Milling machine - video

[SteelCraft]

Temporary X axis power feed from literaly trash. I used motor with planetary gearbox from very very old cordless drill leftovers (20+ years old), to change shaft direction and multiply torque I connected it to gearbox from broken 125 [mm] angle grinder gear box (extra 1:3 reduction ratio) and then I used chain and sprockets from bike I found on junkpile adding 1:2 reduction. The lowest feed rate it can go is 30 [mm/min] and the fastest is 350 [mm/min]. I was testing it a lot, this small 12v motor was barely warm. I will use it until I build proper power feed unit (hopefully before winter)
I also added very simple clutch made from polyamide (left over from bulding a milling head), it's actuated by m6 screw.

This improvised power feed unit is controlled by PWM controller on panel from previous video. That's why I put there XT90 connectors. I can change direction with 3 position switch, set the feed rate and use fast travel function.

Cost? 3 hours of figuring out how to connect all those things, 1 hours of making it and 4 bolts to put everything together

[mwmkravchenko]

This is a great way to get power feed! Respect!

Mark

[SteelCraft]

I started fixing issues. One of them was warped surface under turret. I decided to mount turret on table and face it with endmill. Doing it in this way also makes plane of the turret parallel to XY plane.

[mwmkravchenko]

I started fixing issues. One of them was warped surface under turret. I decided to mount turret on table and face it with endmill. Doing it in this way also makes plane of the turret parallel to XY plane.

I think it is time that you make a fly cutter. So much nicer surface finish for a sliding surface. This is a great way to make you machine better. Greater rigidity.

Mark

[SteelCraft]

Fly cutter is "must have" project. I don't know should I go with round inserts or sharp finishing type inserts...

[SteelCraft]

Part 16:

This time I'm fixing some issues that appeared during tests from previous episodes:

[SteelCraft]

As a final batch of improvements I'm going to build a new machine head and do some tweaks in Z axis guides.

This is how new machine head will look like:





Most important changes are:
Thicker quill gear shaft,
New quill lock,
Better and more convenient placement of measuring instruments and manipulators,
Added worm gear for head tilting like in real Bridgeport machine,
Improved estheticks,
Added supporting bearing above spindle pulley ( in red circle on screenshoot):

[tonyfoale]

Fly cutter is "must have" project. I don't know should I go with round inserts or sharp finishing type inserts...

Make it universal, so you can swap. You might like this. A double edged fly cutter.

[SteelCraft]

Make it universal, so you can swap. You might like this. A double edged fly cutter.

Never even thought about idea of making roughing and finishing cutting in one pass...

I'm going to make one of those flycutters that use left hand lathe tools. I bought 16x16mm shank finishing lathe cutter with carbide inserts for start. For round inserts I can always mount other lathe tool into flycutter body.

[tonyfoale]

........ For round inserts I can always mount other lathe tool into flycutter body.

That is what I meant by "universal".

BTW I love your mill project. Over 60 years ago I built a small horizontal mill from scratch also. For that I made wooden patterns and had iron casting done. All the machining was done on a Myford lathe. Home made horizontal milling machine.

Keep up your good work.