Author Topic: Another 6 x 26 Knee Mill CNC conversion  (Read 42143 times)

Rob.Wilson

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Re: Another 6 x 26 Knee Mill CNC conversion
« Reply #50 on: November 03, 2012, 01:28:03 PM »
 :thumbup: Nice one Bob .

I will have a look , i was planning on using spiro rap I use at work , steel spring may be a better job .


Rob

Offline TrueBlue

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Re: Another 6 x 26 Knee Mill CNC conversion
« Reply #51 on: April 27, 2013, 01:50:52 AM »
Hello 9fingers -  I have a similar mill to this which I purchased about 10 years ago, and I cam considering a CNC conversion for it.  Well perhaps a bit more than consider as I have purchased the drives for the stepper motors already :-)

Anyway, I was wondering why you chose the path of modifying the knee, with the need for the gas strut etc, rather than just modifying the quill.   This is the route I am thinking of taking.   My logic is that it appears simpler and I don't think I need z travel much large than 100mm or so.


Alan

Offline 9fingers

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Re: Another 6 x 26 Knee Mill CNC conversion
« Reply #52 on: April 27, 2013, 04:33:45 AM »
Hi Alan,

I decide to move the knee after considering that 87mm (my quill travel) might not be enough in the future and that I was not confident of adequate rigidity when milling in X or Y axes with the quill unlocked relying on the stepper to hold the quill.
Devising a quill drive (my Myford VMC has no quill fine feed unlike later clones from Warco etc) and a motor power locking system seemed more difficult than the knee method.
I did consider doing both, but whilst Mach3 can handle 4 driven axes, I was advised that it does not support two of them being in the same direction and being able to sum the two (or perhaps decide how to apportion a wanted Z travel between the two).

Good luck with your conversion. Maybe we will see a thread describing your work here soon?

Cheers

Bob

Offline TrueBlue

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Re: Another 6 x 26 Knee Mill CNC conversion
« Reply #53 on: April 27, 2013, 06:30:02 AM »
Thanks Bob,  that clarifies it.   
             
My mill  is of the Warco type and does have the fine feed which can be engaged or dis-engaged.   So I think that is the way I will go. :)

I have already converted a Sieg X3 Mill to CNC but I did not document that exercise, but I will this conversion in a separate thread.

Alan
« Last Edit: April 27, 2013, 07:05:42 AM by TrueBlue »