[Greolt]

I have received a CNC kit from Syil for my X3 mill.

I know there are many people on the forum who are thinking about the options
for retrofiting CNC to these mills so I will log my experiences which may help
others in their decision making.

With Syil there is the option of buying the mill already fitted with their kit.
I was not confident like many others with the process of importing a machine.
Customs, duty, taxes and no experience with doing all that was a disincentive for me.
Your confidence or experience may be different to mine
Also I was able to buy the machine localy for a very good price.

The kit came in a flimsy cardboard box that I would not be game to ship
ballscrews etc. in, however they made it unscathed so no problems

As it worked out the box came through our customs with no duty or tax.
In Australia these things can be a bit hit or miss. Yours might be different

Dealing with Syil and language differences can be interesting but they have been helpful and enthusiastic.
The only way I had to pay was by internatinal bank transfer, PayPal would have made things much easier.

To be continued

[Greolt]

I decided on the Syil offering over others that I could find because they had what seemed to me to be the best ballsrews,
double preloaded nuts, dual angular contact bearings and looked like good solid motor mounts.

As it turned out just after ordering this kit I discovered one newly available in my home town that looks promising
However that is for someone else to report on.

Syil advertised this kit as having everything needed to do the full installation just as if they had done it. However it is not quite so.

I am not writing to critisise Syil, just that people need to know what is not included as well as what is so they can make informed decisions.

No documentation or instructions of any kind.
Syil were quite surprised that I should ask about this and are putting something together for me as I write.

No wiring to conect steppers with drivers. Syil says they don't know how long is needed so can't supply??????????

No gas spring.

No mounting brackets or actuating tabs for limit switches (or instructions even where to mount them)

More coming

[Greolt]

OK I figured out how to atach photos properly so here goes.

This is what I got from Syil

Pic 1. Ballsrews and mounts. This is what you would get with the basic kit exept no stepper motors

Pic 2. Steppers. Two Nema 23 and one Nema 34

Pic 3. Printer port cable and limit switch (three of these)

Pic 4. Motor covers

[Greolt]

More photos of bits

Pic 5. Control box

Pic 6. Monitor keyboard arm

Pic 7. Loom tube

[Ed from NY]

No gas spring.

The pics look very nice The gas spring and the 40mm longer Y-axis were not part of the original conversion. They were added later after Lou's and Ron's dealings with Syil and there was a minor price increase to that effect -- me thinks. Did you order your kit over a couple of weeks ago?

[Greolt]

Ed I was the one who asked for 40mm longer "Y" screw and started the ball rolling on that

Cost me $20 more.

I did expect the gas spring was included. In fact I was told it was.

However as I said it is not my intention to winge, only share my experience with what I got.

[InspirationTool]

Thanks for sharing Greolt! Looks like good stuff!

Can I ask how much you paid and how long it took to get your kit?

Thanks!

-Jeff

[Greolt]

I have asked this in another thread but will ask here as well

LouCetrangelo or CrazyRonny could you do me a favour and take a photo of the X axis motor mounting bracket without the red cover on.

I am sure Syil have given me the wrong bracket. It is not even close to fitting.

Thanks, Greolt

[jl123]

Looks good man. Had I known Syil sold a kit....

Does this kit work on the Grizzly? It would sure make for a nice quick conversion. I'm going through hell compared to this. Haha.

[Greolt]

Lou has posted some photos for me in another thread. Thanks again Lou :cheers:

The bracket on the X axis has been machined back to front :frown:

Now I need to try to convince Syil of this and get another one. Language can be a bit of a hurdle

[syil]

becuase we think it is easy to install and buy our conversion kits friend must deep konw the X3 much,so we do not provide the instuction paper,becuase every one have different requirment.

we have been take all install pic again,and right now just fully time to tranlater,hehe,we are very sorry for the instuction paper matter.but we really have some clinets have been install it and converted X3 in very well and faster.

ok,Greolt,just for this week,oK,we are in translate language for you.
Syil

[syil]

let me explain why we can not help client to connect the cable from the step motor to driver,becuase this procession must be finish after some base parts installration ,then can be connect,also,some clinets require different step motor driver on differnt axis.so,that is why we don`t connect the cable.

[Greolt]

You can see what I mean about language hurdles Enthusiastic and helpfull but.....

Steppers, Break out board and stepper drivers all have no indentification on them and I have asked for the technical documents for each of them.

For example the stepper drivers have a set of dip switches and a trimpot with no indication of the settings or what they do.

I need to communicate that one of the motor brackets has been machined back to front. No good so far but I'll keep on trying

[syil]

we are in tranlate for you,soonly,hehe.
syil

[Greolt]

Thanks Syil. That's great :cheers:

I hope it will be tech type info, I don't need instructions on how to bolt the bits together
(although I wish some of the bolt holes would line up)

Did you understand that the plate holding the motor mount on the X axis is machined back to front?

Also you sent me some photos showing where to mount the nice little limit actuating tabs but I did not get those nice little tabs or mounts in the kit.

[jl123]

Give me a break about the language barrier. When you call your credit card company you aren't exactly speaking to John Smith from Connecticut.

What are you having trouble with? I didn't have instuctions from cncfusion. :stickpoke

[Greolt]

What are you having trouble with? I didn't have instuctions from cncfusion. :stickpoke

Point taken jl123 I meant no offence.

Thanks for your kind offer. Can you tell me with the driver in the photo what the dip switch settings are for 10 microsteps?

Thanks Greolt

[Greolt]

Thanks for sharing Greolt! Looks like good stuff!
Can I ask how much you paid and how long it took to get your kit?
Thanks!
-Jeff

Jeff it took about 4 weeks to get the order together. They're fairly busy with orders I think.
Freight was only about a week but I paid quite a bit for air freight.
Parcels into Australia can be luck of the draw whether they charge duties or just let it through. I was lucky this time

You really need to ask Syil about prices as they may have varied since I paid

[jl123]

Hehe, I didn't mean to call you out on it. I just don't think thier business will suffer because of that. They are working on a US rep anyways. They have a good thing going for them.

I don't know why cncfusion doesn't have any posted instructions. Even step by step pictures would have made things quicker. They have good email support though.

Keep it up.

[Greolt]

Ok I started with the Z axis. This was the easiest in that not much altering was required.

The only thing that needs machining is to drill and tap six holes for the ballnut to fit the existing mounting block.

You can see in the first pic that I turned up a spacer to locate the ballnut centrally in the exsting hole.
Hole is 30mm and nut is 28mm. Not needed I guess I just found it easier to keep things aligned as I marked the holes and then torqued up the bolts.

Third pic and it is assembled. The top support uses the existing bearing.

Last pic the two bolts went in without elongating the holes. The two tapered pins did not go in as those holes did not line up.
I reckon it will be fine without them as the support sits with its bum down hard on the motor bracket.
If I decide otherwise later I can tap these and put two more bolts in.

The grub screw in the flex coupler is poor and a new hex key just turned in it so I will replace and may put another at 90 degrees.

This braket and setup looks good and solid to me and well designed.

The only negative I have is to do with the machining of the screw ends.
At first I thought the screw must be a bit bent but on closer investigation where it has been turned down on the ends
it has runout. .005 at the bottom and .010 at the top

The brackets that connect this to the head will have to absorb this I suppose. not great but what do you do?

Last pic is obvious.

All in all this part of the install went pretty easily.