CX601 Milling Machine

[Brian Rupnow]

Thanks George--i wasn't going to completely tear the mill apart.-Just remove the bolted on DRO's and then reinstall them in the machine shop.

[Brian Rupnow]

And this is, I think, what they call "Beyond the point of no return!!" The mill is drilled and tapped for my home made brackets, which in turn hold the "backing bar" supplied by the DRO company, and the glass scale mounts to it. The drilling and tapping was very straightforward. A LOT of measuring, some breath holding, and away we went. No broken taps, no holes in the wrong place, all went well. Next up is fitting the funky bracket that attaches to the reading head.

[Brian Rupnow]

And Oh Heck, yeah, since we are in full pictorial mode, this is the Y axis guard bolted in place.

[Brian Rupnow]

This entire bracket business is somewhat subjective---You measure, you design, you build, and then in the final go-round, you file a little bit here, grind a little bit there, and make it fit. I had planned on using one of the brackets which came with the "kit" to attach to the "reading head" of the Y scale, but it turned out to work better if I made a new bracket cut from 3" x 3" x 1/4" aluminum angle. Everything is slotted to give me lots of flexibility for aligning everything, and if I need to I can always use some shim stock between the parts which bolt to the cast surfaces of the mill and the mill body.  I have two holes left to drill and tap to complete the Y axis installation, so I am of to do that next.---Brian

[Brian Rupnow]

And that, gentlemen, is all of the brackets finished for the Y axis. Now it's simply a matter of leveling, shimming, and measuring until the Y axis scale and guard are mounted. Tomorrow, I hope to accomplish that and move on to the x axis. --Brian

[Brian Rupnow]

I'm learning as I move along here.--I have been thinking about drilling the holes in the back of my milling table to mount the X axis scale. I want the top of the glass scale to be about 0.68" below the top of my milling table. This would leave adequate space above it to mount the flange of the guard, plus the thickness of the guard, plus 3/16" clearance as the DRO guys recommend between the underside of the guard and the top of the scale..---However--The limiting factor here is where I drill the holes to mount the bracket for the "reading head".  I just got my smallest electric drill up on the table and measured it, and the closest I can drill a hole to mount the reading head is 0.9" backing. This puts the top of the scale only .17" below the top of the table. This simply won't do!!! Tomorrow I will design a new bracket with offset ends which will let me mount the X axis scale where I want it.

[NickG]

Looking good Brian, you don't mess about! Thanks for showing this, again I find that there's a lot more to something than it looks on the surface. I keep thinking I'll just fit a dro one day but it's more like a project in itself, it would take me for ever!

[Brian Rupnow]

A new X axis reading head bracket shaped as shown, will let me get the holes into the dark blue 0.9" off the dark green surface (which is as close as I can get to it with my electric drill without disassembling my milling machine) and still allow me to mount the glass scale almost 1/2" below the top of the milling machine bed  For the guard, I think I will forget about a flange along the top and just use a piece of 3/16" thick aluminum angle, supported at the ends only. This lets me keep the top of the angle down 1/16" below the top of the table and leaves 1/4" clearance between the underside of the angle and the top of the glass scale.

[Brian Rupnow]

We had a quiet day here yesterday. Had family home for big feast and everybody got to meet Jacob, the newest grandson. I snuck down after everybody had left and cut down most of the head thickness of one of the bolts in the milling machine base which was going to interfere with my Y axis read head bracket. I'm up early this morning, so again, in aid of being quiet until good wife gets up I have finished all of the 3D modeling of the mill. This is not just an exercise in creating pretty models. This will assist me when I go to drop the head raising handwheel. I have to buy one piece of aluminum this morning from my supplier to make a new bracket for the X axis read head, and then I will mount the scales and the electronic display head. If all of my customers leave me alone, i may have read-outs by the end of this week.---Brian:eek::eek:

[fumopuc]

Hi Brain, may be I missed something. I am still thinking about your loss of Y travel for the  DRO. My Y travel at a similar Chinese Mill is always to short and my DRO is at the front side.
http://www.optimum-maschinen.de/produkte/fraesmaschinen/bf20vario/index.html

[Brian Rupnow]

So---Let's try this again---All the brackets are finished now. Now it is time for some more finger crossing and breath holding, and to drill and tap the holes for the X axis scale, bracket, and guard.

[Allen Smithee]

Hi Brain, may be I missed something. I am still thinking about your loss of Y travel for the  DRO. My Y travel at a similar Chinese Mill is always to short and my DRO is at the front side.
http://www.optimum-maschinen.de/produkte/fraesmaschinen/bf20vario/index.html

Me too (as here).

AS

[Brian Rupnow]

Allen---As I have told others----I'm not painting myself into a corner here. I am not going to shorten any electrical cables. If I find the loss of travel in the Y axis to be a real issue, I will move the scale out to the front.---Brian

[Brian Rupnow]

This mornings "Quiet time" was spent modeling the lowered head lifting handle. This is a very simple modification, using #35 pitch roller chain and an 18 tooth and 28 tooth roller chain sprockets, along with a couple of home made pieces. I have an old injury to my right shoulder that doesn't like it very much when I reach up high to turn the handle that lifts and lowers the head. This modification brings the handle down to a much easier reach, and even gives some mechanical advantage when turning the handle. if anyone wants I can give more detailed information on this mod.---Brian

[AOG]

Since your already adding a chain, why don't you add a small DC motor and have power assist.? An old cordless drill would work well as a doner.

Tony