[Starleper1]

Ok, I made some pretty good progress with the spindle. I've got everything made for the CatR8 setup.

Pics:

Here is the spindle out of the mill. As you can see there are now drive tangs. I milled flats on the spindle itself and set screwed it in four places, that way I can assure it's not going to move. In case anyone needs to know these spindles are hardened. I was using a Niagra 4flute carbide rougher and it had difficulty cutting.






This is an end shot showing what keeps the tool holder in.







Up top. Right now I have three sets of belleville springs. I need to add two more sets to get the deflection I need. Right now it's not enough because the tool holder won't drop out. Which means I have to modify the spindle cap. No biggy.



And the single tool holder I made for now. I plan to make an army of these guys from endmill holders to collet chucks etc..







That's all for now.

[carl0s]

My motor just destroyed itself :-(

[machinechick]

Starleper1 that is the best quick change toolholder yet! Congratulations on a work well done. I'm sure it's going to work as great as it looks! Sooo much better than the TTS route! Great, great, great!

[machinechick]

My motor just destroyed itself :-(

Sure seems like there could be issues with something other than the mill, you should maybe think about checking your wiring!

[Starleper1]

Starleper1 that is the best quick change toolholder yet! Congratulations on a work well done. I'm sure it's going to work as great as it looks! Sooo much better than the TTS route! Great, great, great!

Thanks, there is more to come. I just have to find the time.

[Bubba]

I agree, best system I have seen yet. One question though, maybe I missed it, but how did you come up with the gripper/puller for the retention knob?

[carl0s]

Sure seems like there could be issues with something other than the mill, you should maybe think about checking your wiring!

It's probably the fact that I've never used a milling machine before, and I'm trying to mill 1" thick mild steel. I am only doing ~9mm depth passes though, with a 16mm 4fl end mill. The problem is that the motor overheats badly, causing the obviously inadequate integrated aluminium fan to distort, and then catch/rub the casing, and all the blue potting/epoxy disintegrates with the heat, and the brushes end up a mess (melted blue epoxy/potting stuff stuck around them).

If the hood of the machine is warm, I suggest taking it off and feeling the motor. Mine was easily over 100 degrees Celsius (spit boiled on it).

Sorry for the slightly off topic intrusion, but this is the main/only thread about this mill. I have a 1.25kw treadmill motor coming soon anyway, and I think I might get the existing motor working if I clean the commutators, maybe

I'm a bit disappointed that I just ordered an ER32 collet set for the mill, having seen Starleper's latest!! Oh well

[Starleper1]

I agree, best system I have seen yet. One question though, maybe I missed it, but how did you come up with the gripper/puller for the retention knob?

This is how pretty much all machines with retention knobs are done. I just adapted it to a smaller scale.

[Bubba]

Maybe I should have stated in another way. I sure would like to see some details (drawings) on how you did it. I have been playing with some ideas and yours looks very workable and I would like to copy it:})

[amyers]

Nice, looks just like David Decaussin's "catR8" ATC system.

[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2PWuqgviS8"]YouTube- " Automatic Tool Changer"[/nomedia]

am

[carl0s]

I think our machines share the same castings but different electronics. My motor is rated at 600w, although it looks a lot like yours, and apparently my speed controller board is different, and the switch layout is different. Hmmm.

[Starleper1]

I actually had the idea for quite sometime now. Even before I came across that video of Dave's setup.

My original plan was to use a NMTB style tool holder and I actually made one from 304SS. I was going to buy BT30 retention knobs to use with them.





Then I came across Dave's videos from a thread in the Tormach section. So I contacted Dave and we swapped some ideas back and forth, and I just liked the idea better with a machined pull stud, and a Cat style v-flange. Especially for the future ATC.

Like I said it is not a new concept. All the machines I've ever seen that use a pull stud, use this method. Very effective and simple. I just scaled it to work for my machine and tool holders.

[Bubba]

OK, thanks for the info!

It gives me some food for thought.

[arizonavideo]

Thanks, there is more to come. I just have to find the time.

Supper job with the CAT-R8 holder. It's so simple I'm sure it will start a new fad.

On the tool holder, I see a SHCS so it looks like the bolt holds the pull stud, that way you don't have to try to tap the hardened steel correct?

Also on the spindle adapter, it looks like the tool holder might references the face of the adapter, if so this surface may have a large effect on the TIR.
Does the tool holder only center on the R-8 taper and not the spindle adapter face?

I like the video by Dave and it's worth noticing that he is using a RF-31 round column!

Do you know if Dave is using engagement dogs on his setup?

[serriadh]

On the tool holder, I see a SHCS so it looks like the bolt holds the pull stud, that way you don't have to try to tap the hardened steel correct?

The pull stud is threaded, one of the photos shows the threaded hole it would screw into. The scrwe is for locking tooling into the holder, I'd have guessed.

[Starleper1]

Supper job with the CAT-R8 holder. It's so simple I'm sure it will start a new fad.

On the tool holder, I see a SHCS so it looks like the bolt holds the pull stud, that way you don't have to try to tap the hardened steel correct?

No, the SHCS is just to mate the draw bar with the cup that holds the three bearings.

Also on the spindle adapter, it looks like the tool holder might references the face of the adapter, if so this surface may have a large effect on the TIR.
Does the tool holder only center on the R-8 taper and not the spindle adapter face?

Also no, the tool holder is centered only on the R8 taper. The draw bar is floating so that any kind of run out within the spindle sleeve, bearing cup, or pull stud, has no effect on the run out of the tool.

Do you know if Dave is using engagement dogs on his setup?

Yes, he does. I'm not sure how exactly he has his setup though.

The pull stud is threaded, one of the photos shows the threaded hole it would screw into. The scrwe is for locking tooling into the holder, I'd have guessed.

Wrong again ha, you need to read the post before looking at the picture and assuming. The tool holder with the threads is a totally different tool holder. Scroll back up and try again.

[mattmark]

hey starleper,

looking great - i saw the dave videos over the weekend and i think everyone with an r8/atc on their mind is one step closer to the dream now

is your mechanism similar to this, to "pull" the retention knob?:
http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showpo...47&postcount=2


matt

[Starleper1]

Yes very similar. Not quite so many belleville's though.

[SCzEngrgGroup]

Starleper,

Am I understanding this correctly? You managed to put the pull-stud gripper inside an R8 spindle? Do you have any pictures or drawings of exactly how you accomplished this?

Regards,
Ray L.

[Starleper1]

Starleper,

Am I understanding this correctly? You managed to put the pull-stud gripper inside an R8 spindle? Do you have any pictures or drawings of exactly how you accomplished this?

Regards,
Ray L.

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