[ChuckAndMe]

Hello everyone!
I recently received my BF20 clone which i finally unpacked and brought down into the basement yesterday. For a reason i didn't want to take it apart but get it down in one piece and with a little help of a powerlifting neighbour, we successfully finished to do so.
As you can see on the 1st picture, this is just another of the many BF20/g0704 clones out there, but coming with a (supposed to be) 750W motor and MT3 equipped. The machine is dated 01/2011.

So, during some initial checking i noticed that the spindle's fine feed does not work. Usually, by fixing the center screw (aka "selector knob") of the downfeed hub, it enables the fine feed by technically sort of "pressing" the downfeed hub onto the cone shaped end of the fine feed's wormgear. This does not work on my machine as even with a completely turned in center screw, the worm gear does not tightly attach into the downfeed hub. Therefore, the worm gear is still turning "free" within the hub and not taking the hub with it.

I found that there is a little gap between the worm gear and the gear shaft's key (pic 2) plus the worm gear has some play on the shaft (pic 2a). By using a flat washer (pic 3) i was able to move the worm gear all up to the key (pic 3) and make it stick out of the flange a little more. Now, by turning the center screw all the way in, it properly attached tightly to the downfeed hub and the fine feed worked. Now however, the worm gear's spacer is too wide and stuck against the downfeed flange.
As far as i see it, my 3 options are:
-turning the spacer down accordingly on my lathe
-turning a small shoulder on the inside of the flange
-setting in the flange with some washers as well
-returning the machine

So, these are my first steps into my milling adventure and i haven't even fired up the mill once (notice the power cord still wrapped up).

Any comments are appreciated

[Ron Dunn]

I'd send it back. If I buy a machine I expect it to work. Even if you fix this problem you don't know if there will be others, and you may spend more time fixing the machine that making the stuff for which you bought it.

My iron-clad rule: DON'T BUY CHINESE MACHINERY

[rcazwillis]

Hello everyone!
I recently received my BF20 clone which i finally unpacked and brought down into the basement yesterday. For a reason i didn't want to take it apart but get it down in one piece and with a little help of a powerlifting neighbour, we successfully finished to do so.
As you can see on the 1st picture, this is just another of the many BF20/g0704 clones out there, but coming with a (supposed to be) 750W motor and MT3 equipped. The machine is dated 01/2011.

So, during some initial checking i noticed that the spindle's fine feed does not work. Usually, by fixing the center screw (aka "selector knob") of the downfeed hub, it enables the fine feed by technically sort of "pressing" the downfeed hub onto the cone shaped end of the fine feed's wormgear. This does not work on my machine as even with a completely turned in center screw, the worm gear does not tightly attach into the downfeed hub. Therefore, the worm gear is still turning "free" within the hub and not taking the hub with it.

I found that there is a little gap between the worm gear and the gear shaft's key (pic 2) plus the worm gear has some play on the shaft (pic 2a). By using a flat washer (pic 3) i was able to move the worm gear all up to the key (pic 3) and make it stick out of the flange a little more. Now, by turning the center screw all the way in, it properly attached tightly to the downfeed hub and the fine feed worked. Now however, the worm gear's spacer is too wide and stuck against the downfeed flange.
As far as i see it, my 3 options are:
-turning the spacer down accordingly on my lathe
-turning a small shoulder on the inside of the flange
-setting in the flange with some washers as well
-returning the machine

So, these are my first steps into my milling adventure and i haven't even fired up the mill once (notice the power cord still wrapped up).

Any comments are appreciated

I suggest you keep it. Contact the seller for free replacement parts. You will be tweaking any mill in the price range. At least this one is in hand. If there are other issues, consider returning it.

[pete from TN]

Looking at the pics it is hard to tell, Almost wondering if you can just put it in a press and move it into position to get it where it needs to be. My machine has long since had the quill removed after CNC so to me it would be a non issue but some people want to keep the quill. The way that keyway is so close to the body makes me wonder if it is two pieces and that one has been shifted or not pressed on enough... Again just a guess. Is there any damage or imperfections inside the other piece that mates to it? Good luck, personally I would be pretty ticked off with a brand new machine. peace

Pete

[photomankc]

Not to dissuade you from trying to get it fixed right or excusing the bad assembly but:

I quit using the 'fine feed' altogether. I found it so full of backlash and devoid of feel when adjusting that I frankly found it not very useful. I got in the habit of just making careful use of the Z hand-wheel and using that for all Z movement. To do so you must properly adjust the Z gib so that it's not stick-slipping at all. The only thing I used the fine feed for after that was to touch the tool to the work to set the zero for the big hand-wheel. When drilling I never used fine feed either. I did not find my Z axis tolerance to get much better using fine feed than it was using the hand-wheel personally. I sure as s$%# wouldn't crate it back up and wait months to deal with that feature.

[hoss2006]

I personally wouldn't waste my time on it.
A fine feed makes sense on a machine without a DRO, but these machines have one
and you can clearly see your depth with it.
I'd use it with the quill and move on.
Hoss

[ChuckAndMe]

Thanks for all your quick replies!

I decided that before i get stuck fiddlin' with the fine feed, i'd rather go ahead in the overall workout of setting up the mill.
So i did the break in which went fine -except for some noise here and there in the beginning. I guess that's nothing too spooky as it went away in the later process.
Next I checked how well the mill was set up factory wise, as i didn't necessarily trust the dude who signed the testing-protocol with "Z.Y.Q.". To my surprise, the mill was tuned very well in general.
So the next thing will be to diassemble it, clean, oil, grease...etc.

Again thanks for your replies...if anyone likes to share some further hints and tips, shoot ahead. But then, i've found so much info on this forum already...

Best regards!