PM-727m New mill has arrived!

[Sloth2009]

After a few weeks making chips, last night I noticed that the 'Y' table has developed some slop in the y direction. I snugged down the backlash adjustment, but that didn't effect the slop. The play was the same.
Any suggestion on where to look for this new play?

I just adjusted mine... I pulled out both gib screws and lightly tapped the gib in farther from the front with a little piece of brass and hammer until the slide stiffened up. Replaced the screws and adjusted them until I got a reasonable balance between friction and tightness. Both screws should be tight when finished. You can adjust with just the screws but I found it hard to feel how tight the gib was. You can also use the table movement to slide gib in and out out if the screws are loosened up. Essentially you need to tighten the front screw and loosen the back screw to move the gib in and tighten the Y axis up.

 

[Sloth2009]

I just adjusted mine... I pulled out both gib screws and lightly tapped the gib in farther from the front with a little piece of brass and hammer until the slide stiffened up. Replaced the screws and adjusted them until I got a reasonable balance between friction and tightness. Both screws should be tight when finished. You can adjust with just the screws but I found it hard to feel how tight the gib was. You can also use the table movement to slide gib in and out out if the screws are loosened up. Essentially you need to tighten the front screw and loosen the back screw to move the gib in and tighten the Y axis up.

For the PM-727m, The Z-xis gib needs to move down to tighten. The X axis gib needs to move left to tighten. The Y axis gib needs to move towards the back of the machine to tighten. The gib is essentially just a wedge you drive inbetween the ways to take up non linear movement.

 

[TheGov]

Thanks for the info on adjusting the gibs...Found out what the real problem was though, the bolts that hold the lead screw nut to the saddle were holding on by tess than a thread.

 

[Sloth2009]

Thanks for the info on adjusting the gibs...Found out what the real problem was though, the bolts that hold the lead screw nut to the saddle were holding on by tess than a thread.

Glad you found the issue. Did you have to take both tables off to get to that?

 

[TheGov]

Glad you found the issue. Did you have to take both tables
Off to get to that?

Nope...just the X axis, (turns out I said Y when I really ment X...proof not to post while at work)

 

[Sloth2009]

A proof of concept. I bought a $12 flex coupler from Amazon. Ground a flat a magnetic screwdriver bit holder and voila'. I don't expect the coupler to last long. Its pretty light duty and would be better off being a solid piece. Better than hand cranking Z though.


Here is a link to the coupler:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06X99YYFJ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Sloth2009]

Has anyone used these Kodiak carbides? I've never bought $$$ end mills before so I hope they are worth it. If they turn out good I will probably pick up the square 4-flute set also.

 

[Sloth2009]

Quick and dirty end mill organizer. The wood is an ash wheel barrow handle you can by at any home improvement store or $12 or so. You could get a lot of these out of a handle. I had some left over from another project. Makes a pretty decent end mill and bit organizer.

 

[Sloth2009]

Newbie aluminum practice. I cut the narrow outside surfaces with a 3 insert inexible face mill. After failing to grind a HSS bit correctly, I used a carbide bit in a fly cutter with a right handed spin to cut the wide outside surfaces. I hogged out most of the center with a 3/4" corncob rougher. Then cleaned it up and made the cross with a 3/8" 2 flute HSS Pend mill. I then chamfered the top and bottem edges with a 3/8" ball nose carbide end mill.

 

[Sloth2009]

View attachment 230585 View attachment 230586 View attachment 230587 Being a retentive pharmacist, I ordered some teflon washers to fill the gap in the handle knobs. The click clack sound of my uneven rotation irritated me.

I found a better fix to the handle clicking. The screw shaft that the handle spins on protrudes slightly out the back. This shoulder was catching the teflon washers and tearing them up. I wanted something to just barely fit over the shoulder and still be fairly low friction. I measured the shoulder and ordered some copper crush washers from Amazon. When I installed them, I hit the screw shoulder lightly with a file so when you tighten the screw down the pressure forces the washer onto the handle shaft. Along with some blue thread locker I finally got the handles how I want them and the copper washers should last luch longer.


Copper crush washer:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MTZWSSO/ref=cm_cr_ryp_prd_ttl_sol_0