computer
Still a Drag?
I had a great weekend. I had to mow the grass but that is expected and still makes for a great weekend. For this Blog it was great because I got to put a lot of run time on the HB2. About six hours in total.
I even ran the Mayan calendar in a 7.75″ diameter on some Corian. I’ll post some pictures soon. The detail was excellent.
I think I may still have a little drag on the axis screws. It didn’t bother the CNC work this weekend. I have some spray bearing grease I will inject behind the Thrust bearings and see if the intermittent slight rubbing noise goes away.
If the grease doesn’t help, I already have a plan to put a “step” at each end of the screws and just remove the thrust bearings. That way the only thing the screw end can contact is the center race of the bearings.
That’s what I should have done in the first place. I did find out how easy it is (when you have a lathe) to modify the ends of the axis screws.
How I noticed what may be the rub is I changed my micro-stepping from quarter to eighth. I now run 8,000 steps per inch rather than 4000. That’s 0.000125 inches per step, way too fine than really useful . This was done not to increase accuracy but make the steppers run a lot more quite (but also a lot hotter).
Quarter stepping was still more accuracy (0.00025″) than I needed and it is supposed to provide more torque. The motors run cool. The noise however is more than 3 db higher and the twin Y’s were driving me crazy with their loud sound. Now I hear a sweet soft… Continue reading
Weekend Puttering
While waiting for the new stepper couplings for the HB2 to arrive, I decided to do a little house cleaning around the shop. After pushing things around for a few hours, and sucking up what debris I could with the shopvac, I figured I should lube the ways on my machine tools. I can appreciate a one shot lube system as I have to do mine the long slow way. I finished and every machine is operating pretty slick now…
I spent a lot of time detailing out the Taig CNC mill. It is still in wonderful shape after all the machining it has done. That is really a great little milling machine in its size and class. I had to fire it up with the MACH3 in control and it wasn’t long before I was dreaming about the next project I should be running in CNC on that machine. In fact I “air cut” a couple of projects just to give the parts (mechanical and electronic) a little work out. It runs so sweet!
I have added a new Proxxon rotary hand tool to my workbench. I have more than I can handle (literally) but there is always room for just one more. This new tool is the Proxxon Micromot 50/E low voltage rotary hand tool. This is the first one of the 12-18 volt tools I have tried and I am amazed!
I already have and operate the Proxxon IB/E professional 120 Volt rotary tool. It is wonderful and definitely exceeds my two Dremel rotary tools in quality.
The 50/E is about ½ the size and power of the IB/E but is every bit as good. It is lighter, smaller and easier to hold for long periods of detail rotary work. I think I will prefer using… Continue reading
Cold Weather Choices
I spent the weekend deciding weather (sic) to spend time in my 35 degree workshop or my 72 degree home office. (Pun intended). You can probably correctly guess the office won the fair share of the coin tosses.
I can warm up the garage with electric heaters and make it a somewhat enjoyable work space at approximately 62 degrees air temperature. However, I am working on installing a very precise digital readout (DRO) on my big mill and I would like the temperatures to be a bit more stable. I can get the air to 62 but it takes awhile for the big chunk of cast iron and steel (of which the machine is made) to get up to temperature.
I have the non critical work done but the fine tuning needs a few days at a bit warmer temperature. It is all in the joy of trying to maintain precision in a changing environment like an unconditioned garage shop. Open the garage door in winter conditions and “whoosh”, instantly floods in 27 degree air.
I am jealous of the climate controlled workshops of some home machinists. Actually the temperature is not a problem when it stays constant. It is the warming and cooling that is the problem. Starting a series of milling operations at 40 degrees and finish at 75, the dimension reference (datum) will change. It changes anyway because the part being milled gets hot while cutting, but it is nice to reduce some of the variables. Home shop projects usually don’t demand super tight control.
The DRO PROS project will have a full product report in The Hobbyist Machine Shop is a few weeks. Watch for it. (Tell ’em Dan’l sent ya!)
The office work consisted of upgrading two of my computers. I won’t spend much… Continue reading
HB2 First Project
HB2 has been brought to full functioning life with sounds not much unlike a trim router. I am kind of alluding here to a new baby cries when first born.
I am not one to choose an easy project for the very first run. What you see here is the Aztec calendar with a lot of detail. I set the design up in Vectric Aspire V2 and sized it for a 12 inch diameter. The process is known as V-Carving.
I used a 90 degree V-Carve bit. I discovered I should have used a 60 or perhaps 45 degree V-Carve bit. I would have deeper cuts and wouldn’t have had the dropout in several areas due to board warpage.
But all in all, not too shabby for a first run. I and HB2 can only get better. Enjoy the pictures.
See Video -> V-Carve Action
Heat Sinks Added to The HB2 Web Pages
The complete story on the construction and installation of the HB2 stepper motor mounts has just been posted to the THMShop web site. Click on “What’s New” in the first (left) menu “Site Tools” drop down. Then click on “HB2 Construction Section 4” The picture here gives some idea how good this project turned out. I am pleased with the results and I hope you like what you see.
I mention in one section of the web site display that I thought I might make these for sale. That is not the case now. At least not the way I made these. Far too much time is invested in these prototypes. If there is a real demand, they will have to be made from casting to get the cost down.