[dgapilot]

I finally got all my limit switches working and can home the machine. Works really well. Now that that is done, I was wondering, Shoptast sales stuff says the Bridgemill head has 10" of travel and the quill has 4" of travel.

My head only moves 6" up and down. My quill has about 2.7" and allowing for the limit switches, that gives about 2.6" of usefull travel. Is there something wrong with my machine, or are the sales numbers just smoke and mirrors?

David

[smallblock]

Dga-
My old 17-20 had about 3" of quill travel. I think the 4" travel came out with the Patriot model. On the quadra lift models the total travel was a combination of the mill head movement plus the quill travel. I found a couple of tricks to get a bit more quill travel- I removed the quill and lengthened the slot a bit, and also cut another tooth in the rack to allow it to drop further- I got abot 3.75" total. You could get more, but then you have so little quill left inside the casting that it would not be stable. Rainman has the best idea- he has locked his quill solid and uses only the mill head travel as the Z axis. On a quadra lift, you could put longer columns and get as much travel as you want.

[dgapilot]

Smallblock,
Thanks. That's kind of what I thought. I'm thinking of doing something like Rainman also, but was thinking of putting the dovetail out where the 5th column support is. Since my machine is still almost new, my quill is still ok. I'd have Z for the quill and B for the head lift. That way I have the best of both worlds.

David

[Rainman229]

More travel??? That's my next task Everything in my setup will allow for more travel (excluding the ball screw shaft. possibly) . But you could gain another 3.5"s if you get longer shafts for the Quadra lift. adding that to the 7 it has would make 10.5 total travel.

Only draw back to my setup. Is your forced to use a high mount vice. Cause most tools won't reach the table.

[smallblock]

Before I ordered the Patriot, I kicked the idea around as well. For Rainman's setup, the distance to the table could be solved by machining a 4" sleeve that would press into the top portion of the quill. Then you could run the quill out to its max travel and lock it down permanently and your tool would reach down to the table. Then the only limitation to the whole assembly would be the length of your dovetail or quad lift columns.

[dgapilot]

High mount vice, not a problem, I've got a 6" Kurt with swivel base. Biggest problem is lifting it to the table!

FYI, LMS has increased their prices on the X2 parts for the mod. The column and head mount will now run about $125.

[Rainman229]

FYI, LMS has increased their prices on the X2 parts for the mod. The column and head mount will now run about $125.

Even with the price increase. It's a project well worth it. It's nice not having all the chatter it used to have. Most of it had to do with my quill's play.

[dgapilot]

Rainman,
Any thought on my idea of putting the X2 column out at the tailstock end where the fifth column is now. I know there needs to be better support there, and was thinking of something that would tie the cross pieces of the legs to the table, then also the the 2X2 tube under the table. Just trying to spread the load out to provide additional rigidity, rather than having everything at the headstock end.

I was also windering, you spoke of extending the travel of the mill column. How long is the X2 column? Can you give any more details on how you mounted it on the lower end? I know if I do it at the tailstock end, my setup will be very different, but want to get ideas.

David

[Rainman229]

Rainman,
Any thought on my idea of putting the X2 column out at the tailstock end where the fifth column is now. I know there needs to be better support there, and was thinking of something that would tie the cross pieces of the legs to the table, then also the the 2X2 tube under the table. Just trying to spread the load out to provide additional rigidity, rather than having everything at the headstock end.

I was also windering, you spoke of extending the travel of the mill column. How long is the X2 column? Can you give any more details on how you mounted it on the lower end? I know if I do it at the tailstock end, my setup will be very different, but want to get ideas.

David

As for using the x2 column as the 5th post. I had thought of it. But had decides against it as. For 2 reasons. First being i have ran in to the 5th post one to many times with the table/ Project (Mostly when i wasn't running a enclosure) Reason 2. Removing the 5th column Removed an extra 20 to 30 lbs of moving mass. Believe it or not the steel plate the motor mounts to weighs around 50lbs. That gets cut down for the mod. or can be replaced with a aluminum plate. And removing the steel section the go's for the head to the plate is another 20lbs. key to the mod is to remove as much of the heads weight as possible.

As for my mounting plate to mount the x2 column. The plates are the same for top and bottom. The shaft bolts hold the column up. I can see if i still have the drawings and will try to post them up.

[sharpshooter90]

As for using the x2 column as the 5th post. I had thought of it. But had decides against it as. For 2 reasons. First being i have ran in to the 5th post one to many times with the table/ Project (Mostly when i wasn't running a enclosure) Reason 2. Removing the 5th column Removed an extra 20 to 30 lbs of moving mass. Believe it or not the steel plate the motor mounts to weighs around 50lbs. That gets cut down for the mod. or can be replaced with a aluminum plate. And removing the steel section the go's for the head to the plate is another 20lbs. key to the mod is to remove as much of the heads weight as possible.

As for my mounting plate to mount the x2 column. The plates are the same for top and bottom. The shaft bolts hold the column up. I can see if i still have the drawings and will try to post them up.

How did this idea come out? Would like to see some pictures of the finished product.

[dgapilot]

Try this thread

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=62051