# PM25-MV - From the Beginning



## brav65 (Oct 7, 2014)

Well I have posted some updates in other threads, but I thought I would start my own thread as I am close to getting my PM-25 MV.  Having been a woodworker for many years I am familiar with Grizzly equipment, so when I decided to get a small mill I naturally looked and their offerings.  Having spent a great deal of time lurking on this and some others forums I decided to get a G0759.  This is a G0704 with a factory installed DRO.  I was very excited until I received word from Grizzly that the mill was on backorder until late December.  I had looked at the PM-25MV but decided that it was a little bit out of my budget, even though it came standard with some upgrades that I had planned to make to the Grizzly.  I called Matt and he said they had them in stock and sent me a quote with shipping and a DRO PROS 3M DRO.  After researching the cost to convert to a brushless motor and belt drive I decided that it was a wash cost wise between the two units, and Matt offers a 3 year warranty.  That being said I cancelled my Grizzly order and ordered a machine from Matt.  

I will update the thread with additional info on my journey into the world of metalworking, stay tuned!


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## brav65 (Oct 7, 2014)

Well my DRO arrived from DRO PROS today.  Here are the pictures of what I received.  I plan on reading the installation and operations manuals before my mill arrives on Thursday.  I am going to have a very busy weekend!  I purchased the DRO PROS 3M 3 axis DRO which can be found here .  Matt offers the Easson 8A as well with a 3 year warranty, but the product support is not as robust as the 3M for $100 more.


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## wrmiller (Oct 7, 2014)

Gee, your DRO looks just like mine!

I think you will really like the 3M. No complaints about mine at all.


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## coolidge (Oct 7, 2014)

DroPros :goodjob:


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## JohnJohn301 (Oct 7, 2014)

Hey Brooks - feels pretty good being this close after waiting so long for Grizzly, eh? 
My DroPros 3m arrived yesterday. Took the display out of the box and something is obviously loose and rolling around inside the display. Just fired off and e-mail to the folks at DroPros to get advise.  

One other thing - does anyone have experience with UPS Freight?  I[m wondering if they call to schedule or do they just roll up on delivery day?   Super busy at work right now and would like to be able to schedule delivery, if possible.  Will call UPS tomorrow to see what they say, if a real number even exists for UPS these days - LoL


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## brav65 (Oct 8, 2014)

Hi John bummer about your display.  Everything looked good on mine.  I unpacked everything and inspected it. Cables and connectors seem to be very robust.   I picked up some white nylon clips to secure the cables with.  I am not sure if I should have gotten steel ones instead.  I have read the installation and operation manuals.  Now I just need a mill!

I am not familiar with UPS freight, but figure they will call because it is a residential delivery.


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## hman (Oct 8, 2014)

brav65 said:


> I picked up some white nylon clips to secure the cables with.  I am not sure if I should have gotten steel ones instead.  I have read the installation and operation manuals.  Now I just need a mill!
> 
> I am not familiar with UPS freight, but figure they will call because it is a residential delivery.



Think of it this way ... you _might_ have to replace the nylon clips once in a long while, but unlike steel, they'll probably give way and save your cables and connectors if something gets caught. )

Best wishes for a timely and stress-free delivery!


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## JohnJohn301 (Oct 9, 2014)

JohnJohn301 said:


> Took the display out of the box and something is obviously loose and rolling around inside the display. Just fired off and e-mail to the folks at DroPros to get advise.



Found the rattler -


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## brav65 (Oct 9, 2014)

Nice work, you know that if you had sent it back that the piece would have fallen out and there would be no rattle or sign of the debris!


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## brav65 (Oct 9, 2014)

Tracking is still showing delivery tomorrow!  I have some final bits and pieces from Enco and Grizzly arriving tomorrow as well.  I bought a gallon of WD40, some cheap brushes and some rags today.  I also picked up a 1 ton chain fall from HF for $30 bucks.  I have a beam running across my ceiling to carry the rafters for my front hip.  It will handle the 350# no problem.  I will have a late nite tomorrow night!


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## wrmiller (Oct 9, 2014)

JohnJohn301 said:


> Found the rattler -
> View attachment 85198



Funny, it doesn't look like any of the rattlers I used to find in my back yard in Tucson.  

So what is that exactly? Anything important?


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## wrmiller (Oct 9, 2014)

brav65 said:


> I will have a late nite tomorrow night!



Hopefully NOT like the one I just had.  )


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## GA Gyro (Oct 9, 2014)

wrmiller19 said:


> Funny, it doesn't look like any of the rattlers I used to find in my back yard in Tucson.
> 
> So what is that exactly? Anything important?



Looks to me like a mounting post for something... one end accepts a screw... the other was glued or ultra-sonic welded to something.  

Might check through the case to see if one of the mounts for the circuit board (or anything else) is missing.


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## brav65 (Oct 9, 2014)

*IT ARRIVED!*

 Well I got a call from UPS Freight that they were at my house.  I drove home and the driver wheeled his pallet jack into my garage and my mill was delivered.  I opened the crate for a quick check to make sure the mill was in good shape, it was...

I spent about an hour and a half unpacking and setting up the mobile base, lifted the mill with a chain hoist, and now the mill is on the base!  See pictures below.  I had to quit for the night, homework, dinner... being a single Dad is fun.














I have not secured the mill to the base yet, as there are no holes drilled in the base and the base of the mill does not sit on anything but the pan in the back.  The manual is absolutely useless, so I will give Matt a call, or just add some angle iron so that I can drill and tap some holes.  All in all I would say that the quality seems pretty good.I of course had the correct set of expectations from everything I have read here.  I will get some more work done on the Mill tomorrow night and over the weekend.


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## GA Gyro (Oct 9, 2014)

Congratulations!!!

You have your new mill!

If it were me... I would take my time working through each detail (think them out). Results will be worth it.

Hope I get an Email or call soon that mine is on the freight line... this waiting thing is tuff...


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## brav65 (Oct 9, 2014)

I could not agree more.  That is why I am not going back out tonight after the kids go to bed. This is my first mill, so I am learning what everything does as I go.


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## JimDawson (Oct 9, 2014)

Congratulations  :thumbzup3:


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## GA Gyro (Oct 9, 2014)

brav65 said:


> I could not agree more.  That is why I am not going back out tonight after the kids go to bed. This is my first mill, so I am learning what everything does as I go.



Are your kids old enough to be interested in Dad's stuff in the shop?  

Would be a good 'family' thing if they were...


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## brav65 (Oct 9, 2014)

Unfortunately my son is not that into working with his hands.  He is also in all honors classes so he has 3 hours of homework.   Once I am up and running he will be more interested.

This machine is so quiet!


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## JohnJohn301 (Oct 9, 2014)

Congratulations Brooks! 
UPS Freight called me today to schedule deliver for Monday.  Oh well! 
Very happy for you Sir!   
             J


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## brav65 (Oct 9, 2014)

Bummer John.  UPS rolled the pallet right into my garage.  The Delivery took about 2 minutes.  My crate was in good shape and everything was where it should be. This machine is soooo quiet.  I will be able to run this at night without bothering anybody.


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## GA Gyro (Oct 9, 2014)

brav65 said:


> Unfortunately my son is not that into working with his hands.  He is also in all honors classes so he has 3 hours of homework.   Once I am up and running he will be more interested.
> 
> This machine is so quiet!



Good for your son!!!

We read of kids that are not motivated these days... glad to hear your are!

If he has any mechanical interest... watching chips fly will get his attention...


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## wrmiller (Oct 9, 2014)

Take your time to learn your mill and get it set up properly. Rushing to 'make chips' isn't all it's cracked up to be.  )


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## GA Gyro (Oct 9, 2014)

wrmiller19 said:


> Take your time to learn your mill and get it set up properly. Rushing to 'make chips' isn't all it's cracked up to be.  )



X2...


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## brav65 (Oct 10, 2014)

Thanks John.  He enjoys doing projects with me, but loses interest when it is "work".  I told him we will try some fun stuff like making a little steam engine.  I ordered a little 7x12 HF lathe so that I have more flexability.  I know it is a toy, but it will get me started without completely busting the bank ($459 delivered).

Thanks Bill.  I plan to take apart everything I can clean/inspect/adjust and re-install.  I should have a pretty good handle on the mechanics of the machine by then.   I will keep everyone updated with my progress.


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## JohnJohn301 (Oct 10, 2014)

wrmiller19 said:


> Funny, it doesn't look like any of the rattlers I used to find in my back yard in Tucson.
> 
> So what is that exactly? Anything important?



Sent the pic to DroPros - it's a stand-off that goes under the main board.  They told me where to look and sure-nuff - it was missing. One drop of glue later - we're good to go again.


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## JohnJohn301 (Oct 10, 2014)

I like the stand you got - looks sturdy and will let me pull the mill out to clean around back.  Hit Amazon up and have one on the way too.


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## brav65 (Oct 10, 2014)

Thanks John, I got it from Grizzly.  It is very stable.




JohnJohn301 said:


> I like the stand you got - looks sturdy and will let me pull the mill out to clean around back.  Hit Amazon up and have one on the way too.


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## Falcon67 (Oct 10, 2014)

Nice looking machine!  You'll like running that one I'll bet.

We keep our 4 yr old grand son a couple of days during the week until mom gets home.  He loves to go to the shop and just fiddle with everything.  Wants to put a wrench on everything - or hammer on it.  Wednesday he was playing with the micro feed on the mill and saw the drill chuck key.  Picks it up, looks it over, looks at the chuck in the mill, sticks the key in the chuck the right way, engages the gear and turns it.  No previous instruction.   Hmmmm....


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## Rbeckett (Oct 10, 2014)

JohnJohn, Quick thread jack and then back on GaGyros topic.  That is a circuit board stand off and is potentially very important.  The board might undergo thermal heating and cooling and flex enough to start breaking traces and connection.

Bob


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## brav65 (Oct 15, 2014)

Quick update.  I have the table back on and FRO readout mounted.  I had to polish my gibs as it looked like a beaver had chewed them.  My lead screws were also packed with crud.  The table moves like butter now.  I did not remove the mill head to get to the z axis lead screw, I will do that later.  All I have to do is mount the DRO scales and tram the head and I will be good to go.


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## brav65 (Oct 19, 2014)

Well I have mounted the Y axis DRO mounted including the cover.  Below are some pictures of my install.  I have one more bracket to fabricate to complete the installation.







I wanted to mount the DRO in a vertical position to reduce the potential for chips to get in the reader.  The bracket is mounted as high on the table as possible.  I drilled and taped two 6mm holes and used one of the provided brackets.





I also added 4 grub screws to make adjustment easier




I mounted the cover using the two unthreaded holes in the top of the body of the scale




I trimmed off the upturned angle on the cover as it was not needed




I added two nylon bushings to raise the cover so that the read head was acceseable for the mounting bracket




There is minimal clearence for the read head to move  along the chip tray.  I may have to add something to prevent chips from building up and preventing the head from moving freely.  The scale is mounted using one of the backing plates included with the kit.  I drilled and taped two holes in the base, mounted the plate and adjusted using the grub screws.  My goal was to get everything mounted very securely and make adjusting the scale as simple as possible.  I have to fabricate the bracket that attached to the read head to complete the installation of this axis.  I will update as I get the others scales mounted.  Any suggestions to improve the installation would be greatly appreciated as I have absolutely zero experience with this stuff.

Thanks,

Brooks


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## JohnJohn301 (Nov 1, 2014)

Hey Brooks - 
I've been so busy with work that I haven't been able to do much since the PM25 arrived except take it apart and clean it up.  Have some time this weekend - so will be working on my DRO install.   Thought I'd check in with you to see how you are doing with yours. 

John


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## brav65 (Nov 1, 2014)

I have been in the same boat.  I need to get some longer screws to finish mounting my Y axis.  I have started on the Z axis.  I hope to have the DRO up and running this weekend.  I will post pics.


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## Pmedic828 (Nov 1, 2014)

congrats on your new mill - Take it slow and most of all be safe when performing operations - hopefully, your son will start to enjoy "dad" time - show him and let him do it - 
Of course, I let my 21 y/o son take over the lathe and he was power feeding and not watching - got oil can caught up on hand wheel and tore up all the gears in the saddle -


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## JohnJohn301 (Nov 4, 2014)

brav65 said:


> Quick update.  I have the table back on and FRO readout mounted.



Good morning Brooks-
How did you mount the readout arm. I noticed it does not fit on the side of the column.

                j


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## brav65 (Nov 6, 2014)

JohnJohn301 said:


> Good morning Brooks-
> How did you mount the readout arm. I noticed it does not fit on the side of the column.
> 
> j




Hey Joun I mounted it to the back of the column.  I plan to add an extension to the arm so I can position it within easy reach.  I have mounted the Z axis and am finishing up my bracket.  All I have left is the X axis which should be straight forward.  I am also working out a design for a lower profile way cover.  I will try out a prototype this weekend and  post some pictures this weekend of what I have complete so far.


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## chuckorlando (Nov 6, 2014)

Nice. Your dros look good so far. Maybe rig up some felt to wipe the chips?


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## brav65 (Nov 21, 2014)

Finally have all three axis installed!  Here are some pictures of the install.  I plan to re-make some of the brackets now that the mill is at 100%.  I still need to secure some of the cables set the display up, but all the scales are producing readings.  I have not checked the accuracy yet.  I plan to get everything dialed in this weekend.  

Y axis bracket






Z axis bracket





X axis 







Display Head 




I plan on added an 8" or 10" extension to the mounting arm for the display.  I mounted it as high as possible to that it was easy to see and input on the screen, but it is very close to the Z axis hand wheel.  I am sure that I will have to tweak some things as I learn to use the mill, but it is done for now.  I am not sure why all the pictures are rotated.  When I open them on my computer they are the correct orientation.  Sorry for any neck pain.


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## JohnJohn301 (Nov 22, 2014)

Looks good Brooks!  
I checked the head (it was fine) and mounted vise on mine last night.  
I started my PM25MV thread two nights ago and the forum did some king of refresh and every thing I typed was lost.  I'll do it again when I have a few minutes. 
        John


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## brav65 (Nov 22, 2014)

JohnJohn301 said:


> Looks good Brooks!
> I checked the head (it was fine) and mounted vise on mine last night.
> I started my PM25MV thread two nights ago and the forum did some king of refresh and every thing I typed was lost.  I'll do it again when I have a few minutes.
> John




Thanks John it will be interesting to see your solution to mounting the scales.  I worked on adding some lighting to my machine today.  I will finish them up tomorrow and take some pictures.  I hope to make my first accurate chips tomorrow!


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## brav65 (Nov 25, 2014)

I milled my first accurate part on my mill now that it is set up.  I squared up a small aluminum block using the method Tom described in his video.  I was very successful as the part is less than one thou off in all dimensions.


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## Transformer (Feb 26, 2015)

Sorry I am a little late to the party.  I have the similar Grizzly mill.  Do you recall what length of scales you specified for the three axis?

Also after reading your comments I think I will take a few things apart and check screws and gibs and so on.  So far just a few test cuts in plastic, aluminum and steel.  The mill has been sitting as I work out the kinks in the lathe I have been CNC'ing, but that is another story.

Dennis


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## brav65 (Feb 27, 2015)

Hi Dennis I will take a look when I get home and let you know. If you are going with DRO  Pros I am sure you could send Dan an e-mail or give them a call.


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