Another 12Z owner joining the fold

G

gunrunnerx

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Hi All,

I purchased my 12Z a few months ago but business and a bad back has really slowed down my progress. I picked up a nice 2nd op job for an aftermarket Rhino parts manufacturer and needed another mill to fulfill the contract. So I ordered a 12Z and got a delivery date that would work with my contract and pulled the trigger. Well, Murphy showed up and somehow the shipment got held up in the Dominican. I lost my contract. Things have not been good since.

Thinking towards the future, and now no contract date to worry about, I had Paul swap the x and y screws for ball screws in prep to CNC. Doing this there are obviously no indicators on the hand wheels so I'm in the market for a DRO.

First question: what size scales have you guys been putting on your machines and from where?

Question 2: I'd really like to put in a way lube system but I'm worried about pulling the table to machine the slots with the ball nuts in place. I know they are a pain.

I already have my 3HP motor, belt drive & VFD. Unfortunately the mill is still in the crate. And a bench still needs made also. Lots of great ideas but my back has really slowed me down. So, any help you great mindscan share on my questions above would be very appreciated by a hobbling near cripple
 
gunrunnerx said:
Hi All,

I purchased my 12Z a few months ago but business and a bad back has really slowed down my progress. I picked up a nice 2nd op job for an aftermarket Rhino parts manufacturer and needed another mill to fulfill the contract. So I ordered a 12Z and got a delivery date that would work with my contract and pulled the trigger. Well, Murphy showed up and somehow the shipment got held up in the Dominican. I lost my contract. Things have not been good since.

Thinking towards the future, and now no contract date to worry about, I had Paul swap the x and y screws for ball screws in prep to CNC. Doing this there are obviously no indicators on the hand wheels so I'm in the market for a DRO.

First question: what size scales have you guys been putting on your machines and from where?

Question 2: I'd really like to put in a way lube system but I'm worried about pulling the table to machine the slots with the ball nuts in place. I know they are a pain.

I already have my 3HP motor, belt drive & VFD. Unfortunately the mill is still in the crate. And a bench still needs made also. Lots of great ideas but my back has really slowed me down. So, any help you great mindscan share on my questions above would be very appreciated by a hobbling near cripple
Click to expand...

Well hello and welcome to the board! :)

I will suggest that Paul help with the removal of the table and ballscrews (I'm jealous, but will convert to ballscrews early next year even though I have no intention of CNC'ing this thing) but for the rest I recommend looking through my thread here about my setup of my 12Z. I got my one-shot oiling system from Paul and am happy to say that after two to three pulls of the handle I have oil oozing out everywhere on mine. (still trying to balance the system though) :D

The DRO/scales are the DROPros 3M kit, and I took the travel for the scales from the CO website (12" for Y, 26" for X, and 22" for Z) and am happy with my choices.

I'm no expert on these things, but I'll do my best to answer any questions you may have.
 
Thank you for the replies.

Paul is a great guy and I know did all he could. Not their fault the shipment had problems and I know they were wanting them to arrive as much as those that ordered. I apologize if that came across wrong. CO has treated me very well!

Thanks Paul! Please don't apologize. Not your fault.

wrmiller, thank you Sir. I read through your thread last night and is what prompted my thread. Being laid up I haven't had much time to work with the mill. Like I said, still in the crate. LOL. So researching and knowledge is the priority. Thank goodness for good people that share knowledge.

Thank you.
 
I am. Love it. I love gun smithing also. Amateur of course but would love to get my 07 ffl someday.
 
gunrunnerx said:
I am. Love it. I love gun smithing also. Amateur of course but would love to get my 07 ffl someday.
Click to expand...

Well double welcome then! :)

I will be coming back to AZ (we lived in Tucson for over a decade, kids are in Glendale area) when I get done with this day job stuff in a few years. Then back to USPSA shooting and gunsmithing.
 
Now that sounds like fun. I always wanted to shoot competitively but my dang back has slowed me down too much. Too many bull rides, race cars, ball sports and other reckless abandon earlier in life. I'm not that old, but I feel like it now.
 
are ballscrews recommended for manual machining? I've read in a bunch of places that they're generally a bad idea due to their extremely low friction relative to leadscrews. If you have a DRO then any backlash in a leadscrew should be a non-issue, right?
 
That comment's been floating around since before I was born. Some people just don't think things through I guess. Now if you like to leave a non-translating (moving) axis unlocked it could be a problem, but I don't plan on doing that (I don't do it with acme screws either). The plan is to use a quick release shaft lock on the end support/bearing carrier for my ballscrews that basically act the same way a stepper motor would while applying holding torque. There are no table locks on a CNC machine (come to think about it, if the acme screw is preventing table movement, why do manual machines need table locks?). The holding torque of the synchro or stepper basically clamps the ballscrew and prevents table movement along that axis. I just won't need a motor to do it. :)

It's just something I want to do, not trying to justify this to anyone.

Gunrunner: sorry for the slight hijack. :)
 
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Don't worry about that at all. I enjoy the conversation and knowledge transfer. Doesn't matter to me what thread its in. Thanks.
 
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