[Bob La Londe]

Just use a swamp cooler pump my foot!

First off most regular swamp cooler pump motors vent out the bottom, so the obvious answer of cutting a hole in a bucket lid and letting the head rest on the lid is a bad idea. It needs some open air space below the motor to cool properly. Next, they are all to darn short to just use a convenient cheap bucket. Sure you could stick them 3-4" into the coolant, but that leaves you having a whole bunch of un-useable coolant below the pump. Much more than you will ever need for unfiltered chip settling.

Of course my Little Giant Coolant system on the Taig basically looks like a tub with a swamp cooler pump in it, so that muddies the water so to speak. I think it only holds a little over a gallon of liquid, the motor vents to the sides near the bottom, and I bet if I measure it the distance from the bottom of the motor housing to the impeller housing is a couple inches further.

I am fixing that. Now I just need to look through my stock and scrap for the right piece of metal to make the drive shaft extension.

[Bob La Londe]

Its not done, but its starting to look ok. All of the flat sheet of this enclosure is 0.125" 5052 marine grade aluminum. Its pretty weathered from sitting outside, and to be honest I doubt that I will polish it. I kind of like the "steam punk" look it has with its non-uniform weathering and screw heads showing everywhere. LOL.

I do need to get some shorter screws for those bearings though. Either that or make little spikes to screw on the back sides where they stick up. LOL.

The reason for three top rollers is so that when the door is fully closed or fully open the top edge will always be supported by atleast two bearings. The doors open the full width of the enclosure.

Those are mid price 608 skate bearings. They cost about a dollar a pice, although if you look around they can be had cheaper.

[FannBlade]

That looks really good. I may have to re-think mine!!

[Bob La Londe]

That looks really good. I may have to re-think mine!!

With your skills at glass work, I figured you would make a walk in booth with a floor drain. LOL.

[gigjoec]

"There are still a few things I would like to figure out how to do. For one thing I never really found a good resource for the values, commands, language structure, etc for Mach 3 macros. I just pieced them together from bits and pieces found here and there. Another thing I would like to do is figure out how to "park" the machine at the end of a program. Basically raise the spindle to safe Z, center the table, and move it forward to make part removal faster and easier when a program completes. Maybe I'll add a park button to my program screen. I ran across references to that while I was researching M6 macros. Executing a macro from a screen button. Well, that is a task for another day. "

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/mach_w...x_version.html



Mach 3 tool setter Big-tex version
This screen set I have rewritten as I have found some problems testing it. Not retracting was one issues, calc problems etc......
Originally it was written by guy on video.
You must have blue screen installed, I also suggest having fixed plate in tool change location designated in M6start but not necessary.
I have fixed touch plate below face of my spoil board but have done testing and also runs fine if it is above it. I have found this set to do tool changing much easier.

"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoF99XwUQfc"]YouTube- A quick demo of a modified Mach Blue Tool Setter

Note: this set is for inches as Native Units but can be very easy changed to mm
I have included in button scripts many descriptors to make it easier.
After unzipping drop .set file in c:/Mach3/


Happy testing, please let me know what do you think....... Attached Files
MachBlue - probing big tex ver.zip‎ (16.5 KB, 2372 views)



hope this helps i use it on mine and love it

[Dixi5Price]

That looks really good. I may have to re-think mine!!

[Bob La Londe]

Thank you. I will look into your stuff in the next few days. The day job demands my attention today.

One thing I thought about doing was to use the 1024 set, but uses Klaus' Mach Screen program to cut and post some of the features over from the Blue Screen Set and customize the 1024 set with an additional screen page dedicated to probing and jogging.

I actually already created an 800x600 set with large buttons for touch screen, but then my 800c600 monitor died and I had to use a bigger monitor. LOL.

If you attached a file I do not see it.

[Bob La Londe]

Lots of cleanup and closing up yet to do on the mill yet, but its been a couple weeks since I needed to open the control or power cabinet for anything. I still need to add a switched outlet for my coolant pump instead of plugging it into an extension cord all the time. LOL.

Have few little things to add.

1. In the course of using various tools I have had to move my coolant manifold up and down on the support rod. Of course I snapped off the set screw that holds it in place. I thought about drilling it out and using a bigger screw, but I also thought I could make a better one that is easier to adjust, clamps on the rod better, and is less in the way along the side of the mill head. I also angled the coolant inlet to reduce kinking of the hose when I have it pushed way up or way down, and forget to pull up some extra hose.


Attachment 203006

2. In the process of making the manifold I played with using the extrude surface feature of CamBam. It wasn't necessary, but I think it made doing the layout easier.

Attachment 203008


3. I wanted to show off the fancy door catch I have been using on the enclosure.


Attachment 203010

[Bob La Londe]

Which Motor ?

Ok... my next project for this mill is to figure out how to power the knee. I've got several small DC motors laying around. I've got a 24V gear head motor that tops out at about 240 RPM, and I've got several Dayton 90VDC motors that turn about 1800 at 90VDC. I've even got a 24V wheelchair motor in the stack, but it turns much faster. At first I was thinking of using the wheel head motor because I can easily set it to run at any speed from about 50-240 with a speed controller, but with my 78VDC power supply already in the mill for the servos it would make more sense to try and use one of the dayton 90V motors. I wanted to see how they performed at low voltage and if they got hot so I put one on a 24V power supply on the bench for an hour, and it just barely got warm. I don't think it will have any issue running at 78VDC, so now how to control it.

Probably the Dayton since I already have it, and I don't have to add another power supply to the mill.

How to speed control ?

When I crank the table up and down by hand I can turn a little over 100RPM. I don't see the knee needing to move any faster than twice that at most. I can do it a couple different ways. Install 9+:1 gear reduction of some kind. Put in a DC speed control of some kind. Install another servo driver, and just hook it to the breakout board. I think for good torque (The Dayton is only a 1/8 hp motor) I'ld need to use some gear reduction regardless.

How to mount it ?

Here I am lost. The hand crank shaft comes out of a "blobular extrusion" at an angle out of the side of the knee. I just don't see a good mounting point on first look.

[Bob La Londe]

I haven't made any progress on motorizing the knee, or really even thought about it. I've been to busy working on other projects. Some of them paying projects. While this isn't really a part of the machine it is used exclusively to support this machine so I figured I'ld post it here.

Attachment 219584

Its not done yet, but the idea is to add side supports to the tray of the cart, and bolt it to the handle on that side leaving space underneath if to slide a couple parallel boxes or ER collet boxes. Basically taking a cheap cart and turning into a tool cart. I have a couple drawer boxes I am thinking about putting on the bottom shelf for end mills as well.

Attachment 219586

[Bob La Londe]

Backlash on Z. I seemed to have measured some backlash on Z in the last few months. When I first started actually cutting jobs on the mill I noticed that the Z sounded a little noisy, but I had very little backlash. Maybe a tenth or so. (I thought) In the last couple weeks I have noticed maybe 7-8 tenths backlash when I use the tool setter and jog .001 at a time to zero my tools. I know the machine spec is only 0 to +.003, but I always figured that was as much to do with the electronics and following error as anything.

I pulled the front and top cover to look at things. The little rollers are rolling like they should, so I don't think its racking. The spline shaft is greased. The ball screw is getting oil. Is it just old? Or did I just not notice the backlash before?

When I bump the Z back and forth by .001 I can see the ballscrew turn the same amount for one or multiple bumps so its not following error or drive lash going into the screw.

[timmyb199]

Hi Bob, i just started a thread and hope to be going down the same road that you did. I was hoping I could ask some questions once I get going. The first one Is I keep hearing about the way to run it on 220 single phase but have not seen the diagram anywhere to see as of yet. I wont be able to mess with the machine for couple weeks probably. I pick it up on Sat. Thanks for any pointers along my way

[Bob La Londe]

Ok... the first thing to do is figure out what you have. Not every KMB1 is exactly the same. Mine says its 4HP, but it has a 5HP Leland motor. Others I have seen are only rated at 2.5HP.

Mine came with a 3.7KW VFD that could run 1ph or 3ph in and 3ph out. I wired that and figured to derate my cuts by about 30%. It has not been an issue for me. My motor had a second 3phase motor inside of it that just ran a cooling fan. I put a second cheap VFD in to just run that cooling fan motor. Knowing what I know now I think it would have been cheaper to pull that, and put a high volume muffin fan on top of the motor housing instead.

Then the next thing is are you going to gut it and do a complete retrofit like I did, or are you going to try and run it with all the stock electronics?

... Let me see if I can find your thread...

There are 3 or 4 of us who have gutted a KMB1 and documented it here on CNCZONE. I'm sure any of us could help you with a retrofit, but might struggle to help you get the original control working.

[timmyb199]

my plan is to gut, use what i can, install the geko 320x's i got from a freind. I will know more on Sat. I will take allot of photos and see where we get. I am starting to get excited about it. Been reading your thread here and on metal nibbler. You did a great job. Talk to you soon

Tim

[Bob La Londe]

I had put it off, but I think I am going to be adding a Z^2 axis to mine soon. I just do to darn much small cutter stuff not to ave a high speed spindle. I have a speeder, but I decided it was too much work to swap, and too much flex for a measly 10K. I purchased a 24K spindle I'll be using for the companion. Well not really a companion since it will be a full second Z axis on its own rails, with its own lead screw.

[timmyb199]

I am not sure if this would work for you, but on a freinds small mill he put a water cooled spindle chinese brand and made a r8 collet weld on it so when he wants high speed he mounts it into the machine. not the cleanest option but worked

[Bob La Londe]

I am not sure if this would work for you, but on a freinds small mill he put a water cooled spindle chinese brand and made a r8 collet weld on it so when he wants high speed he mounts it into the machine. not the cleanest option but worked

I thought about something like that, but my KMB1 is Kwik 200 rather than R8. I would either have to clamp a bracket to the quill which would reduce the travel of the quill or I would have to mount a bracket to a tool holder which would require I keep the spindle brakes on. I don't totally trust the spindle brakes. I sometimes spin against the brake when removing a particularly sticky tool holder. I think by building a whole second Z axis I'll be able to have a little more working flexibility. I will be able to retract the 24K spindle completely out of the work area when its not in use, also once I make a few test cuts I'll have the offset of the two spindles so I can work on a work piece that's within their overlapping work envelopes with either spindle. I actually already have the sliding Z rail assembly for the Z-2. I just put new linear rails in it this afternoon. The old ones were pretty rough.

P.S. At one point during the retrofit I actually considered totally removing the head from the mill and building a high speed head for it. If I had a second KMB1 I might do that.

[Bob La Londe]

Not a good day. *Yesterday the Taig decided to lose it again. *Everything was dialed in and tested, and it just lost it in X. *I've narrowed it down to the controller. *Wasted a part. (4th one sigh!) *

I spent most of yesterday setting up a companion spindle setup to use the little 1HP 24K spindle on the Hurco, and the Hurco failed in Z today. *Repeatedly. *Sigh. *I thought I would get it working, and then it would fail again. *Finally I did some torture until it fails testing, and pulled the servo motor out. *The motor wasn't particularly hot, but the Z ball screw was very hard to turn. *Don't know if its the screw or the rack that drives the quill, or even maybe the quill itself, but something doesn't want to move. *

After experimenting with it most of the evening I have found that if it sets for a while it will run pretty good for a short time, and then start having problems. *It doesn't seem to be at a particular range in the travel either. *I'm betting ballnut or ballscrew bearing failure. *

I guess tomorrow I finish tearing down the head and see what I see. *

I wish I had done the Z^2 add-on already now instead of the companion spindle. *I did the companion spindle because it was faster and I have some work to get done. *Darn! *Darn! *Darn! *Darn!

Oh, well. *Here is the companions spindle setup for those who just like pictures. *

[FannBlade]

That sucks to hear!
I like the add on spindle that should work great for the high RPM stuff when needed.

[Bob La Londe]

Well, CRAP!

The ballnut is fine. Very smooth. Screw drive side bearings are ok. (There is no idler side bearing.) A little stiffer than I would like, but ok. The quill is stuck. It was so firmly stuck that after I pulled the servo and the ballscrew I couldn't get it to move with a nail bar. I had to break out my 5 foot straight pick to use as a lever. Yeah, the same one I use to break caliche.

I think its time to abandon the head on this machine and build my own head. I do more high speed work anyway, and the high speed stuff is what I actually get paid for.