Has anybody here done the phase 3 conversion?
There's something I need to do with the Y axis ball screw/nut combination and I could use some advice. There's an issue with the Y-axis ballnut mount we make and the Linear Motion ballnut. The problem is that the ballnut overhangs the edges of the mount, and Hoss recommends they be ground away with an angle grinder. There's a similar issue on the X-axis, and Hoss had the Linear Motion guys do it so that the x-axis ballscrew was modified when I bought it.
I was thinking of using the mill to remove the extra material before I take it apart. I have carbide end mills. The ball nut is hardened steel, so it will be tough, but I think a carbide half inch end mill would take that off, a few thou at a time.
The disadvantage to using the angle grinder is I'll have to work outside (where it's about 90 to 100 heat index all day) and there's no way to hold the work out there (no vises, benches, etc.). It will take quite a bit of setup to be able to do it. Plus, I'll need to completely wrap up everything in blue painters tape - ballscrew, nuts, everything except the two little areas I'm grinding so I can keep the metal dust from finding a home deep inside the ballscrews where it will eventually ruin them. Not to mention I've never used an angle grinder before - although I've got to cross that bridge some time. I need to work outside to keep the dust from contaminating all the tools inside the shop!
I honestly don't know if it's "fair use" to show this pic clipped from Hoss' DVD, so I'm going to post it and moderators feel free to take it down (or tell me to) if it's not OK.
You can see the straight vertical edge on the right ground away, cutting into one of the screw holes, and you can see what it originally looked like originally.
Does it make sense to try to mill that away with the G0704 itself? Can the carbide end mills cut the hardened steel, or do I need something more exotic? I know there's a lot of meanings for "hardened steel" and carbide, so it's a tricky question.
Especially, if you did this conversion, what did you do?
Bob