[hoss2006]

You might be thinking of Gerling Control Repair.
Motor Control Repair Home
The g0704 is not a sieg product but it does look like they do kblc which is close, worth asking.
There was another guy, Uncle Rabid but he passed away.
Hoss

[mhackney]

Thanks Hoss. I'll email him tomorrow and report back.

Cheers,
Michael

[doorknob]

My replacement speed controller came in and works fine. I recall seeing somewhere a few years ago that there was a guy who repaired these Seig controllers but i couldn't turn him up on Google. Anyone have a contact? It might be worth getting this one fixed as a backup.

Regards,
Michael

I remember the guy - somehow I thought that he left the business, but I see that the web site still seems to be running and was recently updated.

If it's the same guy that I was thinking of, that web site is here:

Motor Control Repair Home

edit: looks like Hoss beat me to the punch...

[SCzEngrgGroup]

My replacement speed controller came in and works fine. I recall seeing somewhere a few years ago that there was a guy who repaired these Seig controllers but i couldn't turn him up on Google. Anyone have a contact? It might be worth getting this one fixed as a backup.

Regards,
Michael

I think you're talking about "Uncle Rabid". Unfortunately, he passed away a few years ago....

Regards,
Ray L.

[wizard]

Honestly if I wanted a simple and reliable DC motor controller I'd buy something from KB electric or other US based manufacture. Yes some retro fit may be needed.

If you don't want to go that route you can always buy new FETs and replace them yourself. Assuming nothing else on controller is damaged this should be easy to do.

My replacement speed controller came in and works fine. I recall seeing somewhere a few years ago that there was a guy who repaired these Seig controllers but i couldn't turn him up on Google. Anyone have a contact? It might be worth getting this one fixed as a backup.

Regards,
Michael

[LeeWay]

These are the ones that I use. Really nice controllers.

90/180 VDC SPEED CONTROL W/POT

[hoss2006]

Thanks Hoss. I'll email him tomorrow and report back.

Cheers,
Michael

You're welcome, love to see a video of that braiding machine in action sometime now that you got the controller replaced.
Hoss

[mhackney]

Here you go Hoss. This was actually taken before I had to replace the controller. I got the machine working and then discovered that I needed to gear down the motor. I've since reduced the motor with a 1:6 pulley. It was in finishing up this conversion that my controller bit the dust.



Wizard, I had the motor and controller laying around from my G0704 milll conversion so I figured why not use it. I'm not sure why it gave up the ghost but it was working fine. I have replaced it with a KBIC-120.

If anyone is interested, there is an entire series of photos here. This weekend I stripped the machine down to its guts so I can properly clean and lubricate it. Good thing, a number of the gear bushings are very badly worn. Amazingly, these parts are still available, new, for $1.50 each!

cheers,
Michael

[hoss2006]

Very cool, probably be good for another 67 years.
Hoss

[LeeWay]

That is very cool.
I have been trying to figure out how to make a torsion spring maker.
I tried to get some spring making companies to do them for me, but they want ridiculous volumes and some say they can't even make them that small.
I might need 750 of each (left and right) per year.
Right now I am using a spindle from an 7/12 lathe with a rod chucked into it. It has a secondary 3/8" rod fastened in the end. This is what the spring wraps around. There is a roll pin close to the rod and this is where the spring wire gets inserted and bent to start the coil. We just turn the spindle by hand so far, but a machine does occupy some of my brain power during relaxing times.

Love the ingenuity of the machine builders from yesteryear. Some where absolutely brilliant.

[mhackney]

I agree Lee. I have several old machines. I just picked up a Lessona #50 spool winder so I can wind the silk thread on those 16 bobbins to braid. It is another very cool machine.

Attachment 207030

It has an interesting mechanical traverse mechanism to wind the thread back and forth. This idea could be adapted for a spring winder. Here's a photo of the cam that does the magic. These came in different sizes, this is a 4" traverse.

Attachment 207032

cheers,
Michael

[Xnaron]

I started following this thread around page 20 or so as I am planning on doing the bearing upgrade and the belt drive upgrade soon. I was a little nervous when I read about the problems you had fitting the bearings. I followed up to the point where you were confirming the bearings were the right ones. I skimmed the rest of the pages but didn't see the followup on that. I probably missed it. Did you end up going with the bearingdirect bearings or different ones? I'm really hoping I don't have to do any excessive sanding on mine to get them to fit. I am planning on going with the VXB bearings listed on Hoss's site. I just ordered the belt drive prints from him.

Anyhow thanks for posting your experience. It will be helpful with my upgrade.

[mhackney]

Xnaron, It turned out not to be a problem and I used the Bearing Direct bearings. Don't hesitate to post if you have and problems.

cheers,
Michael

[mhackney]

Tool change restart...

6 months ago I had a computer crash and lost all of my configuration settings (well, not all of them, I had a backup that was 9 months old). I have been doing a little work but basically just manually setting things up and running. Now I need to start up some production and use the tool table to set up tool heights, etc. I did this quite fine before but now I'm having a problem getting Z=0. Here's what I'm doing and what's happening:

I start the program and it stops at the first tool #49 (a 1/8" drill in a collet) for a tool change. This tool is in the tool table and for simplicity lets say its height in the table is 2.000" (as measured by my height gauge). I also have a touch probe set up as tool 1 that has a height of 5.125" also set in the tool table. So I enter Tool 1 in the Tool Information panel (Program Run screen on Mach) and use Hoss' probing screen set to probe Z=0. The probe touches off, sets 0 and then backs up an inch. I then change to my tool #49 and hit Run. The machine raises Z what looks like another 5.125" and then starts lowering Z to drill - but the drill is about 5" above the work. I have tried everything I can think of to set Z=0 to the top of the work and get tool lengths to work. Maybe I've been spending to much time 3D printing lately. Anyone have any idea what I'm doing wrong? I vaguely remember something about relative offsets vs actual tool heights. I'm using actual tool heights but I don't remember is there was a setting for that that I've forgotten.

Thanks in advance,
Michael

[SCzEngrgGroup]

Michael,

Do EITHER:

a) Make sure G49 is in effect, touch the current tool to your reference plane, then set the Z DRO to the measured length of the tool, OR
b) Make sure G43 is in effect with the correct H value, and that the tool table correctly reflects the length of the current tool, touch the current tool to your reference plane, then set the Z DRO to 0.

Personally, I prefer the first method. My touch-off tool is a TTS 1/4" holder with a length of 1/4" brass rod in it, machined to a tool length of exactly 3". I touch off, using a piece of 1/16" PDB material as my "probe", then set the Z DRO to 3.0625" (3" tool length + the thickness of the PDB material).

Regards,
Ray L.

[mhackney]

Thanks Ray. How do I know whether G49 or G43 is in effect?

[SCzEngrgGroup]

Michael,

Either force it via MDI ("G49" or "G43 Hn", where n is the tool number), or look on the status line that shows all current modals. It will always show one or the other.

Regards,
Ray L.

[mhackney]

Got it, thanks! The status line shows G49. So, leaving it there and following procedure a I would touch off the probe and then set the Z DRO to 5.125 + 1" (Hoss' probing defaults to moving Z to 1.000" after touching off). That would explain why I was too high. I don't recall entering the length of the probe in the DRO, I thought it set to 0 and that was it.

[mhackney]

About this time last year my G0704 was dialed in at about .001" backlash on X and Y - well within my requirements. I had some down time and needed to do some maintenance so I decide to add oiling channels and do a Y axis extension and move the stepper to the rear with belt drive (all following Hoss' work). That all went pretty smoothly but when I was done, my backlash was way higher - around .013" for Y and .012" for X. I was under the gun to do a big run of parts and that was a bit of a pain but with some backlash compensation and creative fixturing and CAM I was able to hobble along. I also have my X2 for parts that really needed the precision.

Now, I have some time and really need to get this under control. I started by measuring the backlash on X and Y and verified the same #s as above. I then removed the X table so I could concentrate on Y. It really seems like the backlash is coming from the ball nuts as I verified the ball screw bearings were properly tight and they didn't seem to have play. When I turn the ball screw by hand I can feel the backlash - it takes about 3/16 of a turn before I see movement (on a dial indicator) of Y. I had replaced the bearings last year but there is a good chance I didn't pack enough in since I dropped them all over the place removing Y and hadn't counted the # of bearings. The Y screw was brand new for the rear drive conversion. I've taken Y apart, have the ball nut cleaned up, new packs of various oversized bearings and ready to reassemble. This is where I need some expert advice/help!

How much "slop" should I be able to feel in the ball nut? If a bearing (or 2) is missing, does that contribute to backlash on the ball nut or can it handle that? If it does contribute to backlash, how do I know that I've put as many in as required/possible? It seemed that it was tricky getting the last couple in when I did this last year.

Thanks in advance.

Cheers,
Michael

[mhackney]

Ok, I proceeded as I would normally. I had .1265" bearings in the nuts and they seem a little sloppy. I packed with 70 (and I took my time and counted carefully) .1270" bearings and the nut was very stiff but smooth. I thought that was a little too tight so I alternated .1265" and .1270" and that was also just a little too sloppy. So the third time (the charm I think) I packed two .1270" and one .1265". I was able to get 70 bearings in. Now the nut turns smoothly, fairly easily, and seems "tight" not sloppy.

I want to make a new Y nut holder, the original I made a few years ago was just a hair too short and the set screw are off the edge a bit.