[skray775]

Hi Guys,

I have had my machine running for a while now and one thing I have never seen here is a comprehensive guide to setting up and adjusting ones benchtop machine.

What I would like to see is a step by step guide for the typical benchtop. How to properly adjust and check the gibs, how to tram the mill, and in what order to do the things needed to get the most out of our machines.

Does something like this exist?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[DRock]

I think something like this would be AMAZING and would certainly get more people involved with our hobby. The problem is finding the time to do such a thing...

[BAMCNC.COM]

YouTube, and other forums and websites.

It's there... Maybe just make a good sticky thread displaying links?

[amyers]

uh what mill? setup of a sherline will be nothing like an rf45. what electronics? steppers, servos, g540, digital drivers, geckos, kflop, smoothstepper, tb6560, dmm,etc. far too many options for one guide to be of any use.

[skray775]

uh what mill? setup of a sherline will be nothing like an rf45. what electronics? steppers, servos, g540, digital drivers, geckos, kflop, smoothstepper, tb6560, dmm,etc. far too many options for one guide to be of any use.

Basically every mill in this forum... Most of our bench top mills share the same design so why wouldn't the setup and adjustment procedure be the same for all of them?

I am not talking about choosing steppers, servo's , control systems etc.

I was thinking more along the lines of tramming, gib adjustments, how to accurately evaluate the machine for error's etc.

[691175002]

Hoss covers a lot of the basics in his youtube videos, but there are a lot of them to go through.

Cnccookbook also has a lot of valuable information hidden in the blog and cookbook:
CNC Cookbook: Cookbook Articles
I consider the cookbook to be one of the best resources for beginners and it is very comprehensive in terms of feedrates, surface finishes and many more advanced topics as well.

The "bible" of machine accuracy and alignment is Machine Tool Reconditioning:
Machine Tool Reconditioning for Machine Tools by Machine Tool Publications
It essentially walks you through the process of completely aligning a mill/lathe/grinder from scratch. The book is fairly expensive and talks a lot about scraping and other processes that you probably don't want to do on a benchtop mill though.

[hoss2006]

I do have a guide, though it was written with the X2 in mind it can be used generally for other mills.
In particular the info below "You Have the Machine, Now What?"

Attention Newbies! - CNC - The Hossmachine Forum
Hoss

[skray775]

Thanks guys,
That is a big help!

[hoss2006]

You're welcome.
Hoss

[sbouchey]

This link may be of interest:
Tramming, adjust gibs,tramming mini mill
HTH
Stuart