Noob with Big Dirty Toy (huge pics)

[FizzledFiend]

ok first of i want to say this place is great i have been lurking about and realised just what this board was missing...A ignoramous with a monster milling machine!
so I rectified that situation today 9well yesterday it's gotten late on me again)

My Ungle and his son both work @ the same machining company. My cousin and I ran around with the owners son during our skirt chasing years. Tim, my cousin cut his teeth on a 1975 TREE mill/drill. After all these years his place of work decided to go all CNC and and to use the Bridge port machines. so the Tree had to go!

So with my connections in this scheme (the owners son is now the boss) I was able to procure this baby:


to put this machine into perspective I have a shot here with my father who stands 6 foot tall and wieghs in around 215 pounds:


WOWSERS it was soo much bigger than I suspected, Heck the look on my fathers face is "ok this is too good to be true, will it fit in the shop!?"

after watching them run the machine and show us how the auto feeds worked and how the machine head(?) tilted left to right and front to back, we were wetting our pants. It was hard not to show so much excitment that we couldn't get a better deal, but we managed.
here is the other side of the machine:


It's just frakin HUGHE!

then we started asking questions we had gathard over the past few months while shopping for a mill/drill
we were able to procure a vise and an indexer(?) allows you to clamp in a round object to be machined, and all the colets(sp) as well as all of the other tools used with this machine. The situation that allowed this to go down was that TREE and Bridge Port do not interchange so this was an odd ball to the shop. We weren't able to pick up a lathe, as they were sold the day before (BUMMER!)

then our first snag! this thing is too big for us to get off our trailer into the shop. So we had to hire somebody to bring it to us and install it in our shop. $150 SOLVED that problem.

now for the second hurddle:


as you can see this thing runs on a 3 phase power source. UT OH! we have single phase. so we start calling the power company. No charge to run the 3 phase lines from the pole to the shop, but you have to rewire the whole shop and then you pay a standard $500 a month(starting price) power bill OUCH no freakin way! so we thought we would have to sell this baby.
We called a friend of ours in our counties school systems maintenance department (electrician) he said we need an inverter.

ok so we start looking for inverters..WOW this is the ticket we can get a VFD (Variable Feed Drive) inverter that takes 1 phase 220 to 3 phase 220 for around 300 bucks WOOT now this thing will not only let our machine run in high and low gears, but we can variate the drive and mill motors even more! From best we can tell from that tag is it runs either @ 220 or 440 and the amps correlate to that voltage underneth the listing.

so what do you guys thing? Do you recon the inverter will do the trick? do you think $800 USD was too much for this machine?

sorry I got so long winded...this is my first post here I think and I wanted to let yo know there is a new kid in town that doesn't know a darn toot about machining. Hope you fellers will help me out as I already have 3 Ideas I want to explore. (no I ain't ready to take on you gods of water block design, but i sure hope you will answer alot of questions LOL

Cheers!

[-J-]

Do you think that it will be enough to mill some blocks ??

[olv]

OMG that thing is a monster!

hope you get it up and running, would be a shame if u had to get rid.

I bet my bench drill would put it to shame though

[lolito_fr]

I was going to suggest a mod for running the motors on single phase, but VSD is _much_ preferable
Have fun with that thing

[starbuck3733t]

Great googly moogly!

[MMZ_TimeLord]

Overkill for milling small blocks... but you could use it to mill custom case work too, which is a plus.

If you are new to machining, find a guide on machine safety, print and bind it and put it in the shop. AND... MAKE SURE TO READ IT! With that monster I wouldn't want you loosing digits.

[jaydee]

$800? Thats a steal man! Will be problematic making small water blocks on that monster. Will be excellent for facing/flycutting though. My entire CNC mill is about the size of the motor/head assembly. Mine mill only weighs 35lbs! Probably about the wieght of the vice on that beast. Good luck running 1/16" endmills without snapping them off! Need to convert that beast to CNC.

[SlaterSpeed]

Welcome dood! Saw your thread on OCF

Ignore jaydee its perfect for milling blocks, better than those crappy little things some people use haha only j/k jaydee

[jaydee]

Originally Posted by SlaterSpeed

Ignore jaydee

Words of wisdom!

[JFettig]

oh balls dude, thats an insane deal! and dude, definately ignore jaydee you'll be able to do anything jaydee can and many times more 1/16" EM wont be a problem(anything smaller may)

Well I suggest you read up a little, get some aluminum scrap, get rid of that peice of cardboard on the table and a 1/4" end mill or bigger and take less than half the diameter of the cut at maximum with regular end mills.

Its looking like it might be a fun machine, I wish I had something like that!


Jon

[jaydee]

Originally Posted by JFettig

oh balls dude, thats an insane deal! and dude, definately ignore jaydee you'll be able to do anything jaydee can and many times more 1/16" EM wont be a problem(anything smaller may)

Well I suggest you read up a little, get some aluminum scrap, get rid of that peice of cardboard on the table and a 1/4" end mill or bigger and take less than half the diameter of the cut at maximum with regular end mills.

Its looking like it might be a fun machine, I wish I had something like that!


Jon

You misunderstood my point about the 1/16" and less endmills. That is a monster machine controlled by YOUR hands. One little slip and that small endmill is gone. Not to mention viewing is going to be fun... It will most certanly handle it though and 100 times more than my little mill (Mills that size, but CNC controlled make my mill!). No doubt there. That's why I said it wouldbe a good facing/flycutting mill.

[JFettig]

Jaydee, have you run a mill that size? its just as easy to do it on a small mill as on a big mill, actually probably easier on a small mill because the table moves easier.


One thing you wanna make sure you get is a good collet set or end mill holder set. whats the spindle taper on the machine? If you dont know, take that drill chuck out and post a pic of it.


Jon

[jaydee]

Originally Posted by JFettig

Jaydee, have you run a mill that size? its just as easy to do it on a small mill as on a big mill, actually probably easier on a small mill because the table moves easier.

Yes actually. We had a similar unit at Stamp Works (damn thing weighed 3,000lbs!). The wheels are huge and only a slight turn to fast will destroy a bit. You have to be extreamly steady. Lots easier to do on a small mill. Takes 2 turnes of the wheel to equel 1/2 turn on a a big mill, don't have to be nearly as steady. Thats my point. 1/16 snap like nothing. I broke 2 when making my rotor pin block connecting the holes.

[AntiBling]

$800 is incredible. I dont know what that thing is really worth but it looks easily double that as long as it works. That was a good buy even if you dont use it.

[jaydee]

Originally Posted by AntiBling

$800 is incredible. I dont know what that thing is really worth but it looks easily double that as long as it works. That was a good buy even if you dont use it.

We sold the one at Stamp Works for $4,000 about a week after I started there (1.5 years ago). About as old as that one (78 IIRC) and maybe not as big.

[Stooo]

How the heck did you get the thing home?

[Corso]

I use to run a mill and lathe for about a year and a half and I'll tell you what, that thing is huge! It should'nt take that long to get used to. I understand the point of break'n bits too. Good luck with it. I've been lookin to invest in a mill/drill press also, but nothin that big.

[FizzledFiend]

guys the feeds are motorized LOl i ain't doing squat by hand besides chucking this baby up and setting the gauges..the best part to this is I have they guy who has run this for the past 15 years to come over and show me how to use it...he is my cousin a close cousin..in fact I am in his funeral...er um wedding in a few months. hopefully I can make enough profit off this machine to get a digital controller for it.

It was bought mainly for my Father and I's business. We run a small engine repair shop (lawnmowers/weedeaters/chainsaws 2cycle and 4cycle) we often have to send off older parts to be remachined or repaired..now we can do it ourself and even start boaring and resleaving small engines..this idea about pc parts is just an added benefit

[jaydee]

Originally Posted by FizzledFiend

guys the feeds are motorized LOl i ain't doing squat by hand besides chucking this baby up and setting the gauges..the best part to this is I have they guy who has run this for the past 15 years to come over and show me how to use it...he is my cousin a close cousin..in fact I am in his funeral...er um wedding in a few months. hopefully I can make enough profit off this machine to get a digital controller for it.

It was bought mainly for my Father and I's business. We run a small engine repair shop (lawnmowers/weedeaters/chainsaws 2cycle and 4cycle) we often have to send off older parts to be remachined or repaired..now we can do it ourself and even start boaring and resleaving small engines..this idea about pc parts is just an added benefit

Power feed?!?! Cool.

[FizzledFiend]

Oh yeah forgot something.

we have yet to get this into the shop..when we took all the paper work home we found the floor template for it and we are having a hard time finding a spot to put it..might have to expand the shop a bit..the pictures were taken @ the place we bought it..it's now 11:30 and it's too late to call my pops and get the spindel taper info. as far as the collets thing goes it came with a complete set of collets..the drill chuck doesn't come with the machine dang it!, but I have a drill press for that sort of sloppy work. I already have an Idea for my first project.. I want to make one of these only bigger:


I want to make it about twice that length though and I would like to actually mount a window in the side of it rather than the front. I found this @ onlinemetals.com: http://www.onlinemetals.com/merchant...owunits=inches

we are looking to buy a boaring head for doing the cylinder houseing work we want to do...my question is how can I make the "heatsink fins" around the outer edge with my machine? I have an indexer that is made to HOLD round objects like pipes...just not sure what I would have to do to get it to cut AROUND this pipe...a lathe would be nice.....maybe I can have that done @ the place I bought the machine(after hours ) any ideas fellers on the side window?

[jaydee]

Originally Posted by FizzledFiend

we are looking to buy a boaring head for doing the cylinder houseing work we want to do...my question is how can I make the "heatsink fins" around the outer edge with my machine? I have an indexer that is made to HOLD round objects like pipes...just not sure what I would have to do to get it to cut AROUND this pipe...a lathe would be nice.....maybe I can have that done @ the place I bought the machine(after hours ) any ideas fellers on the side window?

A metal lathe would be good but it can be done withn the right bit and a 4th rotary axis. Something like this: http://www.cnc-machine-controls.com/...otarytable.htm

You should be able to get them with a hand wheel aswell.

[FizzledFiend]

OH MY GOD..thats exactly what i need except I don't need it to be CNC stuff...a simple index like that one that would rotate would be perfect...I have still yet to realise what all can be done with this equipment so thanks for the link m8...now to find a dog ass cheap one!

[JFettig]

Heres a few places for you to look for tools

mscdirect.com
mcmaster.com
jtsmachine.com

that shoudl get you started, If your doing any copper I suggest carbide tools, dont even think about making multiple peices with hss tools. Jtsmachine has some really low priced carbide end mills, I have some of them and they are quite nice.


Jon

[bigben2k]

Nice rig!

The inverter ought to work, but you'll have to make sure it can handle the power load. If possible, try to get something that's rated for 50% more than the power required: it'll be needed to handle the startup power surge, plus it'll last longer (tougher built).

The auto-feed is a great feature, for straight line runs.

[FizzledFiend]

had my cousin come by the shop today to show him some of the things I want to make..he said that one of the tools that comes with the machine will work as a lather...so i am set for that...he looked @ the cascade and a few of you guys blocks on here and said what i could and couldn't do with it...he suggested I use a cheap material like alluminum to get the feel for it and for my prototypes...one I get them set up properly move into copper...if I land on something thats really cooking and I et people wanting to buy them he said he could take one to work and set up his CNC machine and give me an estimate on production runs