[Enraged]

I received my PM20Lv from Machine Tools Warehouse on Friday.

It appears to be a copy of the Optimum BF20Lv, rather than the Grizzly G0704 version. The motor is rated at 850W, and on high it ran up to 3500rpm (indicated by the tach), which is funny because the sticker on the speed adjustment knob says 2500rpm max, but I'm not complaining.

As you can see from the pictures, the spindle and rpm sensor are a bit different than the G0704. I haven't taken the spindle apart to check the internals yet, but where the sensor disc is mount doesn't move when the quill goes down, so it might actually be a spot to mount a timing or vbelt pulley.

Today, I cleaned it up using brake cleaner, and sprayed it down with Boeshield T-9. Everything moves smoothly, although with the table extended it takes more effort to move the Y axis. There are also no counterbalance or gas struts on the Z, so I may add them later when I convert it to CNC. The Y axis keeps coming out until it hits the handwheel, can someone tell me what the max is I want the table to hang off the base?

My only complaint so far is the drawbar. The mill came with a drill chuck and arbor with an R8 sleeve, and everything went together just fine. But when I tried to insert an R8 end mill holder I picked up the other day, it wouldn't thread into the drawbar. Looks like the drawbar is a course thread, and my end mill holder is fine thread. Can anyone tell me what the standard thread for R8 is?

I also made an order with Maritool yesterday for some ER25 straight shank collet holders and a set of ER25 collets, as well as some aluminum cutting endmills. I'll be getting a vice from Glacern and the TTS parts in the next few weeks.

I'm going to be converting the mill to CNC control, and the current plan is to use Nema23 servos with Gecko 230V purchased from Keling. Most likely running 4:1 with timing belts.

I'm also going to get a set of DROs from mydigitaldog.com. I found their ad in Digital Machinist, and a set is only $90 per axis, 24in long for the X and 12" long for the Y. I won't bother with the Z as the head has a DRO built in. This setup with help me machine the parts manually for the conversion.

[steveg]

I recieved mine Friday and have it partially set up (removed the head and column to carry it int my shop).
Even though I will be converting to cnc I ordered the x powerfeed It came factory installed and looks very nice.
The limit switch does limit Y travel by an 25mm compared to yours
There are inch and mm spec's for r8 drawbar threads 7/16-20 and looks like m12x2 mm for ours ooops so much for my inch r8 collection.


Were are you located Im Saint John NB.

[Enraged]

I'm in Victoria BC.

That must be it with the drawbar. I'm going to stop at a local fastener shop tomorrow and see if I can get a 7/16-20 bolt that will work, otherwise I'll just get some threaded rod.

[cornbinder23]

man I love Vic BC will be there this weekend for a couple of days, Sydney actually, I live right over the aldergrove crossing
nice ferry ride over too (Tsawassen)
didnt know there were so many northwesterners on here
any way good luck on your build looks like a top notch machine
maybe I will get back to mine soon
JT

[steveg]

Opposite ends of the country (excepting NFLD,NS and PEI )
I'm away from home on vacation for the week but first thing next week
I will have to remove the drawbar and take it to a small machine shop
that I know and have an inch one made.
Mean while I noticed in the manual that the spindle uses angular contact
ball bearings, so no need to do anything there.

I'm overall very pleased with the finish quality machine , better than the Busy
Bee machine and lower cost too.

[Enraged]

I'm quite happy with the machine as well, just little things like the drawbar. I'm getting some threaded rod to make my own for now.

Victoria is pretty bad for finding anything in the way of tooling for these mills, noone local has anything in stock (I was told it would be the end of September before a clamping kit arrived in stock) so I generally have to order things in.

My Maritool order shipped (super fast service, I'll be ordering again from him soon), and I'm going to order some stuff from Littlemachineshop.

[cornbinder23]

I'm quite happy with the machine as well, just little things like the drawbar. I'm getting some threaded rod to make my own for now.

Victoria is pretty bad for finding anything in the way of tooling for these mills, noone local has anything in stock (I was told it would be the end of September before a clamping kit arrived in stock) so I generally have to order things in.

My Maritool order shipped (super fast service, I'll be ordering again from him soon), and I'm going to order some stuff from Littlemachineshop.

well if you need anything from grizzly let me know I will be coming up on thursday morning could meet you at milestones or something over the weekend haha

[Enraged]

Well, I ordered a clamping kit from Busybee ($9 to ship, cheapest I've ever seen), 2 axis DRO from MyDigitalDog, and cornbinder is nice enough to pick up a boring set from Grizzly for me. I might actually get to make something with the mill now

[cornbinder23]

Have you ever been to Lee Valley tools? I love that place

[Enraged]

Yup, there is one in Colwood now. Lots of nice stuff, but much of it is overpriced, and they don't have much in the way of metal machining stuff.

[Enraged]

Some other things I will be ordering soon:

Pro-Tram, a good alternative to the SPI version, and its cheaper and made in the USA.

Boring head attachments from Mesatool

[pobanion]

I'm quite happy with the machine as well, just little things like the drawbar. I'm getting some threaded rod to make my own for now.

Victoria is pretty bad for finding anything in the way of tooling for these mills, noone local has anything in stock (I was told it would be the end of September before a clamping kit arrived in stock) so I generally have to order things in.

My Maritool order shipped (super fast service, I'll be ordering again from him soon), and I'm going to order some stuff from Littlemachineshop.

The factory made a mistake about the draw bars. They were not suppose to be metric. I am having them make some standard 7/16-20 draw bars to replace the 12mm metric ones. I should have them shortly and I will be mailing them out to anyone who received a metric drawbar in their BF20Lv machine. Sorry for this pain in the butt...

Pat

[Enraged]

and did I mention the excellent support from Machine Tools Warehouse?

[steveg]

The factory made a mistake about the draw bars. They were not suppose to be metric. I am having them make some standard 7/16-20 draw bars to replace the 12mm metric ones. I should have them shortly and I will be mailing them out to anyone who received a metric drawbar in their BF20Lv machine. Sorry for this pain in the butt...

Pat

Good news !

[Enraged]

Some new toys arrived.

I have to say, the quality of the Maritool parts feels top notch. The collet chucks have very nice threads, all the parts are packaged nicely, and everything was shipped very quickly.

I can't say the same about the clamp set from Busybee

[steveg]

So I've been doing some "research" with my machine, I've found out that
the bearings used in the spindle are very uncommon ,unabtainable really.
there are 2 32906 tapered roller bearings and 1 6906(common/obtainable) ball bearing
The sales guy at my local canadian bearing store could not
find the tapered bearings anywere. NSK list them, but make them to order only not as a stock item.
hope the stock chinese bearing last a long time


I borrowed a digital tach from work , the motor runs 7200rpm with the
speed knob turned up full so about 2-1 reduction in high gear for
a 3500rpm top speed

I personally find the spindle and gearbox much too loud for my liking so
a belt coversion is in my future .

[Enraged]

I'm curious if its the gearbox or the spindle bearings? thanks for the info on the bearings by the way. the 32906 seems to be a bearing used on motorcycle forks

so current update: expensive. I think I've spent more on tooling and such than on the mill.

a local was/is handling an estate sale, so I got:
- 4" rotary table
- 4" kurt-type milling vise
- small granite plate
- 3x flycutter set
- 3x saw arbor set
- 10x end mill set
- center square
- toolmaker's v-block
- small clamping v-block set

from littlemachineshop.com
-3" screwless vise (bought it before I got the 4", but thats fine becuase I can use this vise to hold parts vertically as well)
-punch transfer set
-Boring Head Shank
-TTS Collet, 3/4" R8
-TTS Tool Conversion Kit
-TTS Tool Height Setting Fixture
-Blocks, 1-2-3
-Edge and Center Finder
-Ultra Thin Parallels, 6" long
-Dial Indicator, Test Indicator, Magnetic

I also got my X and Y axis DRO

only thing left on the too-buy list is a drill chuck and a face mill (probably from Glacern).

on the actual mill, I haven't worked with it much yet, just did a few test cuts in aluminum, and it rips right through it, very nice. im renting an engine hoist this weekend or next week to put it on the stand. I want it on the stand, as I have a few prototype parts for my car I want to make.

[steveg]

I have isolated the motor only ,nice and smooth and quiet all the way to 7200rpm
Motor plus geartrain, no spindle , loud
I need to reinstall the spindle so I can't really say just now how much it adds.

[Enraged]

i meant the spindle bearings, someone mentioned in another thread that their stock bearings were noisy.

so you figure about 2:1? I wonder what speed the bearings would handle. until we can get replacements though, maybe just stick with a belt drive that keeps the 2:1.

[steveg]

That would have been me but I've revised my thinking on that
the gears will drowned out any noise the spindle bearings make

According to the NSK book 7500rpm greased and 10000rpm oil
not much worry there at 3500rpm
For now I'm going to put it all back together and just stop worrying about bearings

I have been contemplating a 1 speed belt drive, now
that I know about the 7200rpm motor i feel more confident
that it would be satisfactory.

I have a Ridgid drill press with Poly-V belts and really like how smooth
and quiet it is , so that would be my choice if I can find the right belt
and pulleys, but I haven't started looking yet.