Author Topic: Chester 626 mill CNC Conversion  (Read 269500 times)

Rob.Wilson

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Chester 626 mill CNC Conversion
« on: September 20, 2011, 03:49:28 PM »
Hi Lads

Thought i would start yet another project .. like i don't have enough on the go  :lol: :lol:  .After using the Denford CNC mill for a wile and starting to get to grips with this CNC lark ,, i found the mill was getting a bit limited  ,, cracking machine just a tad small for my needs  ,,, The machine i really wanted is way way out of my price rang for possibly the next century   :lol: ,, so i decided to sell off the Denford and other spares i had to fund this project  :med: , dont you just love Ebay  :D  anyway enough drivel .

Some of the hardware arrived a week ago ,, 25mm 5 mm/P ballscrews and nuts , three 12Nm steppers , couple of couplings , two breakout boards and a pendant .



The Drives and PSU should be here this week ,,,,,,,,,,,, i hope !

So i thought i would pull the table and compound ways of the mill and try a ballscrew for size.



Not allot of room  ::) ,,,,,, a bit of machining required me thinks ,,,,,, i set the table and slide up on the surface plate to check that the outer face was parallel with the ways ,,,,, turned out to be not to shabby.


I used this face to clock the job in on the mill so that the section i machine out will be square to the table ways .

Milled out the area for the nut mounting plate .




Rob

Offline Stilldrillin

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Re: Chester 626 mill CNC Conversion
« Reply #1 on: September 20, 2011, 04:01:19 PM »
Hi Rob.  :wave:

Well, that's me clocked in!  :thumbup:

Never got much much of an opinion on these CNC conversions...... So I'll be watching, quietly.

Good luck with it!

David D
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Offline Brass_Machine

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Re: Chester 626 mill CNC Conversion
« Reply #2 on: September 20, 2011, 04:08:38 PM »
The 626 is the mill I want... When I get the room and the cash. So I will be watching!
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Offline doubleboost

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Re: Chester 626 mill CNC Conversion
« Reply #3 on: September 20, 2011, 04:20:49 PM »
Off to a great start Rob  :thumbup: :thumbup:
No turning back now :bugeye: :bugeye: :bugeye:
John

Offline John Stevenson

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Re: Chester 626 mill CNC Conversion
« Reply #4 on: September 20, 2011, 04:30:17 PM »
12nM ?
That's a bit overkill isn't it.
Problem with these big motors is they have that much detent torque to overcome it takes a while to accelerate to speed and you will find the larger motors are a 'lot' slower than a smaller motor that can get up to speed easier.

John S.
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Rob.Wilson

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Re: Chester 626 mill CNC Conversion
« Reply #5 on: September 20, 2011, 04:41:10 PM »
12nM ?
That's a bit overkill isn't it.
Problem with these big motors is they have that much detent torque to overcome it takes a while to accelerate to speed and you will find the larger motors are a 'lot' slower than a smaller motor that can get up to speed easier.

John S.

Hi John

overkill just a bit  :lol: :lol: :lol:

I had taken into consideration that the large motors will be slower to accelerate due to rotor mass etc    i am after more grunt than speed  :med: , and at 12Nm i can drive the X,Y screws directly if i decide to go that way .


Rob

Offline spuddevans

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Re: Chester 626 mill CNC Conversion
« Reply #6 on: September 20, 2011, 05:01:32 PM »
Another one watching this thread with great interest.

When I did my cnc conversion I would have given my 2 front teeth to have access to another mill to modify the X2 parts to accept the ballscrew hardware.


Looks like you are off to a good start there :thumbup:


Tim
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Offline Bluechip

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Re: Chester 626 mill CNC Conversion
« Reply #7 on: September 20, 2011, 05:03:19 PM »
Hi Rob

OK, that's me lost the plot .... :loco:

Let me get this straight ..

You take the mill to bits ....

Then set it up on the mill to machine it ???

How many mills does that make ???

Has Tim cracked it ???

Or summat else ???

BC
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Offline modeldozer

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Re: Chester 626 mill CNC Conversion
« Reply #8 on: September 20, 2011, 05:25:52 PM »
Of to a great start. :thumbup:

Will also be following quietly.

 :beer:

Abraham

Offline sparky961

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Re: Chester 626 mill CNC Conversion
« Reply #9 on: September 20, 2011, 06:09:54 PM »
Man, you must have found out how to take advantage of the 25th hour of the day.  That looks like a big project to undertake, but you seem up to the challenge.

Might I ask where you got the pendant/jog wheel?  I've looked for one of these on and off without success.  Maybe I haven't been using the right search terms?

-Sparky

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Re: Chester 626 mill CNC Conversion
« Reply #10 on: September 21, 2011, 02:20:52 AM »
Interesting project Rob, I keep thinking I'll have to fit a small CNC mill in someware.

I'll be keeping an eye on this

 :nrocks:

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Offline saw

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Re: Chester 626 mill CNC Conversion
« Reply #11 on: September 21, 2011, 07:33:12 AM »
Nobady can say that you ara lazy Rob.... :lol:
Good luck  :D
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Offline John Stevenson

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Re: Chester 626 mill CNC Conversion
« Reply #12 on: September 21, 2011, 07:42:55 AM »
Nobody can say that you are lazy Rob.... :lol:
Good luck  :D

He's lazy....................

John S.
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Offline doubleboost

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Re: Chester 626 mill CNC Conversion
« Reply #13 on: September 21, 2011, 08:42:04 AM »
very :jaw: :jaw:

Rob.Wilson

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Re: Chester 626 mill CNC Conversion
« Reply #14 on: September 21, 2011, 01:03:32 PM »
Cheers lads  :headbang:,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, and John S  :coffee:  :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Dave BC ,,,,,,,, something like that  :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:


Might I ask where you got the pendant/jog wheel?  I've looked for one of these on and off without success.  Maybe I haven't been using the right search terms?

-Sparky

Hi there  Sparky ,,,,,,,,,,,  Bought the pendant from here   http://www.zappautomation.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=21&products_id=233  ,, photo is a bit naff on the web site ,, and the wiring instructions are in Chinglish  :zap: 
You into CNC ? 


Rob

Offline sparky961

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Re: Chester 626 mill CNC Conversion
« Reply #15 on: September 21, 2011, 02:02:25 PM »
Hi there  Sparky ,,,,,,,,,,,  Bought the pendant from here   http://www.zappautomation.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=21&products_id=233  ,, photo is a bit naff on the web site ,, and the wiring instructions are in Chinglish  :zap: 
You into CNC ? 


Rob

Thanks for the info, Rob.  Yes, definitely into CNC though not quite as much as I used to be.  My final project in school (going back a few years now) was to retrofit a mill for CNC.  I scratch-built the driver boards based on the Allegro A3977 (if memory serves) and home fabricated pretty much everything except the steppers.

I don't use the machine under CNC much anymore though mostly because of the extreme amount of backlash that caused me many broken end mills.  Eventually I'd like to put ballscrews in there, or simply upgrade to a bigger/better machine.  I've been holding off until I have more space/money. :)

I have access to a myriad of CNC equipment where I work, but those machines are usually too busy paying for themselves to be used for personal projects.

I'm interested in what you're doing here because it looks very much like the sort of thing I'd like to do "when I get around to it".

-Sparky

Rob.Wilson

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Re: Chester 626 mill CNC Conversion
« Reply #16 on: September 25, 2011, 03:57:53 PM »
Hi Lads

Made a few more chips today ,,,,, machined up a block of steel for the nut carrier .

after getting a wiz over with the shaper to make the job nice and square  ,the  block was ground up to be a snug fit in the compound slide




A bit more shaper action  :dremel:


i do like the good finish you get with these old machines  :D

still a tad tight in places , the underside of the bed is all shapes  ::)


Rob

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Re: Chester 626 mill CNC Conversion
« Reply #17 on: September 25, 2011, 04:03:44 PM »
Nice work Rob.  :clap:
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Offline doubleboost

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Re: Chester 626 mill CNC Conversion
« Reply #18 on: September 25, 2011, 04:19:01 PM »
 :bow: :bow: :bow:
Looking great Rob
John

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Re: Chester 626 mill CNC Conversion
« Reply #19 on: September 25, 2011, 05:27:41 PM »
A nice lump of engineering there, Rob!  :thumbup:

David D
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Still modifying bits of metal... Occasionally, making an improvement!

Offline Bluechip

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Re: Chester 626 mill CNC Conversion
« Reply #20 on: September 25, 2011, 05:33:10 PM »
A nice lump of engineering there, Rob!  :thumbup:

David D


Isn't it just eh ????  :thumbup:

Seems a lot of engineering to carry his nuts though...  :scratch:

Mine come from Sainsburys in a little bag ...

BC
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Offline John Stevenson

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Re: Chester 626 mill CNC Conversion
« Reply #21 on: September 25, 2011, 05:57:07 PM »
No wonder Newcastle is sinking into the North sea.............................................
John Stevenson

Rob.Wilson

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Re: Chester 626 mill CNC Conversion
« Reply #22 on: September 29, 2011, 03:56:19 PM »
Cheers for looking in lads  :beer: :)


Dave its a big nut  :lol: :lol: :lol:


 :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: its a bit lighter now i have poked a few holes in it John  :lol: :lol: :lol:







Rob

Offline doubleboost

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Re: Chester 626 mill CNC Conversion
« Reply #23 on: September 29, 2011, 04:41:31 PM »
I dont think that will flex much :bugeye: :bugeye: :bugeye:
Propper job :bow: :bow: :bow:
John

Offline John Stevenson

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Re: Chester 626 mill CNC Conversion
« Reply #24 on: September 29, 2011, 04:49:51 PM »
You have bought a RH leadscrew, they should be LH on a 636  :doh:

John S.
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