# And so it begins, new PM-30MV...



## sdavilla (Feb 21, 2022)

Arrived today, well crated and no damage. 












Cleaning time


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## davek181 (Feb 21, 2022)

You will have fun.  I have the same machine and love it.  first mill for me and still learning lots.  I added the X axis powerfeed shortly after I got it.  Bought one off the internet much cheaper than PM wanted, but the same part number on the unit.  Lately made a Z axis powerfeed which I didn't think I would want or need at first.

Get it set up and start making chips.  You will wonder how you lived without it soon.


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## Just for fun (Feb 21, 2022)

Congratulations on the new mill !!


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## sdavilla (Feb 21, 2022)

Shiny 






Still thinking on which side for glass scale. Pros and cons on either. If on rear, does take up 3/4 inch of travel. Humm...


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## davek181 (Feb 21, 2022)

Mine came with the DRO installed, and it is on the rear.  Yes you lose a little travel, but the DRO makes it so much nicer I would not take it off for travel.
If you install an X powerfeed which you will want soon, it has the limit switches on the front.


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## sdavilla (Feb 21, 2022)

davek181 said:


> Mine came with the DRO installed, and it is on the rear.  Yes you lose a little travel, but the DRO makes it so much nicer I would not take it off for travel.
> If you install an X powerfeed which you will want soon, it has the limit switches on the front.



Love to see a close-up of how they mounted the y-axis scale. The sloped base will make this fun.


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## davek181 (Feb 21, 2022)

Took a couple shots of how they did it.  Looks like a special bracket holds it plumb.   Excuse the chips and mess, don't get down here very often to clean.  I guess it shows usage anyway.  I wish now that I had an hour meter on the mill, it might scare me how much time I have spent learning what little I know.


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## xr650rRider (Feb 21, 2022)

I took a photo of mine.  The front screw is in center of bracket and is screwed in to drilled and tapped hole in mill base.  The back 2 screws (jack screws) 1 on top and 1 on bottom are actually pointed set screws in drilled and tapped holes in bracket, just bumping base and are used to set the bracket angle and keep it perpendicular to base.


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## sdavilla (Feb 22, 2022)

Thanks for the picts. Looks like they run a support bar with jack screws and mounting bolts that the glass scale is attached on. Easy peasy.


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## Tom1948 (Feb 22, 2022)

Good luck with it. I got a PM727V  a few years ago. Love it.  Cant go wrong with PM  equipment.


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## UMDJesse (Feb 23, 2022)

Sdavilla, Could you post a pic of the right side of the head and see if it has this key? (attached pic)
I also just received a new PM30 and this part is missing.


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## sdavilla (Feb 23, 2022)

Also not on mine and mine has a recent build date. I'll fetch it when I hit the shop later today.


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## davek181 (Feb 23, 2022)

Not on mine either.  01/21 build date.


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## sdavilla (Feb 23, 2022)

Build date on mine is 10/2021. Here's picture.


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## Thanatos41 (Feb 23, 2022)

Congratulations, it’s a great little mill.  I just added the power lift from Priest Tools and highly recommend it.


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## sdavilla (Feb 24, 2022)

Might as well start thinking about it (CNC). Going with Arizona CNC Kits for double ball screws and motor mounts. Motors choice is quite large. I want all three the same in NEMA 34 size. That way one spare fits any axis. But what type, stepper, hybrid stepper, DMM or ClearPath. ClearPath are the nicest but they are going to put a dent in the shop slush fund.

What are others using with their CNC'ed PM-30MV mill ?


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## sdavilla (Feb 26, 2022)

Strapping for lift, the PM recommended way. Was not happy with the large tilt to the front (not shown). And very not happy with strap pressing on heat sink fins behind the electrical control box.






After a bit of thought, came up with this.






Tractor drawbar under head, forks under drawbar. Slide the x/y table forward for a nice balance. Then some straps to keep it from sliding around. Also took the bottom way clamp off the z-axis and the quill handles. 






Now where did those bolts go...


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## sdavilla (Feb 27, 2022)

It's alive !!!


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## sdavilla (Mar 1, 2022)

xr650rRider said:


> I took a photo of mine.  The front screw is in center of bracket and is screwed in to drilled and tapped hole in mill base.  The back 2 screws (jack screws) 1 on top and 1 on bottom are actually pointed set screws in drilled and tapped holes in bracket, just bumping base and are used to set the bracket angle and keep it perpendicular to base.
> 
> View attachment 397537



Like your way lock knobs, mine has the lever type, and they always seem to be in the wrong place.


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## xr650rRider (Mar 1, 2022)

Mine had the levers too.  Round doesn't snag and with power feed you'll end up snapping one off.


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## Thanatos41 (Mar 1, 2022)

I changed mine out with some brass hex bar on the x and y axis.  I did a press fit with some cap screws and loctite 609.


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## sdavilla (Mar 3, 2022)

First chips.






WOW, this is soooo nice. Was so excited I forgot the parallels. 






X-Axis mount for glass scale. The pocket is for a spherical washer to adjust out the slight slope.






Next up is drill and tap two M5 holes into the cast iron base.


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## davek181 (Mar 3, 2022)

You are soon going to wonder how you survived without a mill.  You will soon be visualizing parts hidden inside of solid stock.


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## sdavilla (Mar 4, 2022)

Just love this thing. Reminds me of way, way back in high school metal shop class. Nothing like the smell of way oil.


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## sdavilla (Mar 5, 2022)

Y-axis 5um glass scale mounted.
















Still have to disassemble again to trim/paint base mounting bar. And add a few tapped holes for chip shield. While the glass scale has nice double seals, there's a slight gap between bar and base that needs to close less that area becomes filled with chips and other mess.

Spherical washers worked great. There's a pair between mounting bar and base. Another pair between encoder and its mounting plate, then a pair where plate mounts to saddle.


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## xr650rRider (Mar 5, 2022)

That's your Y-axis.


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## sdavilla (Mar 6, 2022)

xr650rRider said:


> That's your Y-axis.


 Fixed. Thanks.


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## sdavilla (Mar 6, 2022)

The real x-axis now.






I need more light...


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## sdavilla (Mar 8, 2022)

Heads up for other recently received PM30-MV owners. The M6 socket head screw bolt that tightens the z scale end to the spindle was missing on mine. Never noticed it until now.






A M6 x 25 socket head screw works with a snug fit.


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## sdavilla (Mar 13, 2022)

X/Y axis scales final install.






Z-axis scale installed.






And y-axis bellow sorted out.


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## sdavilla (Mar 25, 2022)

Now for some serious work...


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## davek181 (Mar 25, 2022)

Where is the chips?


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## koenbro (Mar 25, 2022)

Great mill you got there! Congrats!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


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## bblv (Mar 25, 2022)

sdavilla said:


> Now for some serious work...
> 
> View attachment 401775


Is that the DRO option installed by PM? Looks good!


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## sdavilla (Mar 25, 2022)

bblv said:


> Is that the DRO option installed by PM? Looks good!



Self install, TouchDRO controller (bluetooth) and app running on a Amazon tablet. Cost was around $275 plus about $25 in materials. The arm mount was an ancient computer display VESA mount that was sitting idle.


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## Cletus (Mar 25, 2022)

Congratulations!
...............but, too clean, way too clean!


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## Cletus (Mar 25, 2022)

BTW I made a 6" x 18" fixture plate that clamps in my vise. I find it extremely useful.


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## sdavilla (Mar 26, 2022)

Serious OCD about chip cleaning after making a mess. Plus keeps me from tracking chips around.


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## sdavilla (Mar 27, 2022)

Chips ahoy 






Drill/tap M8 into new knob blanks. Levers are too long and I've already bent two of them. lol.

Note the poor mans tap follower. Once I get 5 or so turns one handed (the other managing the quill down), the tap pretty planed and I can raise the quill and go two handed to finish.


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## sdavilla (Apr 7, 2022)

Just to show what I'm working on. Backhoe Quick Coupler for a JD485 backhoe. This is the upper part.







I do find myself in a dilemma. The plan is to CNC it in the summer. I figure at least $2500 for ball-screws/mounts and motors. That's with AC Servos. The Dilemma is the x-axis is a pain to go from one end to the other with manual crank. Same with z-axis, I go up and down all the time. I'd hate to get a power x-axis and power z-lift only to discard them 3 or 4 months. 

Maybe just motors and fab some mounts for x and z with some basic controller.

Still thinking (and cranking).


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## Cletus (Apr 7, 2022)

I'm thinking run the stepper servo motors via a driver in the interim with something like this:






						Stepper Motor Pulse Signal Generator |
					

High-Torque Stepper Motor, Stepper Motor, Driver, Stepper Motor kit, DC Servo Motor, DC Servo Motor kit, Stepper Motor Power Supply, CNC Router, Spindle, and other Components.




					www.automationtechnologiesinc.com


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## sdavilla (Apr 7, 2022)

Humm, that's a nice price too.


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## Cletus (Apr 7, 2022)

Yup, i think so too!


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## dlinva (Apr 8, 2022)

I have had a PM-30MV for about a year now (did buy the x-axis drive with it). Thinking of CNC'ing next year. But latest project drove me crazy with the manual z-axis. Going to get a closed loop stepper kit from Stepperonline and control it with a simple Arduino for now. Then when I CNC I will have the motor, driver and power supply for the z-axis already purchased.


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## davek181 (Apr 8, 2022)

I have a PM-30MV also and do not really plan on cnc in the near future but got tired of cranking the Z axis up and down.  The handle is so high up that you have to reach to crank it and it is hard to see where it is.  You have to stop and look and crank some more, look some more etc.

I threw together a Z axis lift and feed from mostly parts I had laying around, borrowing the idea from a fellow PM-30 owner.  I used a wiper motor and a voltage supply and speed controller that allows slow enough speeds to bore with and fast enough speeds to aid in tool changes.

I made it  to disengage if desired and return to the original handle and design, but I rarely disengage it as it is so handy and controllable.  You can set up for tool changes or clean chips up, or whatever while the head is moving to it's next spot.  I don't know how i survived without it now that I have it.  I highly recommend a motorized Z axis in whatever design you care to use.


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## theNOTORIOUSmo (Apr 8, 2022)

sdavilla said:


> I figure at least $2500 for ball-screws/mounts and motors. That's with AC Servos.



So ive gotten this question a lot about closed loop steppers vs ac servos. and my advice is if you are keeping your spindle stock (not going to upgrade the motor and bearings) is to just save the money and get closed loop steppers. here are some numbers instead of just reading the pro-con fact charts to help make my position more understandable.

If you check the pull out torque of stepperonline's  4.8 Nm closed loop stepper, at 600 RPM there is still 2.4ish Nm of torque left before it will start skipping. as for holding torque, there are some losses with microstepping but with a 1/2 microstep you get 70% of that available 4.8Nm and will still have a theoretical resolution of .0005".

At 600 RPM with a 5mm pitch ball screw, it will translate the table just over 118 IPM.  With my PM30 conversion I find that I am limited by spindle speed, not the table speed.

The big benefit of a servo over a closed loop stepper is having torque torque at high RPMs. But if you never use those high RPMs besides for stupid fast rapids (3000 RPM rated servo would be 590 IPM which is scary fast for a machine this size) is the cost worth it when you can better spend it other toys? I cant answer that for you, but these are some numbers to think about while making your decision.


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## sdavilla (Apr 19, 2022)

Decided AC Servos were way overkill. For the price of one axis for an AC Servo, I can do all three with closed loop stepper.  Ordered one to play with. But first puzzle to solve. For Z, motor on top, coupler with 14mm keyed motor shaft, threaded M16 x 1.5 on other side. Idea is remove 1st retaining nut, lower hub screws in place of it. Seems simple but I don't have much threaded shaft there. My general rule of thumb is one diameter of threads and life is good. This looks like about 1/4 diameter which starts me twitching. 






Here's a picture I found searching around. Note how much thread is sticking past the top retaining nut.






Grrrrr.


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## sdavilla (Apr 22, 2022)

While I think about how to solve the ^^ problem, the obligatory pict of a motor spinning blue tape. 






Dirt simple. Just love the Preciva wire crimps. Keeps things nice and clean and oh so easy to daisy-chain.


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## theNOTORIOUSmo (Apr 22, 2022)

While that 1xD for thread engagement is nice, this should not see any tensile or comprehensive stresses. You are using the clamping ability of the coupler so it doesn't need to resist those axial forces. I wish I still remembered how to rough estimate the clamping force, but I've been doing project management work too much these days, and not much real engineering... Hopefully someone else could add that info for me. 

It's hard to tell how much length you have, but a 16mm diameter would give a considerable amount of clamping area with what would seem like not much length.

If you are sticking with the lead screw that it came with, honestly I see you swapping that out in no time once you realize how much backlash compensation you will have to use with the slop in those screws.


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## sdavilla (Apr 23, 2022)

Well, that was easy. 1/2 inch steel plate with course 1/2 inch HSS end mill. Took it easy on DOC but could have eaten much more.


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## sdavilla (Apr 24, 2022)

Rounding the end, need a little more along the bottom edge to take out the little "bump".







Tail side, round over and setting up for the tail.


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## sdavilla (Apr 24, 2022)

After getting to play with the rotary table, it now seems a little small. This is a 6 inch, an 8 inch would be perfect.


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## sdavilla (Apr 24, 2022)

One piece almost done, needs a 1" plus a little hole for the bucket pins.






Little "opps" on rounded end. Looks worse that is from this angle. Serves me right for not laying out the entire outline. Next time, for sure.

My shop teacher would give me a B-, maybe higher if I showed that I learned my lesson on the other pieces... LOL. He's also say, "you know, davilla. You could have already cut that out with the torch and be done. But noooo, you have to have perfect edges." I'd just smile.

One thing for sure, DRO all the way for me. Amazing how much machining has advanced from the late 70's.


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## sdavilla (Apr 29, 2022)

Boring time.


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## sdavilla (Apr 29, 2022)

And now have everything I need to complete the power z-axis addition.


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## sdavilla (Apr 30, 2022)

No drama during boring  The ring gets welded over hole, two slots for pin retainers. Then final boring to 1-1/4 clearance for bucket pin. For each end so X4 for the upper pieces.


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## sdavilla (Apr 30, 2022)




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## sdavilla (May 21, 2022)




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## sdavilla (May 26, 2022)

Wheeeeeeee. LinuxCNC spinning a stepper motor. 3 hours, install to spin with most spent crimping/wiring.


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## sdavilla (Jun 2, 2022)

Finally, LinuxCNC tied to the new power z-axis lift.


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## sdavilla (Sep 5, 2022)

Have not posted in a while, been busy at realwork(tm). 

Added a dual bay 19" rack mount rails and roughed out some manual switches and joysticks. While I have a MPG pendent (which is nice), sometimes I just like a manual power feed.


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