Search found 554 matches

by Generic Default
Tue Mar 20, 2018 3:40 pm
Forum: What are YOU making?
Topic: DIY Mill Turn Center
Replies: 160
Views: 159021

Re: DIY Mill Turn Center

Hey guys, sorry for the lack of updates. I've been posting on a few other websites instead of this one since there are really only two people interested here, these forums were very active a few years ago but have pretty much come to a halt since then. I'll cross-link to those other sites but this m...
by Generic Default
Tue Feb 06, 2018 2:59 am
Forum: What are YOU making?
Topic: DIY Mill Turn Center
Replies: 160
Views: 159021

Re: DIY Mill Turn Center

I should be done filming the kickstarter video by the end of this week. Here's a part I made a few hours ago; single point spur.jpg single point spur on shaft.jpg peels on spur side view.jpg peel back single point broaching.jpg Single point broaching is fun, and really easy to program by hand. This ...
by Generic Default
Wed Jan 17, 2018 8:47 pm
Forum: What are YOU making?
Topic: DIY Mill Turn Center
Replies: 160
Views: 159021

Re: DIY Mill Turn Center

Long time since the last update! Be interesting to see how it goes when loaded up and again after a few tens of hours' wear but then, of course, it's pretty easy to replace the plastic slide if it gets worn, yes? The wear pads are just sheet plastic cut into small rectangles and pressed against the ...
by Generic Default
Wed Nov 22, 2017 1:40 am
Forum: What are YOU making?
Topic: DIY Mill Turn Center
Replies: 160
Views: 159021

Re: DIY Mill Turn Center

3 posts in a row! I'm nearly done with the machine, still a few things to go before it works though. Here's a video I just took of the boxway linear motion. One of the main arguments for using recirculating linear ball guides instead of sliding boxways is that boxways supposedly have stick-slip, whe...
by Generic Default
Tue Nov 07, 2017 11:58 pm
Forum: What are YOU making?
Topic: DIY Mill Turn Center
Replies: 160
Views: 159021

Re: DIY Mill Turn Center

Here's what the tool holders look like. Two of these are aluminum, just wanted to test my program before running the steel one out of hex bar. ER20 nose on these, so it can't hold tools with a shank larger than 1/2". I'll run a bunch more later on, I still have to make the milling spindle so I ...
by Generic Default
Mon Nov 06, 2017 2:31 am
Forum: What are YOU making?
Topic: DIY Mill Turn Center
Replies: 160
Views: 159021

Re: DIY Mill Turn Center

A few more pictures to show how it's coming together. Still have quite a bit of work to do but most of it is done. The turret tool blocks are for 3/8x3/8 stick tools for now, I'll get a few variants in the next few days. turret with 4 tools nov 6.jpg mill turn iso left nov 6.jpg mill turn iso back l...
by Generic Default
Sat Nov 04, 2017 7:16 pm
Forum: What are YOU making?
Topic: DIY Mill Turn Center
Replies: 160
Views: 159021

Re: DIY Mill Turn Center

Yeah, it would be nice to have a quick change system. Can't do threads because the mill-turn machine can put torque on the chuck in both forward and reverse, so it would unscrew itself and fall off. Camlock systems are pretty convenient but there's no way to adjust runout, and they sacrifice some ri...
by Generic Default
Sat Nov 04, 2017 3:40 pm
Forum: What are YOU making?
Topic: DIY Mill Turn Center
Replies: 160
Views: 159021

Re: DIY Mill Turn Center

Spindle, faceplate, and 6 inch chuck finished and mostly assembled. spindle face plate iso.jpg spindle face plate back.jpg spindle chuck iso view.jpg spindle chuck side view.jpg The back side of the spindle tube has 9 round keys, 3 are screwed up because of an indexer fail. The other 6 seemed to mac...
by Generic Default
Wed Nov 01, 2017 12:10 am
Forum: What are YOU making?
Topic: DIY Mill Turn Center
Replies: 160
Views: 159021

Re: DIY Mill Turn Center

Another progress update, it's movin along. This is the harmonic gear mounting block, it's on the back side of the B axis. The flex-spline cup gets bolted to the bolt circle on the B axis shaft, while the rigid internal spline fits in the block. A motor aligned on the back will deform the flex-spline...
by Generic Default
Mon Oct 30, 2017 11:23 pm
Forum: What are YOU making?
Topic: DIY Mill Turn Center
Replies: 160
Views: 159021

Re: DIY Mill Turn Center

No I get it, I know the vast majority of ATC attempts on DIY machines end up as a failure or disappointment. I know that the method I'm choosing now isn't guaranteed to work, and I have a good idea of the factors that would make it fail. It's still a gamble at this point of whether or not it will wo...
by Generic Default
Mon Oct 30, 2017 10:57 pm
Forum: What are YOU making?
Topic: DIY Mill Turn Center
Replies: 160
Views: 159021

Re: DIY Mill Turn Center

The black L shaped part that connects the B axis rotary shaft to the milling head block only looks too thin from a cross-section view, since there is a circular cut for the motor. It's actually 1 inch thick of solid 6061 aluminum at the narrowest point, and 2 inches for the rest. It won't bend or br...
by Generic Default
Mon Oct 30, 2017 6:42 pm
Forum: What are YOU making?
Topic: DIY Mill Turn Center
Replies: 160
Views: 159021

Re: DIY Mill Turn Center

I don't think the firmware will be that difficult once I get used to the language, 95% of the work is already done for me by the people who made 3d printers mainstream. I just need to add a few tables and macros, and a correlation between B axis angle and Z axis position so the 5 axis head can be pr...
by Generic Default
Sat Oct 28, 2017 8:35 pm
Forum: What are YOU making?
Topic: DIY Mill Turn Center
Replies: 160
Views: 159021

Re: DIY Mill Turn Center

With the control and support you're talking about, I have no real pre-made options. The electronic hardware will have to be something like the smoothie or duet board, and I'll have to write a branch of firmware specifically for my machine. There are no hobby level firmwares for a machine of this com...
by Generic Default
Thu Oct 26, 2017 1:14 am
Forum: What are YOU making?
Topic: DIY Mill Turn Center
Replies: 160
Views: 159021

Re: DIY Mill Turn Center

Forgot about the fusion 360 thing, having free software for that kind of stuff makes complex parts viable. There are other options for CAM software that are free as well. I'd like to have a touchscreen controller and a full enclosure for this machine eventually. As long as the control board supports...
by Generic Default
Sun Oct 15, 2017 7:06 pm
Forum: What are YOU making?
Topic: DIY Mill Turn Center
Replies: 160
Views: 159021

Re: DIY Mill Turn Center

Didn't quite finish the turret shaft, but I'll get it done in the next few days. Both the B axis and turret axis rotate on tapered roller bearings, shafts are 65mm where the bearings fit. Actually I designed the machine so all of the large bearing pockets are the same 100mm bores with 65mm shafts; t...
by Generic Default
Fri Oct 13, 2017 12:35 am
Forum: What are YOU making?
Topic: DIY Mill Turn Center
Replies: 160
Views: 159021

Re: DIY Mill Turn Center

turret block in machine.jpg turret block on table.jpg turret block on riser.jpg Not quite done yet, I still have to put threaded holes in the bottom and counterbored holes through the riser plate. But it's coming together, I should have the turned parts going next week. And don't worry, your pricin...
by Generic Default
Thu Oct 12, 2017 2:36 am
Forum: What are YOU making?
Topic: DIY Mill Turn Center
Replies: 160
Views: 159021

Re: DIY Mill Turn Center

Captain Starfish, Does Kickstarter really eat 30%? They say 5% for them and 3-5% for payment processing on their website. My estimate was that I would need $90,000 to do this safely, any less than that and I would have to be careful at every step for cash flow. Outsourcing all production would be pr...
by Generic Default
Wed Oct 11, 2017 12:03 am
Forum: What are YOU making?
Topic: DIY Mill Turn Center
Replies: 160
Views: 159021

Re: DIY Mill Turn Center

by block and headstock 1.jpg by block and headstock 2.jpg I was hoping to have the turret block done today and in these pictures, but I broke a big carbide endmill while roughing out the pocket. I'll have it done by the end of the week I think. I ordered the steel for the spindles and toolholders, ...
by Generic Default
Sat Oct 07, 2017 8:35 pm
Forum: What are YOU making?
Topic: DIY Mill Turn Center
Replies: 160
Views: 159021

Re: DIY Mill Turn Center

Almost finished the BY block; this is the part that slides up and down vertically on the Y axis while holding the B axis shaft and the milling head. See the render a few posts back if it's confusing. This part just needs a few M4 drilled and tapped holes to put a bearing cover on in the hexagon. by ...
by Generic Default
Wed Oct 04, 2017 1:55 am
Forum: What are YOU making?
Topic: DIY Mill Turn Center
Replies: 160
Views: 159021

Re: DIY Mill Turn Center

There was no boring head to use for a 3.94" bore. The tool used in the last post to plunge the through hole was just a fly cutter in a big ER40 tool holder. The purpose of probing with the VMC was to align the front bearing pocket to the through hole; the part will be flipped and aligned again ...
by Generic Default
Sat Sep 30, 2017 6:39 pm
Forum: What are YOU making?
Topic: DIY Mill Turn Center
Replies: 160
Views: 159021

Re: DIY Mill Turn Center

Double post because nobody responded. This headstock is a pain to make without the right machines and tools. I had to do two interpolating operations to get a rough through hole. Then I had to move it to another machine to bore the through hole to act as a reference surface so that the back side bea...
by Generic Default
Tue Sep 26, 2017 10:18 pm
Forum: What are YOU making?
Topic: DIY Mill Turn Center
Replies: 160
Views: 159021

Re: DIY Mill Turn Center

Here's a cross link to that old post on another forum about the electric motors for this machine. Same thread from 2016: https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=76363 Looks like for now I'll be going with 130kv 63mm outrunners, since that's the only thing available. It doesn't mak...
by Generic Default
Thu Sep 14, 2017 10:14 pm
Forum: What are YOU making?
Topic: DIY Mill Turn Center
Replies: 160
Views: 159021

Re: DIY Mill Turn Center

No updates for the last month because I ran out of money; I just got funded by a very generous person a few days ago. Back to making parts now, I just bought the metal for the vertical milling column (y axis) and the headstock block. So hopefully I'll have time to machine those over the next week or...
by Generic Default
Sun Aug 13, 2017 6:54 pm
Forum: What are YOU making?
Topic: DIY Mill Turn Center
Replies: 160
Views: 159021

Re: DIY Mill Turn Center

It will definitely be able to cut steel, otherwise I've been wasting my time. Cutting performance will be on par with bridgeport knee mills and hardinge HLV lathes. The bearings I'm using are the same size, the motors have the same power. My main concern is static rigidity of the B axis, which is th...
by Generic Default
Sun Aug 13, 2017 5:30 pm
Forum: What are YOU making?
Topic: DIY Mill Turn Center
Replies: 160
Views: 159021

Re: DIY Mill Turn Center

Yup, the plastic slider boxways are great. If I were going to build a machine with very long travels, I would consider rolling elements for efficiency. But boxways are a lot more rigid, and are pretty much immune to contamination. Since most parts can be done with only a few inches of X and Z travel...

Go to advanced search