or so, and I got two for $6. I'll need to go back and try to find one about the size of my soon-to-be-mill table. (I'm guessing at 20x38)

[knudsen]

You guys ever try brass gibs? I was going to but started by testing with a copper shim. Works well. Might lead to more frequent gibs adjustments.

[thudson]

You guys ever try brass gibs? I was going to but started by testing with a copper shim. Works well. Might lead to more frequent gibs adjustments.

I thought about it. It might be my first machining project. Seems like an enterprising individual could sell replacement sets for the X2.

I finished up my y-axis today and I'm very pleased with the results. I have no play and smooth travel from end to end (just sliding by hand). Added some lithium grease and now it's smooth as butter.

I haven't done the y-axis mod yet. I'm looking for a lazy man's way of doing it. Maybe on my drill press, finishing off with a hand grinder.

[TroyO]

There's a post a couple down where someone is making a set of brass gibs as part of an X2 way extension.

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showth...=100770&page=9

I may give it a try... although I would probably do it the cheesey way.. LOL. Lay a couple of strips of sheet stock over the important bits and clamp the brass chunk in to the dovetail then flat file it.. then flip and repeat. It gets the angle right and although it's not laser like accuracy it should work OK.

I made a replacement for an unrelated part that way once, I used a round rod and some C clamps to hold the metal stock against the dovetail... (Arrows are the clamping force)

Like this: --> O\\__ <--

Anyway... it gives folks without a secondary mill a method to try.

What general size are the stock gibs? I may go ahead and get some brass bar stock... seems it wouldn't take that much longer than refinishing the existing gibs.

[TroyO]

Hmmm, another potential mod....

http://www.fignoggle.com/machines/x2...acklashNut.htm

[thudson]

Hmmm, another potential mod....

http://www.fignoggle.com/machines/x2...acklashNut.htm

Thanks for this. I was actually thinking about something like this when I was taking it apart.

I also got an idea this morning about reassembling the table and mounting it upside down on my drill press and cut the y-axis mod with an end mill, using the x and y of the table to do the cut.

Am I crazy?

[degreaser]

There's a post a couple down where someone is making a set of brass gibs as part of an X2 way extension.

<snip>

What general size are the stock gibs? I may go ahead and get some brass bar stock... seems it wouldn't take that much longer than refinishing the existing gibs.

That would be me. You could do it with one mill by using your existing mill to make a jig. I described one way of making the jig in the thread. I'm sure there are better ways. There's also a diagram which indicates how to calculate the size of the blank and the depth of the various cuts. While I used telescoping gauges, you can use feeler gauges to measure the required gib thickness.

If you go this route, make the jig around 7.5" long to eliminate the clamping problems I experienced with the x-axis gib.

Without measuring, the stock gibs are about 3/16" x .5". That's just a guesstimate. Measure three times, cut once. 1/4" x 1/2" stock might be better from a clamping perspective. I used a high lead brass alloy that cuts very nicely. I got it from onlinemetals.

[knudsen]

I may give it a try... although I would probably do it the cheesey way.. LOL. Lay a couple of strips of sheet stock over the important bits and clamp the brass chunk in to the dovetail then flat file it.. then flip and repeat. It gets the angle right and although it's not laser like accuracy it should work OK.

Not half as cheesey as just putting a shim under the gib and calling it done, like I did LOL :rainfro:

IMHO: You could about skip the angle if you wanted. Just make it narrow enough to fit in without. You'll just loose a little surface area, and it won't be under the screws where all the pressure is. So file away!. Or don't :rainfro: Guarantee if you use brass or copper gibs it will be way way smoother.

I axed Chris at LMS what to use for brass gibs for a mini-mill and lathe, he said

360 brass will work fine for your gibs.

[degreaser]

Why not spend a bit more time and properly cut the angles with an endmill? Both the face and bottom of the gib are receiving forces. If I recall my statics correctly, the bottom face of the gib is receiving the screw force times the tangent of the gib angle. It is not insignificant. The goal is to spread that force over as much surface area as possible including the bottom of the gib.

Consider it to be an exercise in clamping. Show us how you did it!

FWIW, I used 360.

[knudsen]

I have the dovetail cutter, so I would cut mine if I do it. But if I didn't, I wouldn't hesitate to skip the beveled edge. I've read the lapping info on mini-lathe.com, and it seems the original parts only make contact on a few high spots. I was totally floored by how much difference the copper shim made for my Z. I think more contact is better, as you do, but the info on mini-lathe is contrary. Maybe I'll start work on that soon, I'm shooting for the guiness record for most unfinished projects

[TroyO]

A couple of reasons.. and maybe this is just the woodworker in me... that I like using the parts themselves as the jig is that the accuracy of using the actual part would seem to exceed my ability to measure and replicate it.(Especially in my case... I have nothing more complicated than a protractor for angle measurement... at least not yet.).

By clamping it in to the groove where it will live and then either using an endmill, or file, or whatever to make the cut you are insuring compatability with THAT angle, whatever it may be.

Since you just recut your dovetails you can be certain that 60^ is exactly on for you... but I've seen anywhere from 54 to 56^ listed in various places for the stock dovetails. If I use the part itself as the reference it just doesn't matter... it is what it is.

The second reason is... I won't have a functional mill to make the cut when this one is all torn down. I could maybe make the gibs with the mill "stock" before doing a real cleaning/teardown I suppose.

Also... maybe they don't work the way I think they do (Actually... it's quite *probable* that they don't, LOL) but don't the gibs kind of float between the top and bottoms of the dovetail? In other words.. not touching on either the upper or lower ways and only contacting the side of the dovetail? That's how I've always visualized it, anyway.

It's all somewhat moot and academic for me at the moment... I still don't have my mill yet, LOL!

The truck comes on Tues... I'm hoping I get the call tommorow, LOL.

BTW... will I need a truck or do you think I could stuff it in the trunk of a Dodge Neon?

[TroyO]

Ohh, a little side info that may be useful... brass/copper alloys heat treat in the opposite way of steel. Heat and quench to make it soft, heat and let it slowly cool down to harden it.

Not sure if that will help, but softening it up may make machining easier. Or maybe it would just make it "gummy" and want to grab the bit? In which case hardening it may help?

Once it's done, but before the lapping hardening it may help it to spread the pressures out more?

[knudsen]

Carried mine home in the trunk of a Grand Marquis. Hell on the back. I will never, ever lift that thing by hand again!

As I remember, the box is under 2 ft x 2 ft x 3 ft. Could get two or three in a grand marq + a dead body, or two. Did I say that? Anyway, I would guess closer to 18" x 18" x 30" and it would be nice, not mandatory by any means, but nice to leave it upright. You could also un-crate it and lay it on it's back. That would make it a bit smaller. If you need to lay it down, I would at least get the top off the box and make sure you lay it on it's back. Might not matter, but it seems it would not be a nice way to treat a mill to lay it on a side or front and go off-roading in a Neon. Definitely lay down some cardboard and I would put a big garbage bag under the cardboard, assuming the car is nice and you want to keep it nice.

[TroyO]

LOL, well... the truck comes with a buddy to help lift, so if for that reason alone I will use my patience knob and try to wait it out.