Info needed for installing/setting up pm940m

[Sticks]

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If you are looking for gauges to tram your mill I would suggest https://www.amazon.com/SST-Mini-Lat...hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4583451676256931&psc=1 ...

I would spend the $10 and get the next size larger. SST 6" More accurate, and a 1" travel vs the .25 on the smaller one and better resolution.

Yes, @tim81 you are going to spend a lot of coin on tooling. Vice(s) cutters, collets, adapters, clamps, bore gauges, micrometers,...If you are going the cheap route with Chi-com tools and what not, make sure you verify the return policy, and check everything out thoroughly when you get it, primarily runout with anything that is going to be mounted to the quill or a quill collet.

I have a 6" vise that had .012 in Z across the base between jaws and .004 in Z at full open. I milled the base flat with the fixed jaw as the refrence, then a .001 skim off the top between jaws to get it usable for my needs. Still has a fair bit of lift when I clamp down but I can get around that.

 

[tim81]

I would spend the $10 and get the next size larger. SST 6" More accurate, and a 1" travel vs the .25 on the smaller one and better resolution.

Yes, @tim81 you are going to spend a lot of coin on tooling. Vice(s) cutters, collets, adapters, clamps, bore gauges, micrometers,...If you are going the cheap route with Chi-com tools and what not, make sure you verify the return policy, and check everything out thoroughly when you get it, primarily runout with anything that is going to be mounted to the quill or a quill collet.

I have a 6" vise that had .012 in Z across the base between jaws and .004 in Z at full open. I milled the base flat, then a .001 skim off the top between jaws to get it usable for my needs. Still has a fair bit of lift when I clamp down but you can get around that.

Lol, I have a serious learning curve up ahead. I got some bundles with the milling machine for cutters boring etc. but on the instruments I am very light weight. The vise I have is harbor freight drill vice. And the usual bench top wises. I was thinking of using the clamps to the bed of the mill for initial work. I will use it mostly to clean casts so irregular fixtures might be the norm for me. The most important step logically to me now is to tram the milling machine ”hoping to be accurate enough as it is” . I also got a used lathe so I am thinking of making locking fixtures with it”don’t know how riding they will be”. But it’s part of the learning curve to learn what works and what does not.

Anyway I think I need at least a dial indicator 0.0005 or 0.0001 for tramming and the dual gauges for initial work and for other stuff. I got a used machinist square and a used 0.001 test dial indicator with the lathe so will try to use that one first. I got also a used 0.0005 test dial indicator but I don’t know if it’s broken. Will post pictures soon.

=Tim

 

[tim81]

Lol, I have a serious learning curve up ahead. I got some bundles with the milling machine for cutters boring etc. but on the instruments I am very light weight. The vise I have is harbor freight drill vice. And the usual bench top wises. I was thinking of using the clamps to the bed of the mill for initial work. I will use it mostly to clean casts so irregular fixtures might be the norm for me. The most important step logically to me now is to tram the milling machine ”hoping to be accurate enough as it is” . I also got a used lathe so I am thinking of making locking fixtures with it”don’t know how riding they will be”. But it’s part of the learning curve to learn what works and what does not.

Anyway I think I need at least a dial indicator 0.0005 or 0.0001 for tramming and the dual gauges for initial work and for other stuff. I got a used machinist square and a used 0.001 test dial indicator with the lathe so will try to use that one first. I got also a used 0.0005 test dial indicator but I don’t know if it’s broken. Will post pictures soon.

=Tim

I got these too. The 0.0005 tip is lose and wiggles a bit . I don’t know if it a feature or damage. I had them in my inner jacket pocket during transport”lack of proper box”

 

[tim81]

Here is the small video

 

[B2]

@tim81

Guys I read the tramming part for the milling machine and it says shims might be needed.

I meant so suggest that before you start adjusting your machine. You should learn to run it and get familiar with how well it works. Just make something, anything. In theory it was set up at the factory and should not be toooooo far off. So have a little fun first.

You know what they say: "Don't fix it if it isn't broken." "Measure twice, cut once." All just telling us to use some caution. Once you take something apart it seldom goes back exactly the same. Having said that , it is common that when I get something new, I take the cover off and look around before I ever use it!

 

[tim81]

@tim81


I meant so suggest that before you start adjusting your machine. You should learn to run it and get familiar with how well it works. Just make something, anything. In theory it was set up at the factory and should not be toooooo far off. So have a little fun first.

You know what they say: "Don't fix it if it isn't broken." "Measure twice, cut once." All just telling us to use some caution. Once you take something apart it seldom goes back exactly the same. Having said that , it is common that when I get something new, I take the cover off and look around before I ever use it!

Let’s hope it will be good enough for small work

 

[B2]

It will probably be fine. You may not even notice tram and squareness errors until you are tying to so something really precise. I did not even check my tram for a long time after I got my Mill. I found that the backlash in x, y or z motion was a much more important and was more problematic on my mill anyway. I hardly note being out of tram unless your are using a larger fly cutter. Even then for most of my work it does not bother me. But backlash is more of an issue. A set of drilled holes don't always match up to another piece of with drilled holes. To aovid this when drilling I try to always move toward each of the holes from the same starting reference point. That way all of the holes are miss located by the same amount if backlash! However, even this does not help if one is trying to mill a larger hole than the tool diameter via the CNC. One just has to live with an oval! I have learned that backlash can have many causes.

 

[tim81]

It will probably be fine. You may not even notice tram and squareness errors until you are tying to so something really precise. I did not even check my tram for a long time after I got my Mill. I found that the backlash in x, y or z motion was a much more important and was more problematic on my mill anyway. I hardly note being out of tram unless your are using a larger fly cutter. Even then for most of my work it does not bother me. But backlash is more of an issue. A set of drilled holes don't always match up to another piece of with drilled holes. To aovid this when drilling I try to always move toward each of the holes from the same starting reference point. That way all of the holes are miss located by the same amount if backlash! However, even this does not help if one is trying to mill a larger hole than the tool diameter via the CNC. One just has to live with an oval! I have learned that backlash can have many causes.

Wow man, thanks a lot. I started watching blondiehack videos on youtube. There are so many. She has a similar mill. I will definitely take it easy as I am to green to start something that might be bigger then me at this moment

 

[verbotenwhisky]

I would spend the $10 and get the next size larger. SST 6" More accurate, and a 1" travel vs the .25 on the smaller one and better resolution.

Yes, @tim81 you are going to spend a lot of coin on tooling. Vice(s) cutters, collets, adapters, clamps, bore gauges, micrometers,...If you are going the cheap route with Chi-com tools and what not, make sure you verify the return policy, and check everything out thoroughly when you get it, primarily runout with anything that is going to be mounted to the quill or a quill collet.

I have a 6" vise that had .012 in Z across the base between jaws and .004 in Z at full open. I milled the base flat with the fixed jaw as the refrence, then a .001 skim off the top between jaws to get it usable for my needs. Still has a fair bit of lift when I clamp down but I can get around that.

I agree on the 6", that is the one I have and when I grabbed the link I did not realize they made one smaller. I also have a tool I built to hold a DTI which provides a 12" swing from the quill center; but the SST tool had dialed it in dang near dead nuts..... (yes, I will use any measurement to avoid the metric system).

As far as the dial indicator goes, my point wasn't to not by that one, my point was if your budget is large enough to buy "one" now chose the one with greater travel as your first. If he buys the SST tool it will give him 2 very nice dial indicators, 1" travel x .0005 graduations, to use for other things as well, all he'll need then is a holder.

 

[tim81]

I will get it. As soon as the paycheck comes. what is needed is needed.