New member

[halfa]

I'm a model engineer who is always looking for ideas for making tools and devices to make life easier in the workshop. My current projects are finishing off a model Blackstone oil engine, a Rider Ericcson hot air engine, and converting a small vertical mill to CNC. Don't ask me why I need a CNC mill because I don't know. It just seemed like an interesting project in its own right and I am assured I will find heaps of uses for it. Actually a job I'm doing for a friend would be ideal for CNC as it has 30 ratchet teeth milled into the face an aluminium disk.

Arthur
Brisbane
Australia

[Jon]

Hi Arthur - welcome to HomemadeTools.net

You sound busy! How is the CNC mill project going so far?

[halfa]

Hi Jon,
The CNC project is going to take a while. It is based on an Optimum BF20LV which is similar to the G0704. So far I have stripped it down, measured everything up and drawn the machine so I could determine the length of the ball screws and if double ball nuts could be fitted. I have received the fully machined (to my specifications) ballscrews, double nuts and bearing mounts from the popular supplier in China.
I have found plenty of information from other people who have converted these machines and based my conversion on some of that info. So far I have drilled and machined oil galleries and channels in the saddle for one shot oiling but have yet to decide on what type of pump to use. I am thinking of making a pump with three or four pistons with each one connected to a a different oil line. This way, if one oil line has a less restricted oil flow, it won't starve other oil lines. The alternative is to fit flow restrictors, but to my way of thinking, this is a bit hit and miss unless I can measure the flow in each oil line. Probably I am going overboard.

I have fitted the Y axis ball nut and screw and stepper motor mount but have yet to clean up the rear of the column for the floating bearing, which is also probably overkill with a relatively short ballscrew through a double nut.
I am not using the original head and spindle because of its low speed and am basing my head and spindle on one a friend has made. I am using ball bearing guides for the Z axis and the original wind up / down mechanism will be used for coarse setting of the head position.


Currently things have ground to a halt while I finish off a bathroom renovation and make parts for a friends small letter press printing machine.

halfa