[krymis]

what is the largest face mill you have used on an X2? I live next to grizzly and they have a 2.5" r8 face mill with replacable carbide tips. Is it usable on an x2? I know it takes a lot of hp to spin it but i am just wondering if it works.

[hoss2006]

I just used a 3.0 inch 5 insert face mill to surface my tooling plate.
Was only taking .010 in. @2000 RPM to make it flat, but it can handle deeper.
Plenty O Power.
Hoss

[Adamj12b]

Be very careful if you don't have a belt drive conversion on your X2. I decided to try to try my 5 carbide, 2.5" face mill from my larger mill and it stripped the gears in my mill pretty quick. I have read places that 1.25" is as big as you should use because of the gears.

Also, Hoss, your X2 is not the average X2. It seems that you made it do things unimaginable for a machine of this size. Very impressive. -Adam

[hoss2006]

Yeah a belt drive would be preferable, most seem to have them nowadays.
I converted mine when I stripped gears using a 3/4 endmill.
Sieg should have designed it that way in the first place.
My head and motor are still basically stock except for the belt conversion.
I just have a little more work area than the average X2 plus a couple doodads.
Milling wise, it's still an X2, R8 spindle, 6000 RPM 4/5 HP motor.
Would like to upgrade the motor though sometime. Perhaps a 2 HP Servo.

[Adamj12b]

I have been doing some reading and looking at a 2.25 HP treadmill motor. I saw that awhile ago you changed out your motor controller for a treadmill motor controller. I have been looking on ebay and found some 130V treadmill motors in the range of 2.25 to 2.5 HP. They run slower, but have 3 times the power. so it might be possible to use a 1:1 belt drive for the higher rpm range.

This first one is CCW rotation, but it has a shaft on each side, so flipping it over would make it run right. It go's to 4500 rpm. Also the seller said that he tried it and it will run in reverse. I don't know about the efficiently in reverse, but it might work. For 37 bucks shipped it might be worth a try. Especially sense you have the controller already. -Adam

P.S. My belt drive conversion that I bought from LMS came today. I cant wait to get home and install it.

[goofin]

Guess whos buying a belt drive? Talked to krymis today shortly after he returned from grizzly, and shortly after he destroyed the intermediate gear...
got to get it up and running, our ball screw nuts and ball screws will be here monday

[krymis]

as goofin said, about 10 min of playing on the mill with the new 2.5" face mill (grizzly g2861) caused the intermediate gear to actually melt. The key was inbedded in hot molten plastic. I will be making some metal gears on the waterjet and then going from there with replacement metal parts. However for right now i am putting on a belt drive to get this little machine operable again. this sucks. I bought a new boring head kit for it too (grizzly 9322).

What is the largest diameter this boring head will do? THe guys said it will do 2.25" but wa not sure. All i need if for right now is to bore a hole for the z axis plate in the cnc conversion.

[cota]

they warned you, those plastic gears suck. you're better off with belt drive

[maxboostbusa]

There is a company that sells an all metal gear set for the X2 mills. https://thehobbyistmachinestore.com/catalog/ I have there steel intermediate gear in mine because it flew apart when I was facing a piece of 6061. They have the complete set for the MT3 on sale for $37.85 and the R8 for $55.80- its 15% off the normal price. Myself I wouldnt make them for that little money. The quality of the gear I received looked good havent had a minutes trouble out of it. Just my 2 pennys though.

[Oldboy]

Hay maxboostbusa
Thanks for the info on that web site for gears.
Funny thing is im with in driving distance Frisco TX. And never knew about them. I was looking all over the WEB for some metal gears to my mini lathe. The ones on that web site look very nice.
ANYONE use the metal gears on there Mini Mill?
If so tell us about it.
Looks like it would cost less than LMS Belt drive system.
Thinking about getting some Mill gears with my order when I get the Lathe gears.

[krymis]

maxbusa,

that is an awsome page. You just saved me a few hours of making gears. I know you said you converted to metal intermediate gear but did you convert the whole thing to metal gear. How much more noise is there with the metal gear. I am buying the metal gears to have on hand and i will usually have the belt drive hooked up.

[maxboostbusa]

I just purchased the intermediate gear for my mill since I will be converting to belt drive so I can get increased speed. I may get some of the internal gears for replacements also. The mini lathe is a prime candidate for the metal gears for me, the plastic change gears flex some when you just start the machine up so I know they are giving some when making a cut. Besides I almost always prefer some type of metal over plastic. I havent noticed any more noise with the intermediate gear, may even be a tad bit quiter. I gave everything a good dose of white lithium grease before I reassembled it so im sure that doesent hurt either.