# My New Grizzly G0678 Knee Mill



## DoogieB

Well, I have been sitting on these pictures long enough so here's a post about my new mill, a Grizzly G0678.  It's a 8x30, variable-speed knee mill.

A little background.  I've been shopping for a mill since the day after I bought a 1974 South Bend 10K lathe.  I couldn't handle a Bridgeport-size mill in my tiny shop, but wanted something a bit bigger than the G0704 that popped-up on CL 5 miles down the road.  For vintage equipment, that meant a Clausing 8530, Rockwell or maybe a Millrite.  For new equipment, one of the many RF-45 clones.  At the time, I was also limited on what I could get on and off the bed of my truck with an engine hoist.

So fast-forward a year and I still didn't have a mill as all the likely candidates were either too far away, just plain scrap or gone before I could make a move because of work or other commitments.  Things were looking-up, however, as I was planning on getting a different truck with a hitch so I could use a trailer.  This meant much easier loading and unloading, so I could now go after a slightly bigger mill, while still trying to keep it under a 1000 pounds.

In the spring, I drove up to the Muncy story to lay hands and eyes on machines.  What I found was that the Taiwan machines were definitely a few rungs higher on the food chain and that I greatly preferred to operate a knee mill.  So the new plan was to watch CL for another year for a small knee mill, with a Plan B of buying a new mill at Muncy when I had enough waiting.

And then a month ago Grizzly decided to close the Muncy store!  It was time to poop or get off the pot.  With the discounts they were offering at the store, Plan B was going to cost at least $800 more next year and I wasn't exactly seeing a ton of likely candidates on CL and Ebay.  The small mills are rare and sell quickly if they aren't scrap.  So this followed me home that Friday.  




Here you can see the mill being pulled off the trailer.  You are looking directly at the spindle (R8) as the head is tilted so it would clear the garage door while sitting on the trailer.  Since this was a last minute deal, it took me a week to get the shop ready.




And here the mill is being dropped onto the mobile base.  Grizzly had all their machinery in the showroom on these things and it was a freebie since I bought a floor model.  It was way too squishy to leave under the mill without some work, but it sure came in handy to push it into the shop as it saved me having to use black pipe.  As you can see, the base just fit inside and under the engine hoist.




And here's the mill in it's spot in the shop, doing a little work.  I'm still getting used to it, but I like it so far and I'm improving the arrangement as I go.  Next improvement will be in the lighting situation with a spindle LED ring.


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## DoogieB

A little more about the mill.

The G0678 is cousin of the 6x26 class of mills which are a knockoff/update of the Clausing 8520/30 family.  These mills have been imported from Asia for a long time now for several different retailers.  The 6x26, while having a few improvements from the Clausing like an R8 spindle, shares one of the problems of it's ancestor with a short spindle-to-table distance. Riser blocks are a common upgrade for this mill.

The 8x30 mills like the G0678, along with a slightly larger table, have the riser block function achieved by a different column/base.  The maximum spindle-to-table distance of this mill is 20 inches compared to 12  inches for Grizzly's 6x26 model.

All the extra cast iron pushes the weight of this mill to just a hair under 1000 pounds.  This mill was made in Taiwan.

A great feature of the G0678 is the 3-phase motor and speed control with a Yaskawa VFD.  




As you can see, power transfer doesn't get much simpler: 1 belt and you don't ever need to touch it.




Here's the control panel, the red button is the spindle on/off button.  At first I thought it was a little weird to use an emergency shut-off button as the off, but I guess it doesn't really matter.  When your first plug-in the machine there's no visual indication on the panel of power until you twist the red button and then the pilot light on the left lights.  Then when you press the green button, a relay snaps in the column where the VFD is located, the digital speed display activates and the mill starts running.  Speed is selected by turning the knob and this setting sticks from one session to another.  Direction control is via the knob just left of the display.

According to the manual, the speed range of the mill is 200-2250 RPM.  This isn't true, as it's actually 0-2250 RPM.  I almost had a heart attack when I first plugged it in and it didn't run because the knob was parked at the left stop.   Initially I was worried about low-end torque with this setup.  No worries.  One of the first tests of the mill was drilling with a 3/4" taper bit.  No issues, tons of torque and the bit went right through. I've done some other screwing around with larger end mills and I'm pretty sure there's plenty of power for what the mill can handle.

With no gears in the drive train and a 3-phase motor, this mill is really quiet and smooth.  VFD's totally rock!




Here's a picture showing the one-shot oiler while I was screwing around the gibs.  At first my major complaint with the mill was that some of the plastic oil lines were weeping, but after some work refastening the lines they seemed to have gotten better.  Compared to my old SB lathe there's practically no maintenance on this machine.

Fit and finish on these imported machines seems to vary a great deal, but I've been pretty pleased with the G0678.  I've had the mill for a month now and I've been pretty much been all over it with my Last Word indicator (.0005) and I can't find anything really wrong with it.  Obviously you need to do the usual cleaning, setup and tramming and I spent awhile just working with the gibs.  One thing that did need adjusted was the nod which ended-up being a simple fix with some shim stock between the column and head.  There's a few cosmetic scratches on the table, but it moves smoothly in all directions.  There's probably a few other things I can't think of right now but nothing that makes me feel I have to contact customer support.

Wrapping-up, I'm pretty happy to finally have a mill.  Right now I'm planning on just settling-in and using the mill as-is for awhile, but future upgrade plans include a 3-axis DRO and x-axis power feed.


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## kd4gij

Looks like a nice mill.


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## tmarks11

nice score, sounds like you got a good deal.

Recommend you take the swivel out from under the vise and put it one the shelf until you need it.  95% of the time you won't, and having it on the table makes the vise harder to tram, and reduces rigidity of the setup.

That mill is much prettier than my Clausing 8520.

Conquest Mini-Magnum is an awesome vise. Perfect size for one of these machines.



DoogieB said:


> There's a few cosmetic scratches on the table, but it moves smoothly in all directions.



These things are made for work, not for show.  You will be adding your own scratches to it shortly, and you will never even notice the ones it started with.


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## David VanNorman

Darn Nice  Mill


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## Silverbullet

Nice is nice , yupp sure is. Good luck you deserve it . Thanks for sharing with envy .


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## jeff_g1137

Hi
Very nice


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## zmotorsports

Very nice setup you have.

I suggest the same as Tim, remove the base and direct bolt the vise to the table.  I have found it is very seldom used.  I kept mine on my last vise for ten years before I removed it and only used it once in the next six years I owned that mill.  I didn't even purchase a rotating base for my new Glacern last year.

Just a suggestion.

Mike.


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## Dman1114

Thats a nice looking machine....

Very similar to my G1008 .....  i just picked up. Ill be doing a VFD to mine soon enough.


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## DoogieB

tmarks11 said:


> Conquest Mini-Magnum is an awesome vise. Perfect size for one of these machines.


While it ain't cheap, the Conquest Mini-Mag is a very nice USA-made vise and the perfect fit for this mill.  It overhangs the back of the table just a tiny bit, the same as Kurt 4" vise but obviously the 5" Mini-Mag opens wider.  These mills don't have a ton of Y travel and I don't want to give any up because of vise interference.  Also, for work holding I've been spoiled with a quality Bison chuck that came with my lathe and I figured the milling vise wasn't a good place to start pinching pennies.  Tormach also sells this exact same vise under their name.

You guys are cracking me up with the dogpile about the swivel base.  Conquest doesn't make a swivel base, the one you see is from a Kurt 5" vise.  Kurt hasn't made that size vise for awhile now so when an opportunity came-up to buy a really clean Kurt 5" swivel I bit on it.  I was a little nervous at first because a search only pulled one person on da interwebs who tried this marriage, but that fellow was right it works fine once you make a new swivel pin as the hole cast in the Mini-Mag  is smaller.

Upon assembly and once I verified with a indicator that the swivel base was nice and flat at different spots, I stowed it on the shelf.  Since I do mostly hobby work I sometimes run into some weird setups and my motto has always been "_I would rather have it and not need it then need it and not have it_."  Well, you guys put a whammy on me with your "you ain't gonna need that" talk as I forgot about a little 1 minute milling job I wanted to do and guess what, I need the swivel.  Now I got to put the d#@$ thing back on again. 

The lighting situation is improving:




I took out the 60W burner and went with a 100W (14W really) LED bulb in the factory fixture.  While I'm not terribly fond of using a $10 light bulb in machinery, I do really like the high output and daylight light spectrum.  It's just so much easier to see details with white light. 

The spindle got the angel-eye treatment,  It helps, but it's not nearly as bright as it seems in the picture.  I'm pretty sure I can fit another larger one around the current LED ring , so maybe having two will help more.  It wouldn't be much work to piggy-back another one and the junk box power supply will have absolutely no problems with the load.

The right side of the table is still dark, but I have a good idea how to fix that.  It should be a good project for when I have off on Black Friday.  It's certainly a lot more fun to hang-out in the shop that join the stampede of shoppers.



Dman1114 said:


> Very similar to my G1008 ..... i just picked up. Ill be doing a VFD to mine soon enough.



You betcha, your mill is just an earlier model.  Trust me, you WANT the VFD!


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## coolidge

Congrats!


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## wallyw

DoogieB said:


> Well, I have been sitting in Y, less than 2 tenths in Yn these pictures long enough so here's a post about my new mill, a Grizzly G0678.  It's a 8x30, variable-speed knee mill.
> 
> A little background.  I've been shopping for a mill since the day after I bought a 1974 South Bend 10K lathe.  I couldn't handle a Bridgeport-size mill in my tiny shop, but wanted something a bit bigger than the G0704 that popped-up on CL 5 miles down the road.  For vintage equipment, that meant a Clausing 8530, Rockwell or maybe a Millrite.  For new equipment, one of the many RF-45 clones.  At the time, I was also limited on what I could get on and off the bed of my truck with an engine hoist.
> 
> So fast-forward a year and I still didn't have a mill as all the likely candidates were either too far away, just plain scrap or gone before I could make a move because of work or other commitments.  Things were looking-up, however, as I was planning on getting a different truck with a hitch so I could use a trailer.  This meant much easier loading and unloading, so I could now go after a slightly bigger mill, while still trying to keep it under a 1000 pounds.
> 
> In the spring, I drove up to the Muncy story to lay hands and eyes on machines.  What I found was that the Taiwan machines were definitely a few rungs higher on the food chain and that I greatly preferred to operate a knee mill.  So the new plan was to watch CL for another year for a small knee mill, with a Plan B of buying a new mill at Muncy when I had enough waiting.
> 
> And then a month ago Grizzly decided to close the Muncy store!  It was time to poop or get off the pot.  With the discounts they were offering at the store, Plan B was going to cost at least $800 more next year and I wasn't exactly seeing a ton of likely candidates on CL and Ebay.  The small mills are rare and sell quickly if they aren't scrap.  So this followed me home that Friday.
> 
> View attachment 114359
> 
> 
> Here you can see the mill being pulled off the trailer.  You are looking directly at the spindle (R8) as the head is tilted so it would clear the garage door while sitting on the trailer.  Since this was a last minute deal, it took me a week to get the shop ready.
> 
> View attachment 114360
> 
> 
> And here the mill is being dropped onto the mobile base.  Grizzly had all their machinery in the showroom on these things and it was a freebie since I bought a floor model.  It was way too squishy to leave under the mill without some work, but it sure came in handy to push it into the shop as it saved me having to use black pipe.  As you can see, the base just fit inside and under the engine hoist.
> 
> View attachment 114361
> 
> 
> And here's the mill in it's spot in the shop, doing a little work.  I'm still getting used to it, but I like it so far and I'm improving the arrangement as I go.  Next improvement will be in the lighting situation with a spindle LED ring.


I just recieved mine today Wow!!  Cleaned. Trammed out to about a tenth I


DoogieB said:


> Well, I have been sitting on these pictures long enough so here's a post about my new mill, a Grizzly G0678.  It's a 8x30, variable-speed knee mill.
> 
> A little background.  I've been shopping for a mill since the day after I bought a 1974 South Bend 10K lathe.  I couldn't handle a Bridgeport-size mill in my tiny shop, but wanted something a bit bigger than the G0704 that popped-up on CL 5 miles down the road.  For vintage equipment, that meant a Clausing 8530, Rockwell or maybe a Millrite.  For new equipment, one of the many RF-45 clones.  At the time, I was also limited on what I could get on and off the bed of my truck with an engine hoist.
> 
> So fast-forward a year and I still didn't have a mill as all the likely candidates were either too far away, just plain scrap or gone before I could make a move because of work or other commitments.  Things were looking-up, however, as I was planning on getting a different truck with a hitch so I could use a trailer.  This meant much easier loading and unloading, so I could now go after a slightly bigger mill, while still trying to keep it under a 1000 pounds.
> 
> In the spring, I drove up to the Muncy story to lay hands and eyes on machines.  What I found was that the Taiwan machines were definitely a few rungs higher on the food chain and that I greatly preferred to operate a knee mill.  So the new plan was to watch CL for another year for a small knee mill, with a Plan B of buying a new mill at Muncy when I had enough waiting.
> 
> And then a month ago Grizzly decided to close the Muncy store!  It was time to poop or get off the pot.  With the discounts they were offering at the store, Plan B was going to cost at least $800 more next year and I wasn't exactly seeing a ton of likely candidates on CL and Ebay.  The small mills are rare and sell quickly if they aren't scrap.  So this followed me home that Friday.
> 
> View attachment 114359
> 
> 
> Here you can see the mill being pulled off the trailer.  You are looking directly at the spindle (R8) as the head is tilted so it would clear the garage door while sitting on the trailer.  Since this was a last minute deal, it took me a week to get the shop ready.
> 
> View attachment 114360
> 
> 
> And here the mill is being dropped onto the mobile base.  Grizzly had all their machinery in the showroom on these things and it was a freebie since I bought a floor model.  It was way too squishy to leave under the mill without some work, but it sure came in handy to push it into the shop as it saved me having to use black pipe.  As you can see, the base just fit inside and under the engine hoist.
> 
> View attachment 114361
> 
> 
> And here's the mill in it's spot in the shop, doing a little work.  I'm still getting used to it, but I like it so far and I'm improving the arrangement as I go.  Next improvement will be in the lighting situation with a spindle LED ring.





DoogieB said:


> Well, I have been sitting on these pictures long enough so here's a post about my new mill, a Grizzly G0678.  It's a 8x30, variable-speed knee mill.
> 
> A little background.  I've been shopping for a mill since the day after I bought a 1974 South Bend 10K lathe.  I couldn't handle a Bridgeport-size mill in my tiny shop, but wanted something a bit bigger than the G0704 that popped-up on CL 5 miles down the road.  For vintage equipment, that meant a Clausing 8530, Rockwell or maybe a Millrite.  For new equipment, one of the many RF-45 clones.  At the time, I was also limited on what I could get on and off the bed of my truck with an engine hoist.
> 
> So fast-forward a year and I still didn't have a mill as all the likely candidates were either too far away, just plain scrap or gone before I could make a move because of work or other commitments.  Things were looking-up, however, as I was planning on getting a different truck with a hitch so I could use a trailer.  This meant much easier loading and unloading, so I could now go after a slightly bigger mill, while still trying to keep it under a 1000 pounds.
> 
> In the spring, I drove up to the Muncy story to lay hands and eyes on machines.  What I found was that the Taiwan machines were definitely a few rungs higher on the food chain and that I greatly preferred to operate a knee mill.  So the new plan was to watch CL for another year for a small knee mill, with a Plan B of buying a new mill at Muncy when I had enough waiting.
> 
> And then a month ago Grizzly decided to close the Muncy store!  It was time to poop or get off the pot.  With the discounts they were offering at the store, Plan B was going to cost at least $800 more next year and I wasn't exactly seeing a ton of likely candidates on CL and Ebay.  The small mills are rare and sell quickly if they aren't scrap.  So this followed me home that Friday.
> 
> View attachment 114359
> 
> 
> Here you can see the mill being pulled off the trailer.  You are looking directly at the spindle (R8) as the head is tilted so it would clear the garage door while sitting on the trailer.  Since this was a last minute deal, it took me a week to get the shop ready.
> 
> View attachment 114360
> 
> 
> And here the mill is being dropped onto the mobile base.  Grizzly had all their machinery in the showroom on these things and it was a freebie since I bought a floor model.  It was way too squishy to leave under the mill without some work, but it sure came in handy to push it into the shop as it saved me having to use black pipe.  As you can see, the base just fit inside and under the engine hoist.
> 
> View attachment 114361
> 
> 
> And here's the mill in it's spot in the shop, doing a little work.  I'm still getting used to it, but I like it so far and I'm improving the arrangement as I go.  Next improvement will be in the lighting situation with a spindle LED ring.





DoogieB said:


> A little more about the mill.
> 
> The G0678 is cousin of the 6x26 class of mills which are a knockoff/update of the Clausing 8520/30 family.  These mills have been imported from Asia for a long time now for several different retailers.  The 6x26, while having a few improvements from the Clausing like an R8 spindle, shares one of the problems of it's ancestor with a short spindle-to-table distance. Riser blocks are a common upgrade for this mill.
> 
> The 8x30 mills like the G0678, along with a slightly larger table, have the riser block function achieved by a different column/base.  The maximum spindle-to-table distance of this mill is 20 inches compared to 12  inches for Grizzly's 6x26 model.
> 
> All the extra cast iron pushes the weight of this mill to just a hair under 1000 pounds.  This mill was made in Taiwan.
> 
> A great feature of the G0678 is the 3-phase motor and speed control with a Yaskawa VFD.
> 
> View attachment 114362
> 
> 
> As you can see, power transfer doesn't get much simpler: 1 belt and you don't ever need to touch it.
> 
> View attachment 114363
> 
> 
> Here's the control panel, the red button is the spindle on/off button.  At first I thought it was a little weird to use an emergency shut-off button as the off, but I guess it doesn't really matter.  When your first plug-in the machine there's no visual indication on the panel of power until you twist the red button and then the pilot light on the left lights.  Then when you press the green button, a relay snaps in the column where the VFD is located, the digital speed display activates and the mill starts running.  Speed is selected by turning the knob and this setting sticks from one session to another.  Direction control is via the knob just left of the display.
> 
> According to the manual, the speed range of the mill is 200-2250 RPM.  This isn't true, as it's actually 0-2250 RPM.  I almost had a heart attack when I first plugged it in and it didn't run because the knob was parked at the left stop.   Initially I was worried about low-end torque with this setup.  No worries.  One of the first tests of the mill was drilling with a 3/4" taper bit.  No issues, tons of torque and the bit went right through. I've done some other screwing around with larger end mills and I'm pretty sure there's plenty of power for what the mill can handle.
> 
> With no gears in the drive train and a 3-phase motor, this mill is really quiet and smooth.  VFD's totally rock!
> 
> View attachment 114364
> 
> 
> Here's a picture showing the one-shot oiler while I was screwing around the gibs.  At first my major complaint with the mill was that some of the plastic oil lines were weeping, but after some work refastening the lines they seemed to have gotten better.  Compared to my old SB lathe there's practically no maintenance on this machine.
> 
> Fit and finish on these imported machines seems to vary a great deal, but I've been pretty pleased with the G0678.  I've had the mill for a month now and I've been pretty much been all over it with my Last Word indicator (.0005) and I can't find anything really wrong with it.  Obviously you need to do the usual cleaning, setup and tramming and I spent awhile just working with the gibs.  One thing that did need adjusted was the nod which ended-up being a simple fix with some shim stock between the column and head.  There's a few cosmetic scratches on the table, but it moves smoothly in all directions.  There's probably a few other things I can't think of right now but nothing that makes me feel I have to contact customer support.
> 
> Wrapping-up, I'm pretty happy to finally have a mill.  Right now I'm planning on just settling-in and using the mill as-is for awhile, but future upgrade plans include a 3-axis DRO and x-axis power feed.



I just got my new 0678 today.  Wow!!


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## wrmiller

Before I found the CO 12z, I was soooo close to pulling the trigger on the G0695 version of this mill. My only real concern was the Y-axis travel. But if one showed up in my garage I'm pretty sure I could put it to work.


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## Dman1114

Doogie.... any thoughts on a DRO?....  

Im still tossing up the idea of a 4 axis or a 3 axis with a separate dro  for the Quill...


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## DoogieB

wallyw said:


> I just got my new 0678 today. Wow!!



You know the rules around here, pics or it didn't happen!   Everyone likes to see new machines.



Dman1114 said:


> Doogie.... any thoughts on a DRO?....
> 
> I'm still tossing up the idea of a 4 axis or a 3 axis with a separate dro for the Quill...



My thoughts and plans right now are on a good quality 3 axis DRO.

The quill travel on these machines isn't that much and I would rather use the knee for precision Z motion and just use the quill for drill press actions.  I'm not even planning on a simple battery-operated DRO for the quill as I want to keep the stop.  Of course, if you can keep the stop and still use a simple LCD DRO then it might be more appealing.


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## Dman1114

So i Just Ordered me up My dro tonight... http://www.aliexpress.com/item/High...xis-digital-readout-and-3-pcs/1556577283.html

seems like a great deal....  I was going to get the TPAC do but i figure i save the extra bucks    and get the 1 um scales ....  i can use that money toward my VFD conversion.

I would like a dro on the Quill so i will probably order a Igage setup and adapt it.    I also wanna get one for my tailstock on the lathe....


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## DoogieB

Dman1114 said:


> So i Just Ordered me up My dro tonigh...



That sounds like a really good price.  I'll be looking forward to your posts to see how you tackle the DRO installation.

Found some more pictures of some work I did last week on levelling the mill.  It turns out the threaded holes in the bottom of the casting are 1/2-13 which makes finding levelling hardware easy.  After chasing the holes with a tap to clean them out and making sure they were well oiled it was time for the levellers.




I bought this set at Amazon, but McMaster's and other sources have the same thing.  Very nice quality and make machinery levelling a snap because of the ball at the bottom of the thread.




Used the big Starrett level to get things right.  Mills aren't like lathes were you have to worry about twisting and such, but it's still nice to be level with the world for some setups or to keep tools from rolling off the table.  You can also see how ridiculously crooked this floor was poured.  Oh well, I guess it's better than dirt.


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## tmarks11

Dman1114 said:


> So i Just Ordered me up My dro tonight... http://www.aliexpress.com/item/High...xis-digital-readout-and-3-pcs/1556577283.html


Brave man, ordering from aliexpress.

You don't business with them before?

Definitely a cheaper price than DroPros, for what looks to be the same head unit.


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## wallyw

DoogieB said:


> You know the rules around here, pics or it didn't happen!   Everyone likes to see new machines.
> 
> 
> 
> My thoughts and plans right now are on a good quality 3 axis DRO.
> 
> The quill travel on these machines isn't that much and I would rather use the knee for precision Z motion and just use the quill for drill press actions.  I'm not even planning on a simple battery-operated DRO for the quill as I want to keep the stop.  Of course, if you can keep the stop and still use a simple LCD DRO then it might be more appealing.



I'm he old guy behind the camera.  Son and his buddy helping.  Just as soon as I get the Grizzly power feed working will install DRO PRO 3 axis.    Use the Z on the quill.  With DRO I don't think I really need a stop.


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## Dman1114

I'll use the glass scales
 on the knee...

The quill I bought a 6 "absolute igage. 

Actually bought 2.... the other is going on my lathe for the tailstock quill


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## wallyw

Dman1114 said:


> I'll use the glass scales
> on the knee...
> 
> The quill I bought a 6 "absolute igage.
> 
> Actually bought 2.... the other is going on my lathe for the tailstock quill


I put
now.  Excellent.  Put Igaing on the tailstock.  Works fine.  On my G0704


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## wallyw

I used DROPRO on my lathe 4 years ago.  Love it.  Put Igaging on tailstock.  Works fine.  # axis Igaging Absolute DRO on my G0704.  Very satisfied with the accuracy.

On the new G0678 will put 3 Axis DROPro with Z on spindle.  Can't see any need for stops when I have DRO.


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## GarageGuy

Very nice looking mill!  Does it still have that new machine smell?    You should get a lot of enjoyment from working with it.

GG


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## wallyw

It's all trammed and bearing broke in.  In process of installing power feed. Thanks.


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## DoogieB

I've had some requests for some spindle pictures so I took a few while I had the drive belt off.




There's no spindle lock on this mill.  You first insert your R8 tooling into the spindle and screw the drawbar into it until you catch enough threads, then you turn the nut down to draw the tooling tight into the spindle while holding the drawbar at the top like this:




To loosen the collet or remove the tooling, you just hold the drawbar from turning at the top and turn the nut the other way.

This works well enough, but when you have both hands tied-up with wrenches and the collet decides to immediate open-up when you release the pressure the chuck or whatever that is in the collet can end-up bouncing off the floor.  That sucks.  I've seen a couple of mods to add spindle lock to these machines and I might look into one if the current setup turns into a hassle.

By the way, you will see plenty of mentions in the manual for a 19mm wrench.  For all intents and purposes, a 3/4" and a 19mm wrench are the same thing.  According to Google 19mm = .748"  I measured the almost cherry Craftsman wrenches in my main toolbox:

19mm Wrench - .753"
3/4" Wrench - .748"

Close enough.  While I only have a few 19mm wrenches, I have plenty of 3/4" wrenches, enough to dedicate a few to this machine.


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## wallyw

I opted for the lazy man solution.  Bought a cheap 40mm spanner from Amazon to fit the two flats milled on the bottom of the spindle.


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## tomh

*When you install  / use the power feed be very careful.* 
When  you lower the table and traverse it to the left the PF will hit the green pan/shield.
*Also*  if  you move the table to the left and  lower it  the power feed will come down on top of the green pan/shield possibly hitting  the gear on bottom of the power feed.

I did this on my G0730,  dodging the bullet both times I decided to remove that problematic shield  as it just became  a catch all and a nuisance. My thinking is that it will be easier to sweep up chips than replace/repair a power feed. 
Tomh


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## DoogieB

tomh said:


> *When you install / use the power feed be very careful.*
> When you lower the table and traverse it to the left the PF will hit the green pan/shield.
> *Also* if you move the table to the left and lower it the power feed will come down on top of the green pan/shield possibly hitting the gear on bottom of the power feed.



Now that you mention it, I could see that being a problem as the green pan seems to be twice as tall compared to Dman1114's older mill.

Since I don't plan to run coolant I don't think I'll miss it.  Thanks for mentioning this.


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## wallyw

Thanks for the info on the green shield/powerfeed.  How do you remove it?  Cut it off?


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## bri_man57

Just got one of these myself!  Nice Mill, looking forward to see how your DRO install goes on this!


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## wallyw

wallyw said:


> Thanks for the info on the green shield/powerfeed.  How do you remove it?  Cut it off?



Found out last night that the rear panel of the green shield just slides out so you can   Just remove the rest by pulling out the front.  Powerfeed only interferes about 1.5" from bottom limit of Z.  Once I'm finished installing DRO believe I will block movement below that mark and re-install shield.


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## wallyw

bri_man57 said:


> Just got one of these myself!  Nice Mill, looking forward to see how your DRO install goes on this!



Here's some pics:













Zaxis 4



__ wallyw
__ Dec 9, 2015


















Zaxis 3



__ wallyw
__ Dec 9, 2015


















Zaxis 2



__ wallyw
__ Dec 9, 2015


















Zaxis 1



__ wallyw
__ Dec 9, 2015






Been a bit of a challenge as there is about a 2 degree slope on side of the mill.  Using sine bar and a little trig think I've just about got it.  I'm installing the EL-400 3 Axis from DROPRO.


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## Silverbullet

Wouldn't take much to make a brake on the top , an up right piece strong enough to mount a band around the top of that pulley . Pop rivet a couple brake shoes to it. Then hook either a lever or a cable bike lever remote mount. Yupp new tool invention to add on , here ya go


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## M1200AK

I would hate to accidentally leave a wrench on the top of the spindle and turn the mill on.


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## DoogieB

bri_man57 said:


> Just got one of these myself! Nice Mill, looking forward to see how your DRO install goes on this!



Welcome to the club!  Information was a little sparse on these mills in this forum, but it's filling-in nicely.

It's going to be awhile until I install a DRO on my mill, but it looks like Wally is doing some nice work on his installation.  It's always interesting to see how different people approach the same problem.



Silverbullet said:


> Wouldn't take much to make a brake on the top , an up right piece strong enough to mount a band around the top of that pulley . Pop rivet a couple brake shoes to it. Then hook either a lever or a cable bike lever remote mount. Yupp new tool invention to add on , here ya go



Another way to do it is drill 4 holes in the flat piece above the pulley and use a a spring-loaded pin attached to a upright piece that when released will enter a hole and stop the pulley.  Doubleboost on Youtube has something like this on his mill.  The advantage of this setup is that it's completely hands-free when engaged.  The disadvantage is that you have to remove to pull the pin out when you are done.


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## Dman1114

Looking Good!!!   Mine is sitting on the bench I'm still in the planning process....

Thanks for the Pics wally...


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## randyjaco

That is way too clean. It definitely needs to be used. Enjoy 
Randy


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## wallyw

Don't need a brake on the spindle.  Look at the bottom of spindle.  2 flats 40mm apart.  I bought a 40mm spanner from Amazon for about $10.  Little tight so tok a light file cut on each side of the spanner.  Works great!


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## bri_man57

wallyw said:


> Here's some pics:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Zaxis 4
> 
> 
> 
> __ wallyw
> __ Dec 9, 2015
> 
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> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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> 
> 
> Zaxis 3
> 
> 
> 
> __ wallyw
> __ Dec 9, 2015
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Zaxis 2
> 
> 
> 
> __ wallyw
> __ Dec 9, 2015
> 
> 
> 
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> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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> 
> 
> 
> 
> Zaxis 1
> 
> 
> 
> __ wallyw
> __ Dec 9, 2015
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Been a bit of a challenge as there is about a 2 degree slope on side of the mill.  Using sine bar and a little trig think I've just about got it.  I'm installing the EL-400 3 Axis from DROPRO.



Apparently I'm so new so I dont have permission to view media, let me post a little more and see if it populates 



DoogieB said:


> Welcome to the club!  Information was a little sparse on these mills in this forum, but it's filling-in nicely.
> 
> It's going to be awhile until I install a DRO on my mill, but it looks like Wally is doing some nice work on his installation.  It's always interesting to see how different people approach the same problem.



Thanks!  It's definitely a nice Taiwanese Mill, I'm in the setup phase right now, just got leveling mounts for it and then I want to tackle the DRO sooner than later.  I have one, just a little intimidated by the install. 

When
 researching, I didn't find a ton of information on this mill, but everything I found was positive and apparently somewhere there is a strong following for this guy.  Haven't found it yet.


----------



## wallyw

After putzing around for 5 days succeeded in getting Z axis installed on the knee.  Had some paint come off.  Guess I'll call Grizzly for some touch up paint.


----------



## DoogieB

I recently finished installing an X power feed on the G0678 mill and I took a bunch of pictures.




This power feed came from Enco when they had their latest sale.  It's marked made in Taiwan, seems nicely made and was $225 shipped which is a pretty good deal.




Here's the stock hand wheel and dial arrangement on the G0678 mill.  This mill is a bit different then it's other 6x26 cousins in that the dial rests on the hand wheel.  Also the leadscrew is threaded on the end and a nut helps fasten the hand wheel in addition to the wheel's setscrew on the key.




This is what's left after removing the handwheel nut and setscrew, the dial and two socket-head screws to remove the collar.  The diameter of the larger part of the leadscrew towards the left is .786.  The power feed needle bearings and race rest on this part of the leadscrew.




The kit contains shims and a spacer, but I needed a longer one.  Sometimes the mill makes parts for the lathe and sometimes the lathe makes parts for the mill.  It's the shop circle of life. 



The spacer I made is on the left.  The race of the needle bearing is now flush with the end of the larger part of the leadscrew.




And here's the power feed sitting on the leadscrew.  I didn't have to drill or widen any holes, the ones on the mill and the power feed lined-up.  For now, the power feed is attached with two metric hex head bolts.   If the feed loosens-up and moves around, I will drill two additional holes in the mill for roll pins.

I believe the narrow keyway is 1/8" as the first one I picked out of the assortment fit.  The keyway is the same width on the leadscrew and the brass bevel gear.

You set the backlash between the bevel gear and bevel pinion with shims.  Don't bind the gears-up or you will eventually burn out the feed which isn't explained very well in the almost useless manual.




The brass bevel gear is way too long.  This is the FIRST cut I did on the gear using the lathe.  I used the parting tool until I hit the keyway, then a hacksaw to finish the cut.  I was a bit worried at first about banging-up the teeth on the gear, but didn't have any troubles.  You don't need to crank the chuck down that hard as you are only cutting brass.  When the bevel gear is the correct length it should touch the installed hand wheel as this is what holds it against the pinion.




And here it is finished!  NOT.  Dang it.  The power feed is where it needs to be at the left and so is the hand wheel on the right.  You can't slide the wheel in any more as there's only so much thread at the end of the shaft for the nut and of course you also have the hand wheel key.  The dial rests on the wheel so that can't move to the left either.

This one had me stumped for a bit, but I figured it out.  The kit gives you a knurled steel collar that threads onto the brass bevel gear.  On many installs the dials goes on and then the threaded collar.  That's not going to work here but the collar is useful to fit inside the dial as a rest.  Luckily it's diameter is a more than needed.




I didn't feel like threading an arbor for this, so I just turned down an aluminium round and pressed the collar onto it, threads and all.  It actually worked well, when I was done I pressed it off and cleaned out the collar's threads with a wire brush.  No harm, no foul.




And here's the collar threaded onto the brass bevel gear.  It was set into place with the hobby machinist's friend, red loctite.




And then the dial goes on next




And then the hand wheel.  I turned a spacer out of aluminium that was inserted onto the hand wheel where the dial used to be.  It keeps the dial from wandering left and right as well as looking better.




I still need to install the limit switch junk, but all the heavy lifting of power feed installation is completed.  It wasn't a hard job, but there was a lot of fitting to get everything just right.


----------



## wallyw

DoogieB said:


> I recently finished installing an X power feed on the G0678 mill and I took a bunch of pictures.
> 
> View attachment 116360
> 
> 
> This power feed came from Enco when they had their latest sale.  It's marked made in Taiwan, seems nicely made and was $225 shipped which is a pretty good deal.
> 
> View attachment 116361
> 
> 
> Here's the stock hand wheel and dial arrangement on the G0678 mill.  This mill is a bit different then it's other 6x26 cousins in that the dial rests on the hand wheel.  Also the leadscrew is threaded on the end and a nut helps fasten the hand wheel in addition to the wheel's setscrew on the key.
> 
> View attachment 116362
> 
> 
> This is what's left after removing the handwheel nut and setscrew, the dial and two socket-head screws to remove the collar.  The diameter of the larger part of the leadscrew towards the left is .786.  The power feed needle bearings and race rest on this part of the leadscrew.
> 
> View attachment 116363
> 
> 
> The kit contains shims and a spacer, but I needed a longer one.  Sometimes the mill makes parts for the lathe and sometimes the lathe makes parts for the mill.  It's the shop circle of life.
> View attachment 116364
> 
> 
> The spacer I made is on the left.  The race of the needle bearing is now flush with the end of the larger part of the leadscrew.
> 
> View attachment 116365
> 
> 
> And here's the power feed sitting on the leadscrew.  I didn't have to drill or widen any holes, the ones on the mill and the power feed lined-up.  For now, the power feed is attached with two metric hex head bolts.   If the feed loosens-up and moves around, I will drill two additional holes in the mill for roll pins.
> 
> I believe the narrow keyway is 1/8" as the first one I picked out of the assortment fit.  The keyway is the same width on the leadscrew and the brass bevel gear.
> 
> You set the backlash between the bevel gear and bevel pinion with shims.  Don't bind the gears-up or you will eventually burn out the feed which isn't explained very well in the almost useless manual.
> 
> View attachment 116366
> 
> 
> The brass bevel gear is way too long.  This is the FIRST cut I did on the gear using the lathe.  I used the parting tool until I hit the keyway, then a hacksaw to finish the cut.  I was a bit worried at first about banging-up the teeth on the gear, but didn't have any troubles.  You don't need to crank the chuck down that hard as you are only cutting brass.  When the bevel gear is the correct length it should touch the installed hand wheel as this is what holds it against the pinion.
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 116367
> 
> 
> And here it is finished!  NOT.  Dang it.  The power feed is where it needs to be at the left and so is the hand wheel on the right.  You can't slide the wheel in any more as there's only so much thread at the end of the shaft for the nut and of course you also have the hand wheel key.  The dial rests on the wheel so that can't move to the left either.
> 
> This one had me stumped for a bit, but I figured it out.  The kit gives you a knurled steel collar that threads onto the brass bevel gear.  On many installs the dials goes on and then the threaded collar.  That's not going to work here but the collar is useful to fit inside the dial as a rest.  Luckily it's diameter is a more than needed.
> 
> View attachment 116368
> 
> 
> I didn't feel like threading an arbor for this, so I just turned down an aluminium round and pressed the collar onto it, threads and all.  It actually worked well, when I was done I pressed it off and cleaned out the collar's threads with a wire brush.  No harm, no foul.
> 
> View attachment 116369
> 
> 
> And here's the collar threaded onto the brass bevel gear.  It was set into place with the hobby machinist's friend, red loctite.
> 
> View attachment 116370
> 
> 
> And then the dial goes on next
> 
> View attachment 116371
> 
> 
> And then the hand wheel.  I turned a spacer out of aluminium that was inserted onto the hand wheel where the dial used to be.  It keeps the dial from wandering left and right as well as looking better.
> 
> View attachment 116372
> 
> 
> I still need to install the limit switch junk, but all the heavy lifting of power feed installation is completed.  It wasn't a hard job, but there was a lot of fitting to get everything just right.




Job well done!  Mine works fine.  On mine I had to get some 3mm key stock for a perfect fit.  I'm working on a spacer to pretty things up a bit.  Busy now installing 3 axis DRO Pro.  Not likely to use the dial any way


----------



## wrmiller

Dials? We don't need no stinkin' dials!


----------



## David VanNorman

Good neat job.


----------



## Dman1114

I put the limit switch stuff on mine....  But i think I'm gonna take it off.    I have to put the Dro scale there.... don't wanna loose the room in the back.

where do u plan to put your scale?


----------



## Silverbullet

Dman1114 said:


> I put the limit switch stuff on mine....  But i think I'm gonna take it off.    I have to put the Dro scale there.... don't wanna loose the room in the back.
> 
> where do u plan to put your scale?


Put it in the bathroom like everyone else,ha ha.


----------



## coolidge

Very clean install I like it.


----------



## wallyw

Dman1114 said:


> I put the limit switch stuff on mine....  But i think I'm gonna take it off.    I have to put the Dro scale there.... don't wanna loose the room in the back.
> 
> where do u plan to put your scale?



I felt the same way about loosing some Y on the back.  Mounted my vice with the fixed jaw pushed back so that it was just under center of spindle.  Found out that the vice stuck out further than any scale/read head.  Those limit switches are very important so I installed them Adjusted so no damage to powerfeed could occur.  I'll put the X axis scale across the back.

Wally


----------



## DoogieB

Dman1114 said:


> I put the limit switch stuff on mine....  But i think I'm gonna take it off.    I have to put the Dro scale there.... don't wanna loose the room in the back.
> 
> where do u plan to put your scale?



I spent extra time and money to find a vise with very little overhand on the back of the table so the last thing I'll do is put the scale back there.

The RF45 mills have the same issue with the X scale, so if you search around you can find several ideas.  My tentative plan is to put the scale on some risers on the front, but you probably need to re-engineer the factory switch setup to take up less space (width).  Don't forget you need to access the table locks.

I don't believe eliminating the power feed limit switches on a mill is that big a deal, after all with a lathe you have a much greater chance of striking the chuck with the compound or crashing the lathe while threading to a shoulder if you are a clumsy idiot.  Both of these will do more damage than stripping the pinion gear in the feed.  Nevertheless, with some time I think I can get the limit switches installed and not be in the way of the upcoming DRO installation.

By the way, that DRO installation for me is going to be several months in the future as I have some projects I want to finish as well as just doing something besides working on machinery.  Besides, that will give me plenty of time to check-out what you guys come-up with.


----------



## DoogieB

Since it turned out to be a relatively easy job, I installed the limit switch for the mill today so the feed install is now complete.

After removing the center limit block from the table, I took the factory switch plate and made it flat, cut some of the top off and then drilled and tapped new holes for the switch box.




The feed kit has spring-loaded stops to protect the switch box from over-travel but they are large and unnecessary with this small mill.  In the picture I ran the table into the limit switch at full balls-out speed and there is still travel in the switch.  Also, the table has overtravel stops that work against the knee so if you set the adjustable limit stops correctly, when the switch bottoms-out the table overtravel stop will help save the switch box.

Actually got to make some chips with the mill today and I really enjoyed having the power feed.  It's a labor saver and a really nice upgrade.


----------



## wallyw

DoogieB said:


> Since it turned out to be a relatively easy job, I installed the limit switch for the mill today so the feed install is now complete.
> 
> After removing the center limit block from the table, I took the factory switch plate and made it flat, cut some of the top off and then drilled and tapped new holes for the switch box.
> 
> View attachment 116511
> 
> 
> The feed kit has spring-loaded stops to protect the switch box from over-travel but they are large and unnecessary with this small mill.  In the picture I ran the table into the limit switch at full balls-out speed and there is still travel in the switch.  Also, the table has overtravel stops that work against the knee so if you set the adjustable limit stops correctly, when the switch bottoms-out the table overtravel stop will help save the switch box.
> 
> Actually got to make some chips with the mill today and I really enjoyed having the power feed.  It's a labor saver and a really nice upgrade.



Very nicely done!

Wally


----------



## coolidge

Dman1114 said:


> I put the limit switch stuff on mine....  But i think I'm gonna take it off.    I have to put the Dro scale there.... don't wanna loose the room in the back.
> 
> where do u plan to put your scale?



I'm mounting my X scale on the front to avoid losing Y travel, plus I retained use of the limit switch and table stops. Its not my intention to hijack the OP's thread here, but just to give you guys some ideas since I'm in the middle of this install.

In this pic I have mounted my scale to some 2.5 inch x .5 inch aluminum bar, turned a couple of brass spacers on my lathe, and ordered some stainless T nuts for the front of the table from McMastercarr.



Here you see how I have mounted the scale forward from the front of the table with the brass spacers, providing room for the limit switch and table stops.



Here is the first part of the bracket for the scale read head, this bolts on over the top of the limit switch using the same holes.



Here you see the bracket bolted in place, this brings me out just beyond the surface of the scale. Next I'll make a bracket that goes up, allowing adjustment up/down, then a bracket that the read head will bolt to that will adjust in/out and I'm done. Note I had to machine a channel in the bottom of this bracket for the limit switch cable. Anyway again just giving you guys some ideas.


----------



## coolidge

Doogie if you like the X power feed consider power feeds for Y and Z. I installed all three and love it. The Z power feed is slow enough that you can adjust Z as slow as .001 per second. Except for drilling or plunge hogging I have locked my quill into place and use the Z power feed to adjust depth as I'm machining.


----------



## DoogieB

That's a great install, Coolidge!  I'm always looking for clear pictures of scale installs for ideas.


----------



## coolidge

I wrapped up the X scale read head brackets this weekend, I machined the back side of the bracket to get it close then shimmed .025 to get the proper clearance between the read head and the scale, the kit includes a plastic .017 strip you put between the read head and scale to adjust to the right clearance then pull out the strip.

So this bracket adjusts in/out via shims which required some accurate measuring and machining but this kept the bracket compact and tight. I had intended to make a three piece bracket where the top piece would adjust in/out via a slotted channel but I found that would have stuck out quite a bit farther.

Again this is just to give you guys some ideas on a front X scale install vs a rear.


----------



## wallyw

coolidge said:


> I wrapped up the X scale read head brackets this weekend, I machined the back side of the bracket to get it close then shimmed .025 to get the proper clearance between the read head and the scale, the kit includes a plastic .017 strip you put between the read head and scale to adjust to the right clearance then pull out the strip.
> 
> So this bracket adjusts in/out via shims which required some accurate measuring and machining but this kept the bracket compact and tight. I had intended to make a three piece bracket where the top piece would adjust in/out via a slotted channel but I found that would have stuck out quite a bit farther.
> 
> Again this is just to give you guys some ideas on a front X scale install vs a rear.






Very well done!  I'm finishing up my Y axis.  Only left with X.  Looking at your beautiful install I may rethink mounting to the front.

BTW can you describe and name your power Z?

Wally


----------



## coolidge

All three of my power feeds are Align brand purchased at Enco.


----------



## DoogieB

Hey Coolidge, from where did you buy your DRO?


----------



## DoogieB

Just wanted to post a picture of the G0678 mill using a slitting saw.  It wouldn't have hurt to run the blade a bit slower, but I just wanted to show the mill working fine under a light load at a relatively slow speed.  The VFD really works well on this machine.  It's so nice to just dial-in the speed you need without moving belts or shifting gears.  Spot the hole at one speed, drill at another and change it again to de-burr with a reamer.  Sweet.




There's no screaming cooling fan on the VFD either.  Apparently the cast column functions pretty well as a heat sink, although I have yet to pull the panel and take a peek back in there.


----------



## DoogieB

It's been awhile since I posted anything on the G0678 mill as I've just been using it for various projects.  I just did a small mod/upgrade and thought that it might be interesting for other mill owners so here it is.

I like using stops for repetitive operations and one on the quill can come in very handy.  Unfortunately, like most mills and drill presses the stop is just a knurled nut and it can take quite a few twists to get it into position.  Quick adjusting nuts are available, but almost all of them are for SAE threads and all the threads on this mill are metric.  The project is to make a new threaded rod for a quick-adjust stop nut.  It's a simple single-point threading job on the lathe and they are always fun.

During the last big Enco sale I bought a Morton Quick adjust quill stop (#1220-S). 

http://workholdingcomponents.mortonmachine.com/viewitems/workholding-components-nuts/quill-stops-1?

It's nicely manufactured and made in the USA.  This stop is for 1/2-20 threads.




Here we are trying the stop on the freshly-turned 1/2-20 threads.  You push a button in on the side of the stop to slide it up and down the threads.  When you release the button, it snaps into the threads and you can turn the stop normally using the markings for further positioning.




The mill is getting into the action by cutting a screw slot into the bottom of the newly threaded  rod.  Also got to use my brand new collet block and ER collets.  Sweet!

The bottom of the rod is screwed into the head casting.  The threads in the casting were, thankfully, a really coarse SAE thread, I think 11 TPI.




And now it's all together, with the stop in the parked position the whole way down at the bottom.  I used blueing on the threaded rod for some corrosion protection and to match the rest of the hardware.




The stop is now pushed up against the quill dog.  It works perfectly and it looks nice.


----------



## Silverbullet

Nice job, always great to make your machine work better then it's made to do. My wife would kill me but I'd sure like to buy a mill just like yours . Hope you take care of it and it will work well for many years. Are thinking of making a riser block like the bridgeports do?  I watch lots of YouTube , double boost from England made one on his raised his I think 5 1/2" . He's up to about the size of a regular mill I think. God I hate being disabled and living below the poverty level. Some times I just hate living. Any way I love your upgrades , I'm trying to make my own for my HF drill mill. got some wiper and door window motors in 12 volt. Have fun and be careful play safe.


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## DoogieB

Yeah,  I was watching Doubleboost videos before I even bought my SB lathe.  Great stuff!  I've learned a lot from that "mechanic pissing about".

The G0678 mill basically has a riser block from the factory with it's tall column.  I believe Doubleboost's mill plus a riser is a bit taller, but not much.  If you need more Z space than this mill can offer, you really should start looking at a "pocket Bridgeport" like Coolidge has shown to get the heavier frame and more features.

There's no doubt about it that this ain't a cheap hobby.  The mill and it's vise and are about the only major new things I've bought for the shop.


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## BGHansen

I made a riser block for my (similar) Jet JVM-830 mill from a 6" long length of (I think) an 8" round.  It gives me about 18" max distance from the spindle to the table.  Very nice when using a dividing head vertically with a drill chuck in the spindle.  You can see the riser between the drill chuck and lamp.

Bruce


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## tomh

doogie
WARNING 
Be very careful when you have the table lowered and moving to the left, the power feed will hit the green splash shield.   Also when you have the table moved to the left when lowering the table  the bottom of the power feed will hit  the splash shield also. After doing this twice  and nearly damaging the gear on the bottom of  the power feed I removed the green shield.


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## DoogieB

Yeah, Jet sold many of these type of mills, probably more than Grizzly back in the day.  The maximum spindle-to-table height of the G0678 is 20 inches which is similar to your Jet mill with a riser.  Even with my small-sized projects, the extra table height comes in handy when you starting using big drill chucks or dividing heads.



tomh said:


> Be very careful when you have the table lowered and moving to the left, the power feed will hit the green splash shield.



Yup, you are exactly right.  I haven't had the table low enough that it's going to hit the splash shield yet, but it's been close.  Since it really doesn't serve any practical purpose for me I think I'll remove it this weekend.


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## Tom Tompkins

After a 1000 miles, six months of CL look see disappointments, last week I drove up to Grizzly Billingham, WA and had a G0678 follow me back home. Four pieces of black pipe, two hours of messing with a come alone (up hill driveway) I was finally able to roll this little gem off a u-haul trailer and into my garage. Now the fun and question start. I am new to this forum and will be asking for help.
So far I really like the quality of the mill but had to ask Grizzly Tech for help regarding the gibs misalignment.


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## wrmiller

Nice Mill Tom. 

Other than maybe being a bit loose, what was wrong with your gibs? You need to start your own setup thread with lots of pics. We love pics.


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## Tom Tompkins

wrmiller said:


> Nice Mill Tom.
> 
> Other than maybe being a bit loose, what was wrong with your gibs? You need to start your own setup thread with lots of pics. We love pics.


----------



## Tom Tompkins

wrmiller said:


> Nice Mill Tom.
> 
> Other than maybe being a bit loose, what was wrong with your gibs? You need to start your own setup thread with lots of pics. We love pics.


Seemed that the gibs never where seated.


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## Tom Tompkins

Looks like I better learn how to use this forum and rotate photos.


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## Silverbullet

Tom Tompkins said:


> After a 1000 miles, six months of CL look see disappointments, last week I drove up to Grizzly Billingham, WA and had a G0678 follow me back home. Four pieces of black pipe, two hours of messing with a come alone (up hill driveway) I was finally able to roll this little gem off a u-haul trailer and into my garage. Now the fun and question start. I am new to this forum and will be asking for help.
> So far I really like the quality of the mill but had to ask Grizzly Tech for help regarding the gibs misalignment.
> 
> View attachment 128004


Livin large man livin large ,yupp in my opinion this mill is about the most perfect size for the small shop. if you could get it with a 40" table it would be absolutely perfect. On the  alibaba dealer site I recieved some offers on some mills the prices were cheap but the shipping arrangements I never got  to in my looking. One of the companies there offered longer tables on the smaller mills at a very minimum charge. I almost bought one but our financeses took a giant hit this year so no go. but someday I'll have the mill of my dreams to . So I'm glad you have the perfect mill ,now make some chips but take good care of her and she will last dang near forever. Good luck it's great ,remember saftey first but have fun.


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## Ironken

Tom Tompkins said:


> Seemed that the gibs never where seated.
> 
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> View attachment 128006
> View attachment 128007



I have a G0695 with a messed up way wiper just like yours. Total noob question here.....what would I be looking for to verify that my gibs are seated?


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## tmarks11

Tom Tompkins said:


> Seemed that the gibs never where seated.


Looking at the pictures, I am not really sure why you are concluding that.  Does the table wiggle when you pull it back an forth?


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## DoogieB

It's kinda hard to tell from your pictures, but if all that was wrong with your mill was loose gibs than you got a good one.  Adjusting the gibs, along with tramming the head to the table, is one of those final adjustments the owner is expected to do.

The gibs exist to take-up the slack in the dovetails.  If they are too tight, you wear the dovetails excessively.  If they are too loose, the table flops around in the breeze.  This is something you need to take some time with and get right, but the good news is that after they are adjusted that setting should be good for a long time.  Assuming, of course, you use the oiler regularly.

The general approach that is mentioned in the manual is to tighten the gibs with the adjustment screws until you feel some resistance and then lock them in place.  This is usually fine, but my mill had plenty of sticky Chinese cosmoline built-up around gibs and dovetails which was making the adjustment process tedious.  I had to pull the gibs and clean them on the workbench with solvent.  The dovetails were cleaned as best a I could with solvent, Vactra from the oil pump and moving the table back and forth to loosen-up the gunk as I didn't want to pull the table off.  In the end, it might have been easier to just pull the table anyway but I got it in decent shape in-place.

When adjusting the gibs, as an aid I used a dial indicator to help measure the slop in the dovetail.  Basically, you lock-up the other gibs and pull and push the table to see how much play is in the gib/dovetail you are adjusting.  I dug back into my camera's memory card and found some old pictures I took of the setup I used back then.










You can see I moved the table to one edge for more leverage.  And yes, it would have gone easier if I had pulled the vise, but I am a lazy bastard at heart.

The gibs were adjusted with the indicator until there was under .001 of slop and then the final gib setting was done by feeling the amount drag at the wheels.  The indicator doesn't supply an absolute measurement, it's only tells the difference between one gib setting to another.  If the wheel feels tight and you still see slop on the indicator, you have a problem.  Plan on moving the table, saddle and knee to both extents and back again quite a few times.  Take your time and do it right as you will be living with these settings for awhile.

Tramming the head to the table is basically the same as any other vertical mill and doesn't need explaining.  You can and almost certainly will need to adjust the "nod" of the head  and you do that by shimming between the head and column.  It's a touchy process and you will need a brass shim pack from some place like Enco as you might need the .0015 increment.  I actually had to come back to this at a later date because after I bought a 2" face mill I found I was getting ridges when making multiple passes cleaning-up a AL plate.  After changing the shim(s) from .0025 to .002 it went away.  You can see where I shimmed in this picture (red arrow).  Later on I trimmed-off the excess.




And as a bonus here's a picture of checking the tram with the old Starrett 196.




The needle barely moves on this .001 indicator when swung around and that's what was needed with the face mill.  The 196 isn't the most precise indicator, but the big button on the back sure makes it handy for this job.   The long rod from the collet is to to keep the table at the typical Z position.  The quill, saddle and knee were locked.


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## scwhite

DoogieB said:


> A little more about the mill.
> 
> The G0678 is cousin of the 6x26 class of mills which are a knockoff/update of the Clausing 8520/30 family.  These mills have been imported from Asia for a long time now for several different retailers.  The 6x26, while having a few improvements from the Clausing like an R8 spindle, shares one of the problems of it's ancestor with a short spindle-to-table distance. Riser blocks are a common upgrade for this mill.
> 
> The 8x30 mills like the G0678, along with a slightly larger table, have the riser block function achieved by a different column/base.  The maximum spindle-to-table distance of this mill is 20 inches compared to 12  inches for Grizzly's 6x26 model.
> 
> All the extra cast iron pushes the weight of this mill to just a hair under 1000 pounds.  This mill was made in Taiwan.
> 
> A great feature of the G0678 is the 3-phase motor and speed control with a Yaskawa VFD.
> 
> View attachment 114362
> 
> 
> As you can see, power transfer doesn't get much simpler: 1 belt and you don't ever need to touch it.
> 
> View attachment 114363
> 
> 
> Here's the control panel, the red button is the spindle on/off button.  At first I thought it was a little weird to use an emergency shut-off button as the off, but I guess it doesn't really matter.  When your first plug-in the machine there's no visual indication on the panel of power until you twist the red button and then the pilot light on the left lights.  Then when you press the green button, a relay snaps in the column where the VFD is located, the digital speed display activates and the mill starts running.  Speed is selected by turning the knob and this setting sticks from one session to another.  Direction control is via the knob just left of the display.
> 
> According to the manual, the speed range of the mill is 200-2250 RPM.  This isn't true, as it's actually 0-2250 RPM.  I almost had a heart attack when I first plugged it in and it didn't run because the knob was parked at the left stop.   Initially I was worried about low-end torque with this setup.  No worries.  One of the first tests of the mill was drilling with a 3/4" taper bit.  No issues, tons of torque and the bit went right through. I've done some other screwing around with larger end mills and I'm pretty sure there's plenty of power for what the mill can handle.
> 
> With no gears in the drive train and a 3-phase motor, this mill is really quiet and smooth.  VFD's totally rock!
> 
> View attachment 114364
> 
> 
> Here's a picture showing the one-shot oiler while I was screwing around the gibs.  At first my major complaint with the mill was that some of the plastic oil lines were weeping, but after some work refastening the lines they seemed to have gotten better.  Compared to my old SB lathe there's practically no maintenance on this machine.
> 
> Fit and finish on these imported machines seems to vary a great deal, but I've been pretty pleased with the G0678.  I've had the mill for a month now and I've been pretty much been all over it with my Last Word indicator (.0005) and I can't find anything really wrong with it.  Obviously you need to do the usual cleaning, setup and tramming and I spent awhile just working with the gibs.  One thing that did need adjusted was the nod which ended-up being a simple fix with some shim stock between the column and head.  There's a few cosmetic scratches on the table, but it moves smoothly in all directions.  There's probably a few other things I can't think of right now but nothing that makes me feel I have to contact customer support.
> 
> Wrapping-up, I'm pretty happy to finally have a mill.  Right now I'm planning on just settling-in and using the mill as-is for awhile, but future upgrade plans include a 3-axis DRO and x-axis power feed.


I think you made a good choice 
That mill will do anything you want to do


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## Ironken

wallyw said:


> Job well done!  Mine works fine.  On mine I had to get some 3mm key stock for a perfect fit.  I'm working on a spacer to pretty things up a bit.  Busy now installing 3 axis DRO Pro.  Not likely to use the dial any way



I know this is a waaaay old thread but, I ordered this graduated dial from Grizz. Power feed was a direct bolt on deal with the dial along with the dial being graduated correctly for the leadscrew pitch. The part number is in the video description. Also, I scrapped the chip pan.


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## Jbar

Dman1114 said:


> So i Just Ordered me up My dro tonight... http://www.aliexpress.com/item/High...xis-digital-readout-and-3-pcs/1556577283.html
> 
> seems like a great deal....  I was going to get the TPAC do but i figure i save the extra bucks    and get the 1 um scales ....  i can use that money toward my VFD conversion.
> 
> I would like a dro on the Quill so i will probably order a Igage setup and adapt it.    I also wanna get one for my tailstock on the lathe....


How do you like this DRO?


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