[arie kabaalstra]

I would make the table wider than the travel, and mount the rails to it, then you will end up with the same support, and have som extra room for clamps. My toy vmc (TM 1) is built this way. If you stick with your design be sure to put some guards on those rails, or at least some wipers.

Mounting the rails to the table, that's how old knee mills were built ( the cheap ones that is ).. this way of buidling is seriously jeopardising ridgidity, not to mention balance.

if Deckel Maho Gildemeister, Mori Seiki, Bridgeport, Emco, Mazak, Haas, and all the othet big factories are doing it like snowshovelbmx and me, why is there any reason left to doubt that way of constructing a Mill?..

off course, doing it the other way round, it will still work, your machine is a fine example... ( why don't you read my topic, you might find some intrestin g thougts about why a machine is constructed a certain way? )

[snowshovelbmx]

Thats true, read Arie's thread it is a great read that is well worth the time, there is a link to it a couple pages back I think. I will keep the rails the way that they are and yes I will be putting way covers on the machines to keep chips out, as well the linear bearing blocks have wipers to clean them off.

chris.

[DSL PWR]

Thats true, read Arie's thread it is a great read that is well worth the time, there is a link to it a couple pages back I think. I will keep the rails the way that they are and yes I will be putting way covers on the machines to keep chips out, as well the linear bearing blocks have wipers to clean them off.

chris.

Ahh, belt and suspenders, nothing better than a little overkill

[snowshovelbmx]

you're right, But, I need the way covers to keep chips off of hte ballscrew and the wipers came stock on the bearing blocks anyway.

chris.

[snowshovelbmx]

Well I haven't given up on my mill I just find it hard to find time to work on it a lot.. Some of you guys have found out how to get a few extra hours in the day I think.

But here are some pictures of the parts I have done so far..







Let me know what you guys think.

chris

[Oldmanandhistoy]

Hi Chris,

That looks like an excellent machine to me and I would be proud to call it my own. Looks to be near completion so keep up the good work and the pictures. Will be very interested to here how it performs once complete.

John

[digits]

Wow, that looks great - you must be very proud

I had to re-read the thread to check that the base really is a solid block of steel! It should be fantastically stiff and yet effortlessly free to move in the intended directions thanks to those linear slides.

Good luck, and please keep posting pics!

[acondit]

Chris,

It looks amazing to me.

Alan

[ZipSnipe]

Be kool if ya could find a small Bridgeport table like 32" other than that what a transformation. Keep up the progress Chris

[snowshovelbmx]

Thanks a lot guys! It can be really motivating to hear all the things everyone has to say about your machine. John It is certainly closer now to completion than ever although are these things ever complete?

chris.

[Oldmanandhistoy]

John It is certainly closer now to completion than ever although are these things ever complete?

Lol probably not but I think eventually you get to a point were you stop to build a bigger and better machine and it all starts again. At only 20 years old you will eventually be building a full size VMC.

So when are you starting your next machine?

John

[digits]

Be kool if ya could find a small Bridgeport table like 32" other than that what a transformation. Keep up the progress Chris

I would have thought that for this design, you want the table to be shorter than the X-axis to eliminate overhang entirely

[arie kabaalstra]

Chris..

it has been a while since i "checked in" here... and your machine looks stunning.. though the design still looks somewhat familiar

can you believe i still have to paint my machine?.. you already got that covered..

[ZipSnipe]

I would have thought that for this design, you want the table to be shorter than the X-axis to eliminate overhang entirely

I just thought it would look nicer with a bigger table. A bigger table gives ya more support for long work pieces and gives ya a spot to put stuff down. Theres another member Jester who is building a mill very similar in design and he made a wonderful 28x6 table, bigger just looks nice. Just like the IH mills compared to a Zay45, the bigger table just plain nice......

[snowshovelbmx]

Thanks Arie.

Oh and painting the machine is the easy part though!

chris.

[CROSSHATCH]

Looks awesome man. Great job

-Jason

[ckm]

What did you finally do about stress relieving the parts? Esp. the base. Was it another BBQ job and did that work?

Thx.

Chris.

[snowshovelbmx]

Hey sorry its been awhile since I have updated this thread...no heat in the garage and its a little to cold to go out and work for me.

as for stress relieving the parts I did not stress relieve the parts at all only the column and it seems to have worked pretty well it all seems to have stayed pretty square. I was not worried about stress relieving the base as it is a fairly large cross section of material with minimal machining really. I will see how well it held shape when I get it together I guess and let you guys know. As for now though I was able to get my rails indicated to within .0002" over the entire length of the Y-axis rails so I think the base has stayed fairly true.

chris.

[lobocharlie]

Do you mind asking what size of linear slides and bearings you used on you homemade bench top mill and also the size of lead screw on the column before you went with the motors? Thanks in advance

[snowshovelbmx]

the linear slides are 15mm for the z axis and 20 mm for the x and y I think. as for the leadscrew it has always been a 5/8" rolled ballscrew on the Z axis and is now the same on the x and y

chris.