[truckeic]

OK... I will say new to machining and trying to learn so be kind...
I am trying to turn my X2 mill into CNC using Hoss' plans.
In his plans for the Z Axis I have to make a flange for the Zaxis Ballscrew. I don't have a lathe and the flange starts out at around 2.5 in the steps down to around 1.5. Yes this would be best done on a lathe.. but I have been told I can do this on a mill with rotery table.. can someone enlighten me on to this process...

THANKS

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[awerby]

It sounds like you need to get a piece of metal that's 2.5" in diameter sticking up from a rotary table that's flat against the mill bed, and use an endmill that has a flute length sufficient for the length of the turned-down section to progressively reduce the diameter. If it's too long for that, then you'd have to set it up with the rotary table parallel to the X axis of your mill instead of the Z axis, and support the end of the stock with a dead center before starting to reduce the diameter to 1.5", making sure your depth of cut isn't too much for the cutter (I'd suggest about half the tool diameter at a time). You'll need a tool with at least half an inch of flute length for this, but that's not hard to find.

[truckeic]

Well here is what I need to make...
http://www.hossmachine.info/images/c...ed_800x461.jpg
http://www.hossmachine.info/images/3...20sampler2.jpg


I need to make the flange upper left. I know it would be better to do this on a lathe but I don't have one. My idea and please correct me if this is wrong, was to get I guess rotary table mount the round stock with V-blocks and Mill the 2.5 dimension top to bottom. Then square off the top and turn over mill the depth of the upper part the .5 dimension. Then turn it back over and mill the 1.25 diameter then make the .96 depth. then bore the center hole.
How screwed up is that? LOL

It sounds like you need to get a piece of metal that's 2.5" in diameter sticking up from a rotary table that's flat against the mill bed, and use an endmill that has a flute length sufficient for the length of the turned-down section to progressively reduce the diameter. If it's too long for that, then you'd have to set it up with the rotary table parallel to the X axis of your mill instead of the Z axis, and support the end of the stock with a dead center before starting to reduce the diameter to 1.5", making sure your depth of cut isn't too much for the cutter (I'd suggest about half the tool diameter at a time). You'll need a tool with at least half an inch of flute length for this, but that's not hard to find.

[Kenny Duval]

A piece or round stock a boring head could get that done.

[truckeic]

Ok can you tell me how...I am very new to the mill...

A piece or round stock a boring head could get that done.

[Kenny Duval]

Depends on how you plan to hold the part. If you have a way to hold round stock in either a Vice or a 3 jaw chuck you would simply drill the middle hole big enough to start boring out from the center with a boring head. Then use the boring head to remove material from the outside working in to the finish diameter and depth of the flange face. Locate and drill the 4 bolt holes and cap screw pocket and bob's your uncle. The boring head will be a slow process however. If you could get access to a lathe to do the turning things would go a lot faster.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWVvX0lbN5E

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SikQ7qDvp4

That example is a little too much but you get the idea.

[truckeic]

So your saying use a boring head to mill down the stock to the correct diameter. .. gonna sound stupid but would I not need a rotary table. . I am not sure how I would turn the boring head around the round stock to mill it down... I do understand how to bore the center hole...

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[Kenny Duval]

Removing material from the outside with the boring head would be the process in the second video. Instead of starting with a smaller hole and making it bigger you are starting on the outside of the material and make the diameter smaller incrementally working your way inward.

[truckeic]

Sorry the links did not load the first time I looked..but that did help a lot. So question. .. to set the X and y zero I assume you would locate with edgefinder the center of the work then install the boring head and adjust like was shown in the video and continue adjusting until I reach the diameter I need... correct?

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[Kenny Duval]

Yep.

It will be slow and painful but it will get it done. Doing it on a lathe or even someone near you with a CNC mill would take much less time but sometimes you have to work with what you have. Plus it will be a good skill builder for you. Sometimes you don't have the ideal way to get something done and you have to work around it.

[truckeic]

Ok Kenny bear with me but I am going to walk through this in my head...correct me on anything I am wrong about.

Ok the largest part of the flange is 2.5 OD. And the smallest part is 1.25. I would assume to get a piece of round stock slightly larger that the 2.5 say 2.75. I would assume V blocks and my vice would do for mounting. Yes ? I have to buy the vblocks. That said mount the round stock in the vblocks with the flat edges up and down. Then shave off the top edge to square it up. Just so I understand, what would you use in the vice to support the bottom. I would assume it would have to be some sort flat stock but machined perfect flat. Right? Would parallels laid flat side by side work? Then with it mounted that way mill off 10 thou or so to square up the top. I would assume then turn the stock over and put the square in at the bottom to assure the piece is square in the vice. Then locate the center of the stock with edge finder and zero x and y. Then install boring head and bit. Machine the entire stock to the 2.5 dim. Give myself at least the .5 which is the height of the 2.5 dim. And then machine the 1.5 dim. Then I would use a fly cutter to mill the correct height of the 1.5 dim wbuch is .965 and turn the piece over and mill down to the correct height of the 2.5 dim.. which is .5
Then bore the hole in the center.. am I missing something would that be the procedure and by doing that would I have a correct flange?

Thanks for the help..

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[Kenny Duval]

If the outside dimension of the largest diameter of the flange is not critical then just use a 2.5 inch round stock and take a lite .005 skim cut to clean up the surface. You could also instead of buying V-Blocks opt to face and drill the 4 bolt holes in the flange to a diameter smaller than the required hole and tap them. Then drill the same pattern in a piece of flat stock and mount the round stock to the flat then clamp the flat stock down to the table. I would center up on the stock, drill the center out large enough to start using the boring head. Then do the inside bore and the outside material removal in the same operation so that they are concentric. Then remove the stock from the fixture, clamp the flange down to the fixture stock and drill the 4 hole pattern to the final dimensions and mill the pockets for the cap screws.

You could also ask if there is someone on the boards in your area that would be willing to help make that part. Where are you located? Maybe someone is close by that would be willing to help you out. The crew around here seem to be pretty good about that.

[truckeic]

I am in Hickory NC... so if anybody is near would definitely take the help...

I like the idea of just bolting the stock to a flat piece.. but would I not have to bring down the 2.5 in diameter to the 1.5 in to drill and tap the holes or am I missing something...

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[truckeic]

Never mind I just re read your post and now it makes sense..

Let me ask this... do I just assume the flat edges of the round stock are indeed flat? Cause when I mount that if it is not square won't that throw off my milling the round...

How would you get the flange to the desired height...
Would you cut it with a saw then mill the top to square it..

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[Kenny Duval]

No. Never assume anything is flat. I would drop it in the vice. Run an indicator vertically down the center line of the x and y and try to square it up as much as possible. Then face it with a fly cutter...drill and tap the holes and the mount it to the stock. Never assume anything is flat because most of the time it isn't.

On the drill and tapped holes I suggest using a piece of stock slightly longer than you need for the part so that you can use that extra length to either hold the part in the vice or dill and tap to bolt to a piece of stock. Once your round feature have been milled in you will flip the part hold it in the vice by the smaller diameter feature and then fly cut the excess material off until the flange is the correct dimension.

There are a million ways to skin this cat they just vary in effectiveness. None of them are right or wrong. If you end up with the part you intended to make then it was the right way for you to get it done. You will always rethink it after you have done something and maybe do it differently the next time and come up with something that either took less time, was more accurate or easier to fixture and hold. All of those are good things.

[truckeic]

All great info Kenny.. Thank You!

I get things rather quick but I am learning..

If you got a min I do have a question and maybe you can decode it.

I am doing the Hoss CNC conversion. .
I think I can make all this stuff but I honestly don't get the Z Axis assembly.

The flange we have been speaking of has 4 hols drilled and tapped. . Looks like the pulley gets tapped 15/16...and 4 holes drilled and tapped.

So it looks to me the pulley and the flange C get screwed together..
Then a bearing is installed.
All of this through the Z Axis Mount.
Then another thrust bearing and Flange G

It says mount Flange G to C
Ok here is my confusion. .
How are you going to do that when Flange C has only 4 holes drilled in it and the screws to mount Flange G would gave to go through 2 bearings.. am I missing something..

http://www.hossmachine.info/images/z...rge)%20(2).jpg

http://www.hossmachine.info/images/c...ed_800x461.jpg

http://www.hossmachine.info/images/3...20sampler2.jpg

Any ideas. .



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[Kenny Duval]

I'll let Hoss explain how that functions as mine is direct drive and does not have a pulley on the Z axis. He'll be better able to explain how that goes together. In the links you posted to me it looks like the ballnut is rotating and pulling the screw through the ballnut vs the screw rotating and moving the ball nut up and down. Again I don't know the mechanics of that mill to be able to speak intelligently about what Hoss designed.