Square column for mill build

[astjp2]

Just to be clear I would absolutely replace the steel rail might even go with good stainless grade.

Well you need to not do the millennial thing and actually call the companies on the telephone, if online is not getting you where you need to get an answer, then call. Also stainless sucks for wear, a good carbon steel is better, much better. Stainless is normally too soft. Just think of how stainless knives do NOT hold an edge like a good Damascus (carbon) steel will. You can also align the rails by a solid block, that will get you within a few tenths.

 

[Shawn_Laughlin]

Thank John and astjp2 for your replies. I put my dti at different places down the column and then at the front and backside of base and found that it’s the column base itself and where it connects to lathe bed where all the flexing is coming from. It also explains why when I face or turn in that general area my measuring or different than at the sides so I’ve decided to start there.

I built a 1/2” steel cover ,that I welded together and 14 half inch bolts the secure it to the base , that I will then take a piece of 6 x 4 x thicker than your average I-beam , that will either bolt to concrete or the lathe base column cross support. The cross support is also an addition I felt it needed and it did..... I was surprised how much just skinning the column base with 1/2” plate helped so adding the I beam should really make it a lot more ridged. I think I might even add 3 tramming bolts, 1 in back and on each side, the front has no room bc of the dro I added. You have to just make the dro mount anyway you can on this machine and now I know why grizzly doesn’t offer dro pre installed or even a kit for it. Getting tge dro mounted was arguably the best thing I’ve done so far to it but that’s way off topic.

I gotta go in a second and get shorter bolts.

 

[Shawn_Laughlin]

Your right astjp2, my dad bought be a Damascus skinning knife at the sturgis bike rally a few years ago and I’ve never had to sharpen it. It might be bc I haven’t got to use it much but. Lol. But I agree with you

 

[spumco]

I have 20’ of solid heavy aluminum supported, hardened Linear rail and thought about 4 strips, 2 in the front and two in the back and build a roller assembly that is boxed in like a box way.

Not a trivial job to align 4 surfaces so they're co-planar and parallel.

I'd suggest selling the rails you have and buying some regular linear guides. Those can be attached to a big chunk of square tube, which in turn has had an adapter flange welded & machined on the bottom. Instant new column. Fill it with epoxy granite to stiffen it and damp vibrations. The rails can be aligned and bedded in epoxy so the trucks don't bind and they move perpendicular to the mounting flange.

Build a head out of plate steel, fit a spindle and motor to it, and...

Or sell your mill and buy a square column mill and save a bunch of time.

 

[hman]

Just saw a post from testwest ... wanting to part out a mill, including a column, head, and some other parts. Maybe a bit far away for you, but the two o' yuz ight be able to work something out - ???

https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/parting-out-grizzly-g3102-mill-most-everything-but-the-saddle-and-knee.78911/

 

[testwest]

And here I am, Shawn check your PMs

 

[Shawn_Laughlin]

Thanks hmann I actually just commented so thanks for the heads up.

 

[Shawn_Laughlin]

I worked this weekend on making it more ridgid and it made a difference it the rigidity but now even though it cuts better there a little bit of shaking like when no load is put on the cutter and it’s just free spinning. I’m thinking it’s possibly the column itself so ima try the filling the column with an epoxy granite mixture to see if they cured it. I know it won’t hurt it. But I have a question. Where do you get the crushed granite? I have some granite drops that were left over from my counter I had done a while back,so could I use that and just crush it up somehow or do I need something specific?
Or is what I need easy to find?
I Have epoxy but the other materials I’m not sure what’s best bc there is so much on the internet that says one is good and another person says it’s not.

 

[matthewsx]

Decomposed granite is available at any home center store. Lots of good info on the correct mix out there.

 

[hman]

I don't think the exact nature of the fillers is important, as long as all of them are hard. There are lots of recipes out there on the interwebs. When I filled the column of my X2, I used a mixture of things I had on hand - included glass beads from the sand blaster, some aquarium gravel I'd bought for the project, and a goodly handful of 1 ¼" black drywall screws (to give it some "long distance" stiffness). If you use such screws, be sure they don't have an oil coating from the factory!

Not shown in the photo, but I scabbed a long rod onto the tip of the vibra-graver and used it of agitate and de-air the mix after pouring it into the column.