[J S Machine]

After starting a thread or two about tramming and issues associated with the machine being out, I have decided to completely teardown and rebuild my SX2 before I even turn it on. Didn't know I'd have to do this, but it looks like in order to get it straight I will have to shim anyway, so a teardown for that is necessary. While I have it apart, I'd like to go ahead and fix common issues and just do general upgrades.

I have the table taken completely apart, and I plan to do the whole machine. I will be deburring, checking clearances, and fixing things along the way.

I swear man, they must not have a deburring tool in that factory..

Is there anything that I should do while I have it apart that you guys recommend? I plan to add a support plate to the back of the column and eliminate the belleville washer. I have considered adding epoxy or something to fill the column, but not sure yet.

Also saw the easy fix where I can shim the rack on the Z axis to elimate some of the backlash. I may do that too.

[photomankc]

Why bother filling the column? What flex or vibration is it going to contribute that is not swamped by the way it is connected to the base? Maybe others have a different opinion but I don't think that will pay back in a way that is worth the effort.

One thing I did was to go get M6 nylon lock nuts for the gib screws. Adjusting the gibs is a hateful process on the X2 and I got sick of redoing it all the time when the jam nuts vibrate loose. They have been working out quite nicely.

[B-RAD]

I hope you take my advise from other threads, and also check out my build thread just under this ( right now anyways.) if you had another mill i would just mill the base where the column mounts instead of using shims.

[J S Machine]

One thing I did was to go get M6 nylon lock nuts for the gib screws. Adjusting the gibs is a hateful process on the X2 and I got sick of redoing it all the time when the jam nuts vibrate loose. They have been working out quite nicely.

great idea, thanks.

[J S Machine]

I hope you take my advise from other threads, and also check out my build thread just under this ( right now anyways.) if you had another mill i would just mill the base where the column mounts instead of using shims.

I have thought about doing this, but it would require bringing the pieces of the machine to work (where I have normal bridgeport mills) and doing the work off the clock..not really fun..

I do want to check that milled flat where the colum mount bolts with those three bolts with the table though and see if it is out. I'll do that tonight If I get it back together that far.

My main objective right now is just to get the mill back together where I can even use it manually. The CNC upgrade may happen later, but I think I'll hold off for now.

Your build looks like it's coming along nicely. I like the upgrades you have done to yours. Where did you get the readout system on it?

[B-RAD]

I got 2 12" & 1 6" igaging dro's off amazon.

[russell2]

Have a look at this: http://www.arceurotrade.co.uk/projec...on%20Guide.pdf
It's for the SX1 but there is much in common.

Russell.

[J S Machine]

Have a look at this: http://www.arceurotrade.co.uk/projec...on%20Guide.pdf
It's for the SX1 but there is much in common.

Russell.

Good stuff in there, thanks.

[B-RAD]

Decent PDF there... I did things somewhat differently where it applied to the SX2, the major thing was to sand everything by placing some 230 then 600 then 1200 grit sand paper on a known flat surface and completely flatten everything possible the biggest thing was the gibs, and I see that isn't in the PDF.. To me that is the most important thing to be straight on all sides, its very easy to add some layout fluid to the gibs and sand away finishing with 1200 grit. I also sanded a bit different than they did, I see they use a diamond file on the ways - to me that is stupid, you can change the way's shape doing that, that's a bad idea, I simply used 600 grit with my fingers and ran it up and down the ways about 30 times each (you will notice when it's smoother) and you will follow the ways this way, your fingers arn't hard enough to change any shapes... Also making the base have "pads" on it isn't the smartest either... also after that he again used a file again a NO NO... but the more surface area you have between two surfaces the more rigidity, so that means you want all the metal you can get and have them both as flat and as smooth as you can so they mate together as perfect as you can, it's kinda like how a Gecko climbs on glass... (look it up..) So yeah, you only need a few sheets of wet sandpaper coated in WD-40 and some good paper towels and some good lube and you will be on your way to a very nice running HiTorque mill!

[J S Machine]

Decent PDF there... I did things somewhat differently where it applied to the SX2, the major thing was to sand everything by placing some 230 then 600 then 1200 grit sand paper on a known flat surface and completely flatten everything possible the biggest thing was the gibs, and I see that isn't in the PDF.. To me that is the most important thing to be straight on all sides, its very easy to add some layout fluid to the gibs and sand away finishing with 1200 grit. I also sanded a bit different than they did, I see they use a diamond file on the ways - to me that is stupid, you can change the way's shape doing that, that's a bad idea, I simply used 600 grit with my fingers and ran it up and down the ways about 30 times each (you will notice when it's smoother) and you will follow the ways this way, your fingers arn't hard enough to change any shapes... Also making the base have "pads" on it isn't the smartest either... also after that he again used a file again a NO NO... but the more surface area you have between two surfaces the more rigidity, so that means you want all the metal you can get and have them both as flat and as smooth as you can so they mate together as perfect as you can, it's kinda like how a Gecko climbs on glass... (look it up..) So yeah, you only need a few sheets of wet sandpaper coated in WD-40 and some good paper towels and some good lube and you will be on your way to a very nice running HiTorque mill!

Hate to disagree with you here, but you are not quite correct when you state that your fingers will not remove material in a bad way. Anytime you remove material, you change the shape of what you are sanding. Some of the worse F ups I've ever seen in auto collision repair were because of somebody sanding with their fingers isntead of a block (or like you say)something behind it.

I don't plan to do every little thing stated in the PDF, I just thought there were some ideas in there. I actually got my bed assembly back together last night. I took a different approach than using sandpaper. I used a stone. Now, I am wondering if the mill will still be as accurate. a stone is flat and removes the high spots, so that's what I did. I regreased everything, and also deburred my screws. I have stated it before, and I still feel like it is the case, -they don't have a deburring tool in that factory. There is not one piece of this machine that has had an edge broken.

As I stated before, I plan to wait a little while before I CNC mine. I want to get it back together and see how close it is. Hopefully my efforts helped a little and the machine will be easier to work with and more reliable.