rung fu clone RF-45 ZX45 cnc conversion

[bvd1940]

hi Bernie
I'll go through all my pics and see if I can find some showing the ball nut mounts for you.
steve

If you do not mind me asking how much you figure you have invested in the CNC parts in $?:thinking:
I have an Enco 45 that I have been toying with the idea of converting to CNC.:nuts:
If you dont want to disclose the cost I understand, dont mean to be nosy but weighing out buying a ready to go CNC against home built.
And would you do it again knowing what you know now?
I be a OLD retired machinist and have some parts that are repetitive (boring & tiring to build):thinking:
I have a small rat machine shop out here in the desert with all the cactus and sage brush (peaceful) & make vintage Jaguar parts for a guy down the road and have fun EXCEPT for the repetitive parts.
Thanks
Bill

 

[jumps4]

Hi Bill
Including the new mill and a new 6" rotary table for the 4th axis and excluding tooling , vise and software. I have right at $4200 in my machine.
I ran the machine for about 1 month then took it apart to thoroughly cleaned and readjusted everything. It has been a year and 4 months now and there has not been any further readjustment, just oil the machine before every use and press cycle start.
I spent over 2 years doing research on other machines and cnc builds before purchasing the first part to build this one and I have never had to modify anything from my original design. No one I have seen yet sells a cnc mill in this size class with more powerful motors including Tormach .
In my opinion the key to accuracy. repeatability and never missing steps is powerful motors. After all day of continuous running this mill will return to X-0 Y-0 Z-0 exactly. Installing a massive 4200 oz/in Z axis motor and not using lift cylinders to offset the weight of the 300lb head has made this machine very ridged.
Using 1600oz motors on the X and Y axis and micro-stepping at 1000 steps per revolution, directly driving the 5 pitch screws made the motors really smooth and accurate. One step of the motor equals .0002 of travel and really accurate backlash compensation. A smaller motor would not have the power at 1000 steps per revolution to accomplish this accuracy.
I wish my health was better, I'd be building and selling these machines.
steve

I started making these parts in the pic yesterday, zoom in and check out the finish. They are right off the machine and this is the roughing pass.

 

[Bernie_nor]

Hello all,

A short notice regarding the original breakout board that came with the motor-kit:

This is actually a good board. It offers galvanic insulation when using two independent 5V sources and removing the two jumpers next to the four 5V/GND terminals. But it is to slow for high step rates. So I made a small modification. I exchanged the EL817S optocouplers with a much faster one: TLP118. This new one requres a 5V supply to the 5. pin. It does not fit perfectly, but there is no need to do any modifications to the cuircuit board itself. As I'm lazy I've only changed the optocouplers to the pins beeing used as step/pulse outputs.

Now my PC is the weekest link with regards to high frequency stepping...

Please let me know if anyone is interested in a modification procedure.

Cheers!
Bernie

 

[jumps4]

that's good to know Bernie I have 4 of these left over from projects
I use a UC100 usb controller between the pc and the breakout board and it feeds at a rate of up to 100khz, those boards would not do it.
steve

 

[bvd1940]

Hi Bill
Including the new mill and a new 6" rotary table for the 4th axis and excluding tooling , vise and software. I have right at $4200 in my machine.
I ran the machine for about 1 month then took it apart to thoroughly cleaned and readjusted everything. It has been a year and 4 months now and there has not been any further readjustment, just oil the machine before every use and press cycle start.
I spent over 2 years doing research on other machines and cnc builds before purchasing the first part to build this one and I have never had to modify anything from my original design. No one I have seen yet sells a cnc mill in this size class with more powerful motors including Tormach .
In my opinion the key to accuracy. repeatability and never missing steps is powerful motors. After all day of continuous running this mill will return to X-0 Y-0 Z-0 exactly. Installing a massive 4200 oz/in Z axis motor and not using lift cylinders to offset the weight of the 300lb head has made this machine very ridged.
Using 1600oz motors on the X and Y axis and micro-stepping at 1000 steps per revolution, directly driving the 5 pitch screws made the motors really smooth and accurate. One step of the motor equals .0002 of travel and really accurate backlash compensation. A smaller motor would not have the power at 1000 steps per revolution to accomplish this accuracy.
I wish my health was better, I'd be building and selling these machines.
steve

I started making these parts in the pic yesterday, zoom in and check out the finish. They are right off the machine and this is the roughing pass.

Thanks for the info Steve, Do you have a parts list for shopping that you would be willing to share (I am to old to figure out what you did):thinking: and I dont buy green bananas anymore:nono:
I have read all your posts and find them very enticing )
Anyhow very nice job and very educational thread)
UPDATE
went back trough and compiled a book with all the data in it so I will have a reference to go to for shopping list, thanks for all the info for this OLD fart trying to get a taste of cnc machining, (old 73 years manual machinist ret.))
Bill

 

[ronthomp]

I received my Charter Oaks machine. You can see a write up and photos of the uncrating here:
http://www.ourcadguy.com/cncconversion/New_CNC_Mill_Conversion.html

the charter oak looks nice...steve

 

[jumps4]

Jumps - What travel are you getting in X and Y? Also, how's the quality of the mill and has it been reliable? I've been contemplating this same mill. Thanks.

I know this is way overdue but I'm sorry I forgot until I was cleaning the machine ways and remembered your question.

X axis will go 30 but I stop 1/2" short on the ends for precaution so 29"
Y axis will go 10 but only if you remove the bellows I stay set at 8" to save wear on the bellows
Z is 13 without crushing the bellows

sorry I took so long
steve

 

[jumps4]

I installed a 2hp high speed spindle today
I haven't used it yet but the bracket is ridged
steve

 

[Dirty Engineer]

Jumps4,

Do you have any more information on this 2hp high speed spindle addition? I assume it came from ebay? Did you make the bracket? I'm in the market for a spindle and any insight would be appreciated.

 

[jumps4]

hi Dirty Engineer
I originally purchased the 2.2kw 3ph inverter for another project then I decided to us it and install a 1.5kw air cooled spindle on my sherline cnc mill for engraving. the install on the zx45 was after I had learned how powerful it really is.
If I would have thought this through better I would have bought a 2.2kw spindle because it has a bigger collet chuck, er20 instead of er11, the er11 will only hold up to 7mm endmills and a er20 can hold up to 13mm.
the air cooling blows down and not being in a dusty environment has worked fine with no noticeable heat up even after hours of prolonged use.
the clamp that holds the motor mount to the spindle on the mill is the one the mill came with to work the depth gauge in the front of the mill.
I also use that clamp to install a grinder when needed.
the motor mount I made originally to install on the sherline and has alignment keyways milled into it. all I did was add another bolt hole to mount it on the zx45 mill bracket.
if you check ebay, right now the 2.2kw air cooled with inverter is about $360 us delivered and the 1.5kw is $265 us delivered.
I use flood coolant and the 1.5kw more than meets my needs it will remove a lot of material really fast. jobs that used to take a long time with small cutters on the zx45 due to a lack of rpm now take minutes.
The inverter is mounted on the wall and the spindle has a cord long enough to move it to the machine I need it on. I'm gathering up the parts to make a remote to control the inverter at the spindles location. right now I have to reach over to the wall and that's not very convenient or safe if something may go wrong.
steve