[FannBlade]

New updates. Planning on going with Cetroid Acorn controller.

https://youtu.be/o4ARjFxwsLI

[Bob La Londe]

New updates. Planning on going with Cetroid Acorn controller.

https://youtu.be/o4ARjFxwsLI

Nice. Looking forward to your results.

[Bob La Londe]

Ultimately I've taken my KMB1 back to its original (more or less) retrofit state. I'd greatly benefit from a faster spindle. Of course I can slap a companion spindle on it, but that's not a real answer. I've got three small Speedmaster mills with 24K spindles for the majority of my high speed machining. I'd just like to bump the spindle speed on the Hurco up a bit. Its fine when I am roughing steel, but most of the time I am cutting aluminum. 3600rpm is like riding a snail. I think the spindle could take a lot more, but I'm not so sure about the motor. Its got an old Leland 5HP 4 pole motor and the mill manual derates it to 4HP. Seems reasonable. Its running a 3.7kw spindle off single phase, and I just set all my calculations to a max of 3HP. Really though I rarely break one horsepower except on those rare occasions when I actually am roughing steel stock. I'd really benefit from getting it up to 5000-6000 rpm. In many cases my lowly Tormach 1100 will outproduce the KMB1 because the Tormach has a 5000+ rpm spindle even if it doesn't accelerate as fast or have as big of a spindle motor.

Anyway, I think the New Departure and Fafnir bearings in the KMB1 spindle could handle more RPM.

( I put new (old stock) bearings in it a while back )

I'm just not sure the motor could. I'm putting 120hz to the motor now to get 3600 RPM. The motor is connected to the quill with a 1:1 timing pulley setup.

So, has anybody cranked up the speed on your KMB1 spindle? How did you do it? How did it work out?

[Bob La Londe]

Well, I need a faster spindle so I thik I'm just going to adjust the VFD to put out 200Hz and run it. If the motor craps out I'll put another motor on it. If the spindle craps out I'll rebuild it again. I already have another spare set of bearings for it.

There now I have announced what I am going to do. Maybe some of the after nannies will tell me how stupid it is. LOL.

[bloke]

You could get a 6000 RPM option for those anyway so I doubt the mecanical side of things would let you down. Motor-wise, It’ll either fly or die...
Go for it! ??

[FannBlade]

Speaking of RPM I'm looking for a 3600 RPM motor running with 2-1 pulleys. I too may be out of my mind,but I agree it will need more RPM.

[FannBlade]

Finally in paint!! I amaze myself what I can do in five years!!

[FannBlade]

More pics

[FannBlade]

yep even more!

[Ninensei]

That's a great shade of blue! Five years is a long time. Nice to see the results thought.

[Bob La Londe]

Ummm.... Do you realize the head was supposed to swivel from left to right and extend or retract as needed to reach a much larger work envelope? It looks like you painted the swivel shut and painted the sliding dovetail of the head. 14 x 24 seems like a lot... until you need more. The swivel and extension of the head gives you easily twice that range. Its is a really pretty paint job though.

[FannBlade]

Hey Bob
You are right I did paint it all,but I did plan on it....you have a camera in my shop????
I will be pulling the head off completely for the move and hope I can get it to move. I have tried everything to get it sliding again,so I hope when I lift it I can get it to break loose and get it lubed properly.
In the meantime I have started on the assembly process. NO electronics will be install until it gets move and hope it doesn't get scratched up to much!!!

[Bob La Londe]

Was that tape in the previous photos or did you clean off the paint? Also, it still looks like the swivel mechanism is painted over.

[FannBlade]

Yep just razor bladed off. It was not sanded just wiped clean so it would come off easy. I will cut the seam on the swivel and hope it doesn't look to bad. I have to get everything painted because I won't be painting in the new shop...I don't want to ruin the shiny epoxy floor.

[Bob La Londe]

Yep just razor bladed off. It was not sanded just wiped clean so it would come off easy. I will cut the seam on the swivel and hope it doesn't look to bad. I have to get everything painted because I won't be painting in the new shop...I don't want to ruin the shiny epoxy floor.

Visqueen paint booth and a respirator.

[FannBlade]

Yes. Covered everything in shop and used respirator.
I see Centroid just released V4 of the Acorn board. Really good price with all the new items. Board,relays,power supply,network cable,software and wiring. I will bump up to paid version on the software to get rigid tapping.
Acorn CNC controller, Step and Direction 4 axis CNC Control board with ethernet communication.DIY CNC kit

[Ninensei]

What are you going to use to convert the acorn's step and direction signals into the dc servo drive signals?

[Bob La Londe]

As to moving the head.... You have to loosen the cross bolts, and tap the side with the nuts towards the head, and then, in theory, you can move the head. The head is very heavy and it tends to be a little stuck in place from dried coolant spray, misc debris, and (eh-hem) paint residue. Sometimes mine moves ok, and sometims I have to put a block of wood against it and beat on it with a 3lb machinist hammer.

[FannBlade]

What are you going to use to convert the acorn's step and direction signals into the dc servo drive signals?

Right now I'm planing on Viper drives with 160 volt Antec power supply,

Viper Servo Motor control products

[FannBlade]

As to moving the head.... You have to loosen the cross bolts, and tap the side with the nuts towards the head, and then, in theory, you can move the head. The head is very heavy and it tends to be a little stuck in place from dried coolant spray, misc debris, and (eh-hem) paint residue. Sometimes mine moves ok, and sometims I have to put a block of wood against it and beat on it with a 3lb machinist hammer.

I'm hoping when I put a lifting bar in I can break it all loose when I lift the head off base. I've had all the bolt loose and out to clean paint off, I'm going to re-clean them and powdercoat them before I reinstall them.

With it separated I should be able to move it on a trailer myself. My doors are 8 ft,so it barley fits through. I hope I can get a trailer in shop and lift it with a gantry crane.