Setup and Continuing Saga of the Charter Oak 12Z

[wrmiller]

Try it again but this time move the 2 right up next to the . Does you clamp t nuts kit fit all the slots ok?

Yea the t-nuts are a perfect fit: No sloppiness but no tight spots either. All I did was take a file and remove the sharp corners on the nuts.

My PM25 with the same cutter was able to take .3 no problem. It complained a bit at .5, but managed to cut OK. I won't be surprised if El Hefe can plow through .75 with no problems. Probably should wait until I get my FogBuster for that cut though.

Jon: Do you use coolant on your mill for the heavier cuts?

 

[MarioM]

Looking good Bill, I am glad you are making a lot of progress with your mill, mine is stopped. Hope this weekend will continue with it. I like your stand, you can use that space. To me it will be the same, will have to walk all the way to the older milling machine where all my tools and accessories are, guess some idea will come with the time.

Regarding the X and Y axis as you say they will be OK for what you do. Will see how mine is when the time comes.

 

[coolidge]

Grease is applied to keep the thing from rusting in transit. Oil would not of the job, especially if it sat in a damp warehouse for a few months.

Get some orange citrus cleaner, strip the grease off, and coat everything with Mobil Vacta 2 (ISO 68) way oil. Grease is not a good choice on your ways. You can keep the leadscrews lubed with it if you like.

I 2nd the Mobil Vactra 68 recommendation, I use this on my lathe. Note everyone wants to sell it by the 5 gallon bucket but you can get it at McMaster-Carr by the gallon. I agree now that I think about it on these mills it would attract and grab every chip probably a real bad idea.

 

[coolidge]

Yea the t-nuts are a perfect fit: No sloppiness but no tight spots either. All I did was take a file and remove the sharp corners on the nuts.

My PM25 with the same cutter was able to take .3 no problem. It complained a bit at .5, but managed to cut OK. I won't be surprised if El Hefe can plow through .75 with no problems. Probably should wait until I get my FogBuster for that cut though.

Jon: Do you use coolant on your mill for the heavier cuts?

When I ordered my Te-Co clamping kit...I noticed they had 2 different part numbers for the 1/2 inch stud/5/8 nut kits, one specific to Bridgeport knee mills and the other unspecified. Enco didn't even sell the second one so I ordered the one for the Bridgeports. I'm wonder if there is a difference...

 

[coolidge]

Bill any thoughts on whether to use steel leveling pads vs rubber vibration dampening leveling pads?

 

[maker of things]

Jon: Do you use coolant on your mill for the heavier cuts?

Bill, I haven't. I use only the finest 1/2" double ended 2 flute cutters that $2.47 will buy so far and usually keep the big honking chips silver, so I haven't bothered.

Fair warning, any comparison between myself and a machinist is surely an insult to the machinist. (maybe I'll make that my sig)

 

[wrmiller]

Bill any thoughts on whether to use steel leveling pads vs rubber vibration dampening leveling pads?

The stand from CO came with steel swivel leveling pads that are working fine so far. But then again, I haven't really gotten this thing shaking too much yet.

The heaviest cut so far was with a 1" indexable 90 deg end mill at a doc of .3. You could fee the cut through the handwheels but it didn't seem to upset the mill at all. But those pesky chips flying everywhere were hot!

 

[wrmiller]

When I ordered my Te-Co clamping kit...I noticed they had 2 different part numbers for the 1/2 inch stud/5/8 nut kits, one specific to Bridgeport knee mills and the other unspecified. Enco didn't even sell the second one so I ordered the one for the Bridgeports. I'm wonder if there is a difference...

I ordered the Bridgeport kit. FYI...

 

[wrmiller]

I 2nd the Mobil Vactra 68 recommendation, I use this on my lathe. Note everyone wants to sell it by the 5 gallon bucket but you can get it at McMaster-Carr by the gallon. I agree now that I think about it on these mills it would attract and grab every chip probably a real bad idea.

I will be installing the one-shot oiling system soon and will run Vactra 2 in it. I will probably use a good quality grease on the screws though.

 

[darkzero]

1" indexable 90 deg end mill

Hey Bill, which one do you have or could you post a pic of it? I just received mine a couple of days ago but I have not used it yet so not sure what to expect.