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Gallery, Projects and General => The Design Shop => Topic started by: raynerd on May 19, 2009, 04:49:29 AM

Title: Replacing thick convex washer on X2 mill column with flat plate- extra strength?
Post by: raynerd on May 19, 2009, 04:49:29 AM
Hi Guys

I would like some clarification please before I go ahead and do this mod.

On the back of the X2 mill where the column is bolted to the base - it is held by a thick convex washer - you are actually tightening the bolt up to an area of the washer not in contact with column. I imagined when I first saw this that there must be some spring in the nut and washer and therefore flex in the column. This isn`t my own idea, I`ve done a search on the forums and have found a few posts regarding this issue. I just wanted to check what you guys thought before I went ahead and changed anything. I would simply be replacing the convex washer with a flat washer/plate. I have even seen modifications of an angle plate bolted to the bench and the nut tightened up against the angle plate?

Any thoughts or opinions....would be better with a picture of what is currently there but I can`t find one.

Chris

 
Title: Re: Replacing thick convex washer on X2 mill column with flat plate- extra strength?
Post by: websterz on May 19, 2009, 07:49:47 AM
I replaced the washer on my x2 with a flat plate of 1/2" steel. As long as the plate is at least as wide as the column you are adding as much rigidity as possible (without the angle plate setup). Most of the spring comes from flex in the column itself, not from the shape of the washer. I noticed a huge difference. While I had the machine apart I shimmed the head so that the spindle is parallel with the column. Turned a bit of Chinese kit into a precision machine.  :dremel: :thumbup:
Title: Re: Replacing thick convex washer on X2 mill column with flat plate- extra strength?
Post by: Brass_Machine on May 19, 2009, 03:38:03 PM
There is a write up on this topic in the files section of the yahoo grizzly minimill group. They also talk about filling the bottom part of the column with epoxy to help with the flexing on the lower part of the base.

LINK (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GrizHFMinimill/?yguid=62654338) in the files section named:    Column Flexing in the Minimill - revision 1.pdf

It is now on my list of mods to do.


Eric
Title: Re: Replacing thick convex washer on X2 mill column with flat plate- extra strength?
Post by: raynerd on May 19, 2009, 07:05:21 PM
Hi Eric

I haven`t seen it in the yahoo group, but had heard that people fill the column with epoxy and I even heard concrete!! Humm, I don`t know, it some how doesn`t appeal to me but I guess it must work and be worth while!

Chris
Title: Re: Replacing thick convex washer on X2 mill column with flat plate- extra stren
Post by: NorthOf40 on May 28, 2009, 10:34:43 PM
Hi everyone,

Here's one solution to increasing the rigidity of the X2 column base (with pictures)--> http://www.harrisson.biz/backplate/rigid.htm

It looks like a good solution, but, I haven't tried it.
Title: Re: Replacing thick convex washer on X2 mill column with flat plate- extra strength?
Post by: raynerd on May 30, 2009, 02:06:53 AM
Nice little solution there - I`ve seen the harrison.biz website before but must have missed those free column backplate plans. I like that idea rather than the normal angle plate, I have limited space at the back of my mill and the angle plate would just take up room. I think I`ll try this one, only got a few other mods to do first.

All the best.
Title: Re: Replacing thick convex washer on X2 mill column with flat plate- extra stren
Post by: NorthOf40 on June 02, 2009, 10:10:44 PM
Hi craynerd,

I'm glad the link was usefull (I found that link first then from there to the main harrisson.biz site)
Title: Re: Replacing thick convex washer on X2 mill column with flat plate- extra stren
Post by: ibuildstuff4u on October 12, 2009, 07:39:47 PM
Does any one have picts of this mod?  The Harrison site is no longer working.

Thanks!

Dale P.
Title: Re: Replacing thick convex washer on X2 mill column with flat plate- extra strength?
Post by: tumutbound on October 12, 2009, 08:03:08 PM
Here are a couple I've bookmarked from the Yahoo groups GrizzlyMiniMill or mini-mills

Title: Re: Replacing thick convex washer on X2 mill column with flat plate- extra stren
Post by: NorthOf40 on October 12, 2009, 11:22:04 PM
Hi Dale,

I've sent you an email with a zipped copy of the Harrison page.
Title: Re: Replacing thick convex washer on X2 mill column with flat plate- extra stren
Post by: ibuildstuff4u on October 13, 2009, 11:41:17 PM
Jim, Thank you for the E-mail, but I can't open the file.  I'm on a Mac computer and it must be written with a program that I don't have.  Do you have any other way you can send it?  Perhaps not compressed?  I always seem to have trouble opening compressed files other wise I can open just about anything else.

Thanks for the help!!!

Dale P.
Title: Re: Replacing thick convex washer on X2 mill column with flat plate- extra stren
Post by: NorthOf40 on October 14, 2009, 09:40:38 PM
Dale,

I made the Harrisson page into a PDF file, if that doesn't work let me know and I'll send all the HTML files.