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CNC Lathe Conversion – 17

First Test Run

After some test runs without tool or material, I performed some measurements.

500mm movements along the Z axis were reproduced multiple times with a deviation of 0.00mm! (the Z axis has a ground ball screw)

100mm movements along the X axis deviated 0.02mm. (the X axis has a rolled ball screw).

I was delighted to note that the lathe is extremely quiet and smooth. The only noise is some belt slap from the very old belts, and from the stepper motors.

The video below was taken from my iphone, while I was operating the lathe controls, so please excuse the erratic movements.

The steel is 27mm diameter. 750rpm, 50mm/min feeds.

And the guards will be made next step, without fail.

The G code was generated using Mach3 for these very simple shapes. For more complex items I use Ezilathe.

The lathe is 600mm between centres. 38mm spindle bore. Swing about 300mm.

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NOT MUCH GOING ON TODAY

This is my workbench after I had almost finished tidying it. Really.

Then I thought about machining the ends of the cross slide ball screw.

So I mounted the collet chuck and checked the runout. 0 to o.01mm. Then I did a test cut in the ball screw. Hard hard hard. But it did cut. Then I chickened out and decided to finish it another day.

So, looking around the workshop for something else to do, I decided to pretty up the new CNC lathe apron.

Before (milled surface).

During

And I forgot to take a photo of the after, but it did look nice and smooth and shiny (look at the mirror finish behind the wheel).

Being retired is great!

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Today I spent a couple of hours drawing CAD elevations of the high pressure cylinder steam passages, then generating some G codes for the CNC centre drilling, drilling, and tidying up of the steam passage connection to that cylinder.

Then I spent 30 minutes or so running the programmes.

All went well. No drill bits broken in the depths. No break throughs of dark passages into the cylinder bore, or into the bolt holes. Whew.

The steam passages now open into the top and base of the high pressure cylinder.
Intermediate and low pressure cylinders to be done ? tomorrow.

This is the drilling setup.
I used a sine vice, sitting on gauge blocks, to produce an exactly 5 degree angle, to avoid the cylinder bore and the bolt holes. The sine vice was held in the milling vice.

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April 3, 2015

Other People’s Triples

Not sure about the position of the apostrophe.

But if, like me, you enjoy looking at engines, then stop thinking about the apostrophe and watch the videos.

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April 1, 2015

John and John having fun again, on Puffing Billy

Puffing Billy, Belgrave, Victoria, Australia

Big John and Little John, or Pop John and John John, on Puffing Billy.

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March 24, 2015

How a surgeon starts awkward, tiny nuts.

BA7 nuts are tiny. The thread is 2.38mm diameter. Admittedly, there are smaller nuts, but I have had so many problems with the BA7, that I do not want to even contemplate the even smaller ones.

If I drop a BA7 nut, I have about a 50% chance of seeing it on the floor. There must be a small fortune in BA7 nuts on the floor of my workshop, or wherever they bounce to.

The steam engine which I am currently building has several hundred of these tiny fasteners, and many of them are in inaccessible cavities, at least relatively inaccessible to my 65 year old fingers.

The more accessible BA7 bolts and studs can have nuts fitted with the assistance of a 4mm jeweller’s tube spanner. I added some usefulness to the tube spanner by turning its outside wall thinner, to decrease the space it occupies, but even so, there are many locations where no tube spanner, however modified, or open ender, or needle nosed pliers will reach, and fingers are required.

So, I had a brain wave yesterday, about a method of starting small nuts on relatively inaccessible studs and it works! This might not be an original idea, but it is to me.

It requires a sharp needle, on a handle, with an appropriate bend near the end of the needle. The sharp end of the needle is exposed. In my previous life I was a surgeon, so I have a supply of medical needles, and they are ideal. A syringe makes a good handle.

The nut is placed on the needle, (carefully).

The needle point is placed in the centre of the end of the stud or bolt, carefully to avoid the nut slipping off prematurely, and the needle is angled so it is in line with the stud. The needle needs to be sharp, so it does not slip off the end of the stud.

The nut slips down onto the stud, and it can be spun with a finger tip until it attaches to the stud. The needle is then (carefully) placed away, and the nut is tightened down by whatever means are possible.

This method requires some dexterity, but it can change an impossible task into a merely difficult one.

Ps. If you use medical needles, make sure that they are new. Some diseases like hepatitis can be transmitted by needle stick injury.

The needle tip is pushed into the end of the stud/bolt. The nut slips onto the end of the stud, and is then spun with a finger tip until it engages with the thread.

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March 5, 2015

John and the jawbone of an elephant.

elephant jawbone. Watch out for black mambas.

The guide told me to be careful, because snakes like to live in the bone cavities. We saw quite a few elephant skeletons, but no tusks! Because the government rangers collect the tusks, to prevent the poachers getting them. They reputedly have a huge warehouse full of tusks, waiting for the world embargo on ivory trading to finish. Botswana has a total ban on hunting, and consequently has a problem with elephant overpopulation.

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March 5, 2015

WHERE’S WALLY

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February 20, 2015

Buying Tools and other stuff at a swap meet.

Today I drove with a friend to Ballarat, Victoria, Australia to the biggest swap meet in the Southern hemisphere, maybe the biggest in the known universe.

It is located on an aerodrome in country Victoria. Approx 2500 stall holders selling stuff from shed cleanouts, factory close downs, farm sales, and some commercial sellers.

A lot of the stuff on sale seems to be total junk, with the vendors sitting around enjoying the sunshine, the conversations, the beer and barbeques. A lot of them stay in tents and caravans on site. But there are many gems and bargains, and that is the reason I find myself drawn back to the event, annually for the past 4 years.

The atmosphere and mood is relaxed and pleasant. A fair bit of good natured haggling and bargaining goes on.

You do have to keep an eye out for kids on bikes whizzing about. It is supposed to be a car free zone, but I noted far too many vehicles driving about raising dust. The organisers need to get on top of that issue.

I was also a bit peeved to have to pay $3:50 each for a small plastic bottle of water. It was a hot day, and several of these were required. The price was feasible because there were no other visible sources of drinking water.

But I was very happy with my purchases. Photos following.

Hats, sunscreen, and fluids essential. 34 degrees C.

Amazing eclectic variety of stuff on sale.

I estimate that I walked 10km checking out about 50% of the sites. Too many to see in one day.

SOME OF THE STUFF WHICH I BOUGHT. IT REFLECTS MY OWN INTERESTS RATHER THAN THE VARIETY OF ITEMS ON SALE. MY FRIEND BOUGHT A HEAP OF PARTS FOR HIS MINI MOKE. THAT IS HIS PARTICULAR INTEREST.

A heavy duty, well constructed welding earth clamp for $10.

Some bronze manganese welding rods for $15. I will check their machineability.

A miniature internal threading tool with inserts. Expensive at $130, but good value.

A 1″ m3 step drill (new), and a used but good condition 1.5″ M4 drill bit. $30 total. Great value.

2 cobalt 9/16″ drill bits for $6. Only one size available. Amazing low price.

A pair of razor sharp Japanese wood chisels. Pricey at $70, but the conversation I had with the Japanese cabinet maker who was selling them, was priceless. The handles are rosewood and oak. The steel is laminated, similar to samurai swords. I look forward to trying these.

A Mamod steam tractor. It seems to be in reasonable condition, and complete. I told SWMBO that it is a present for a grandson when he is a bit older (2 years old now), but we will see. I really like it myself. Is 64 too old to be playing with toys? Was said to be in working condition, but I expect that some renovation will required. Price not for disclosure to SWMBO.

This was the most interesting purchase. 3 “Model Engineer and Amateur Electrician” magazines from Sep to Dec 1900. $5 each. The articles about “using electricity in the workshop” were sobering. It was nice to see articles about lathes apart from Myford discussed. (Drummond most common). Not sure where these magazines will end up. They should be on display, or in a museum.

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December 20, 2014

More Inca stonework. Awesome.

Our guide at the MachuPicchu quarry explains how the Inca stonemasons chipped rectangular slots then hammered in wedges, or allowed water to freeze and expand, to split the stone.

MachuPicchu quarry. The piece on the ground has been split off, about 500 years ago, ready to be painstakingly shaped and fitted into a wall.

A displaced, shaped block at Cuzco. Shows how the block is shaped on all faces.

The blocks were fitted together, and then often joined with lead or silver, which was poured in a molten state into the grooves.
Recovering the silver was possibly one of the reasons why the Spaniards demolished many Inca buildings.

Try fitting a razor blade or even a hair into that join.

The attention to detail was at an incredibly high level in the royal buildings.

Apart from the accuracy of the stonework, the architecture shows amazing accuracy.

another groove for molten silver or lead

Note how the block curves around an inside corner

And outside corners. Quite beautiful.

Some blocks weigh several tons

This is apparently a phallic reference in stone. Count the number of faces on the central stone. It is quite famous.

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December 17, 2014

Peru

Ok. This is under the “Other Stuff” heading.

I have not done much in the workshop lately, so, I dug out some photos of a trip I made in 2008 to Peru, with my daughter Elisabeth. I took heaps of photos, but these are some of my favourites.

Some of the awesome stonework in Cuzco. Built by the Incas 500-600 years ago. The Spanish invaders demolished the “pagan” buildings above and built their own buildings on the Inca foundations. The locals laughed when earthquakes repeatedly demolished the European parts of the buildings and left the Inca bits undisturbed. Note the continuity of the horizontal lines. How much effort would have been required for the architect-stonemasons to ensure that continuity. And apart from the beautiful aesthetic it produces, I wonder if that continuity has any other significance?

About half of Peru is Amazon rain forest. My daughter Elisabeth worked in an animal refuge near Iquitos, in this region. Looking after panthers, anacondas, monkeys and others, which had been brought to the refuge after being injured. Yes, my daughter is an amazing person, and I am immensely proud of her.

Elisabeth with some of the locals in their traditional dress. They are happy to pose for photos for a very small fee.

Huge stones fitted together so tightly that a razor blade cannot be passed into the gaps. Ancient aliens must have done this! Or very clever and determined Incas.

Yes, I became addicted to looking at the stone work. It was amazing, awesome, unbelievable and beautiful.

Hand woven rugs for sale to the tourists. Cheap.

Our first day of a 5 day hike to MachuPicchu. Not the regular tourist route. In the background is Mt Sankaltay. I could understand why they thought it sacred. We camped near its base, next to a glacier.

The first night our tents and the ground were covered with about 100mm of snow. Quite an experience for someone from Australia. The next morning we climbed to 15,000 feet, slowly. The glacier is in the background. We are close to the top of the pass in this photo. That is me in the foreground. When the guide found out my age (60) he wanted to put me on a horse! No way! Horses hate me.

The locals have striking attractive faces.

There were 2 horse handlers. The horses carried our tents, food and supplies. We carried day packs only. 2 Canadians, Elisabeth and me. I was the oldest and the least fit, and the slowest, but I made it. I imagined that if I had a health problem, I could be helicoptered out, only to learn that helicopters cannot reach these heights. The trails were sometimes very narrow and quite dangerous, cut out of cliff sides, and sometimes rough creek beds.

MachuPicchu. Breath taking.

MachuPicchu

The agricultural terraces at MachuPicchu, and some restored buildings. Only a few of the buildings have been restored, to show what they would have looked like in their heyday.

Me, on a floating island on Lake Titicaca. The locals are very tiny, They lived on the lake to escape the Incas, who were expansive aggressive and violent. The islands are made of reeds which are bundled together, and replenished every year. It was cold. Extraordinary.

The characteristic doorway shape of the Incas. Note the incredibly tight joints, made by non metal hand tools, which have withstood earthquakes, conquistadores, and 5 centuries of weathering.

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November 19, 2014

GSMEE EXHIBITION 2

Wimshurst Electrostatic Generator, made by Peter Bodman. Creates sparks up to 100mm long, which drill minute holes in interposed paper sheets. No-one volunteered to try it with their own hand.

Vacuum engine made by Peter Bodman.

Awesome model of pre-dreadnaught ship circa 1902 “Preussen” made by Walter. It is approx 1 meter long, weighs 16kg, and is radio controlled. The 28cm gun turrets are also radio controlled, but do not (as far as I know) actually fire. To the right is a model of Columbus’s “Santa Maria”.

The detail in the model has to be seen to be believed. Every plank of the decking is individually made and fitted.

Walter showed us the inside construction, engines, and electronics. The model was made from a few old photographs, and simple side and top elevations.

Hull with the superstructure removed

A very old pressure gauge, restored so that the workings are displayed, to reveal how it works. By Stuart.

This model boat was made by 8 year old Niall, with some supervision from his Dad, William. The gun is actually a radio controlled water cannon which fires up to 3 meters, to the wet surprise of some spectators. Niall and William both had a fantastic experience with this project.

William with some of the wonderful boat and ship models which he (and Niall) have made in recent years.

A model working ship steam engine and boiler, by Walter. Twin cylinder, double acting cylinders. This should be jewellery, worn around the neck of a beautiful woman. OK, that is a little over the top, but you get the idea

Close up of the marine engine by Walter

Les Madden with his partly completed Atkinson Differential Engine Model, originally patented in 1887. The wooden model on the left was built by Les in attempt to figure out how it worked! He made the wooden parts to have aluminium castings made.

Les Madden’s Differential engine.

18 radial cylinder aero engine, by John Ramm. The hand carved propeller is approx 600mm long.

Detail of the aero engine. John showed 3 aero engines. He is currently making a 12 cylinder Spitfire Merlin engine which he will have finished by the time of the 2015 exhibition.

Stuart Tankard’s prize winning hit and miss engine, was running throughout the exhibition. 17.7cc, 4 stroke, 4:1 compression, running on gas.

Close up detail of the hit and miss engine. A standard the rest of us can aim for.

A vertical boiler made by Stuart Tankard

Thomas Lord in the cabin of his steam truck, giving some driving tips to Niall

These photos are just a small fraction of the many model engines, ships, trains, tools and other projects created and displayed by members and friends of GSMEE.

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November 17, 2014

GEELONG SOCIETY OF MODEL AND EXPERIMENTAL ENGINEERS ANNUAL EXHIBITION 1

Steam truck, built by Thomas Lord. See following videos

The GSMEE held its annual exhibition of projects by members and friends, on the weekend of 15-16 November 2014, at Osborne House, Swinburne Ave, Geelong North.
I will post some pictures and videos of some of the superb model engines, boats, ships, tools, aero engines, and even a full size road legal registered steam truck, pictured above. Due to the size of the files and the crap Internet connection available here, I will spread the post over several days.

To continue with the incredible steam truck, made over the past decade by Tom Lord, see the following videos. (sorry, no luck with the upload. I will try again tomorrow)

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November 10, 2014

Beam Engine Driving Wheel 2

The aluminium disk was drilled then reamed to 19.05mm (3/4″)

Then a shaft was pressed into the disk. The shaft is the same as the shaft on the beam engine, in fact it is from the same stock. It was centre drilled at the ends in preparation for turning between centres, and shaping the driving wheel. This should result in a wheel which runs true and does not wobble when installed onto the beam engine.

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November 8, 2014

Beam Engine Driving Wheel from a Big Lump of Aluminium

16kg aluminium rod. Cutting off using a band saw.

I bought a 130mm diameter lump of aluminium rod, 460mm long, weighing 16kg, off ebay. It was described as excellent machining material, so I put it to the test. I need a driving wheel for the beam engine.

The driving wheel fits between the flywheel and the governor column.

The aluminium disk straight off the band saw. A perfect cut from a well adjusted saw. Took about 5 minutes to make the cut, using plenty of cutting fluid and slow descent of the blade in order to avoid jamming.

It turned beautifully. Using a HSS tangential tool. You can see a mirror reflection even as the turning as happening.

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October 31, 2014

TAPPING HOLES. BOLTON 9. (Triple Expansion Marine Steam Engine)

Today I drilled and tapped the holes for the bolts which secure the crankshaft main bearings. I had accurately marked the bearing mounts in the previous session (see previous photos), and calculated and recorded the DRO (digital read out) position for each hole. So going back to that position for each step in the process was easy and quick. The steps today were centre drilling, drilling the 3.3mm holes, and tapping the 4mm threads to a depth of 20mm.

Centre drilling is done with a centre drill bit in an accurate chuck in the milling machine. Centre drill bits are inflexible and will not wander over the work like an ordinary twist drill bit, The centre drilled hole is deep enough to create a chamfered edge to the hole. All 12 holes are drilled with the centre bit, then all 12 drilled with the 3.3 mm bit, then all 12 are threaded. The DRO positions the work within 0.005mm each time, and the repositioning is very fast, much faster than going to a position doing all 3 processes, changing the bit for each one, then moving to the next position.

The threading was done with a Tapmatic 30 tapping head in my milling machine. See photo. This takes about 10 minutes to set up, but the tapping process for the 12 holes then took about 5 minutes. I use Rapid Tap lubricant for tapping, even in brass. I guess that manually tapping the holes would have taken about the same time, but it was so satisfying to see the Tapmatic do its stuff. I use the Tapmatic for any tapping job involving more than about 8-10 holes. Fewer than that it is quicker to do them manually. The Tapmatic has a adjustable clutch. I have never broken a tap in the job using this machine.

Incidentally, I have decided to use nuts and bolts and screws and studs in preference to metric cap screws for this model. The appearance wins out over practical expediency. So why the metric threads for this job today? The specified thread was 5/32″ which is 3.96mm, so I decided to go with the 4mm metric, for which I have the tools already.

Tapping the main bearing blocks using the Tapmatic and Tap Magic.

Tapping the main bearing blocks using the Tapmatic and Rapid Tap.

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October 27, 2014

TRIPLE EXPANSION MARINE STEAM ENGINE 3

I had almost 8 hours in the workshop today. The base plate is progressing.

Sheet 1 of 3

Milling the main bearing housing slots. Using a 14mm HSS end cutter. Ended up blunt. There must be some embedded casting sand still

Then I spent an hour or so painting the machined surfaces with marking blue, and marking reference points and edges.

Using a Knu vice to cramp the base plate to and angle plate, and a height gauge to mark the reference lines

Top view of the marking out lines

After machining the main bearing housings, the big end slots and the eccentric slots.

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October 26, 2014

TRIPLE EXPANSION MARINE ENGINE 2

Reducing the width of the aluminium plate to 140mm, so it will fit into my milling vice. The plate is clamped to an angle plate.

Squaring the ends.

The base plate bolted to the aluminium plate. Care was taken to fix the brass base centrally and parallel to the aluminium. The fixing bolts are 3mm cap screws, and the holes through the brass plate are 3mm, so even if the brass base is removed, it will go back on in exactly the same position.

I finished the day by making a spur gear for my brother’s lathe.

The gear attached to the shaft using Loctite. If the Loctite is inadequate, the gear can be pinned to the shaft. In the post tomorrow, to Townsville QLD. The photo shows why metalworking is an unsuitable hobby for a gynaecologist.

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October 26, 2014

TRIPLE EXPANSION STEAM ENGINE 1

The base casting.

The base of the base, machined flat

The base, with 6 pillar mounting areas machined parallel & coplanar, and the crankshaft mounting blocks after an initial skimming. Slots for big ends roughed out. 2 hour first machining session. 2998 hours to go?

After carefully examining the base casting, and scrutinising the plans to discover all of the dimensions of the base, I commenced machining on my King Rich mill (Bridgeport clone, NT40 with DRO, an excellent machine). Since the base dimensions are scattered over 3 pages of very complex plans, and I am still relatively unfamiliar with them, I am approaching the machining with great caution. At this stage I am aiming to create some flat and coplanar surfaces, with a margin of material remaining, so I can hold the base flat, without rocking, roughing out the shape, and leaving finishing to dimensions at a later date. I intend to attach the base to a rectangular piece of aluminium, so the aluminium can be clamped or held in a vice, rather than risking damaging the brass casting.

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October 21, 2014

CASTINGS ARRIVE AT LAST!!

Today I received a 16.6kg package by courier. It was too heavy for the regular post. It contained the castings for the model triple expansion steam engine, which I am hoping to build in the next year or so. I am told that on average this model takes 3000 hours to complete. That is a scary thought. Almost unbelievable. But when I calculate how many hours went into the much simpler single cylinder beam engine (maybe 600-800), I guess that it is not an unrealistic estimate. Just as well that I am close to retirement age.

The castings were made in NSW Australia, and supplied by Kelly Mayberry at EJ Winter.

All carefully wrapped

The castings are all brass, gunmetal, or bronze

The castings are all brass or gunmetal. There must be at least 100 of them.

Looks like the condensor chamber, as part of the engine frame.

The base.

A large chunk of brass, the intermediate and low pressure cylinders.

The castings appear to be free of holes or defects

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October 21, 2014

ROYAL GEELONG SHOW

A well known exhibitor and his eclectic display of steam valves. A small part of the Model Engineering display is visible at back.

The annual “Royal Geelong Show” was held last weekend. It has been held for the past 159 years. Farmers exhibit their best cattle, pigs, sheep, alpacas etc and produce, there are various equestrian events, tractor pulls, Lanz bulldog races, dog breed competitions, and all of the side shows, show bags, and amusement park rides which accompany most agricultural-regional shows.

At the show grounds, Geelong is fortunate to have a well established antique engine display, featuring many steam powered stationary engines, traction engines, steam trucks, tractors, etc etc., many which live there permanently, such as a ships triple expansion steam engine, and many which are brought in just for the show.

There is also a model engineering display, of dozens of working, steam powered small engines. It is always a source of fascination to the many visitors.

A competition is held for recently constructed models, and I was very lucky and thrilled to receive the first prize for the Bolton 12 beam engine. Second prize was for a rebuilt antique pressure gauge, and third for a Stuart twin cylinder “Victoria” stationary engine.

To see the beam engine working, look at the older posts, at the bottom of this page

The rebuilt antique pressure gauge by Stuart .

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October 3, 2014

RIDDERS “BOBBER” HEAT ENGINE

As you can see from the picture, the Ridders “bobber” is quite a pretty engine.
If it works perfectly it develops just enough power to revolve, but not enough to do any work or to overcome any perceptible internal friction.
Unfortunately, my Ridders does not even turn over with the heat applied. It revolves freely by hand, so I do not see where the problem is. In any case, now that I know how powerless these machines are, I have lost interest in spending more time on it, and I am returning to paint and finish the beam engine.
The pictures are for interest only.

(ps. Note made April 2017. About a year after I originally posted this, I returned to the Bobber. I made a new piston from graphite, replaced the 3 steel balls with ceramic balls and retried it. It still did not work. Then I tried varying the number of ceramic balls. With 2 balls, it ran perfectly! Smooth and fast. There is a video of the feat in a later post.)

This is the first engine which I have made which does not function.

Almost fully machined Ridder “bobber” heat engine.
With heat applied.
Unfortunately it does not work.

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September 22, 2014

Beam Engine Ready for Painting

I uncovered the beam engine last weekend, and thought about painting some of the machined parts. I quite like the look of the machined metal and the rough cast surfaces, but some bits really look as if they should have some colour.

The engine itself is almost fully machined. Just needs things like gaskets, pump hookups, some bolt lengths trimmed.

The copper exhaust pipe will eventually hook up to a steam condensing unit which is yet to be built. The condensing unit will be housed underneath.

I am planning to polish the aluminium base to a mirror finish, and paint the dark cast iron surfaces in a dark green gloss paint. Some items I will electroplate with nickel.

I have no 3 phase power in my workshop at present, due to a failed component in the phase-changer, but it has been repaired and will be reinstalled in a day or so. Then back to the machining. The painting can wait.

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September 13, 2014

CNC MILL 9

Yesterday I cut some metal on the CNC mill for the first time.
I used one of the canned cycles built into the CNC controller, and faced and squared off a lump of brass which will be used for a hot air engine (The Ridder “bobber”).
Despite multiple readings of the manual, I got confused about which units required minus signs, and which ones the machine automatically assumed were positive and negative, and consequently, despite resting my hand on the emergency stop button in case such a contingency occurred, the head crashed straight into the milling vice, breaking 4 carbide tips and leaving a permanent love bite on the vice as a reminder of my incompetence.
After some expletives deleted, I re-entered the numbers, and next time, the machine went through its motions gracefully, purposefully, and quietly, leaving me with a nicely shiny and squared lump of brass.
It was so impressive, that I repeated the exercise, just for fun.
I had checked the squareness of the mill head to the table, and it was all within 0.01mm in 100mm, so nothing was altered.
I had bought a Z axis probe from CTC Tools in Hong Kong, and that was easy to use and accurate, for $a100.
Next step, to hook up a computer and try to download G code programs. Watch this space.

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August 31, 2014

CNC MILL 8

Another day, another problem solved….
I am sure that these ramblings are incredibly boring to everyone, so understand that I am recording them for my own benefit, as a diary, as much as for the interest of anyone else who might be thinking of leaping into buying an older CNC mill.
So today I looked at the lubrication pump.
The manual says that it operates automatically on machine startup, then every 30 minutes, as long as the oil pressure is not too high. But the pump showed absolutely no sign of functioning at any time. And the ways and ball screws were totally dry until I lubricated them with an oil can.
Today I spent hours tracing wires and looking at relays, until my friend Jason S, who is a machine designer, came and had a look for me. He put a multi meter on the wires, and everything seemed intact. Then he identified the appropriate contactor (which I gather is really a big relay), and held it in, and lo and behold the pump worked. So the problem was with the pump controlling mechanism. Then Jason surmised that if he had designed the mill, he would have had the lubrication pump working only if the ball screws and ways were actually in use, not just if the machine was switched on. So next test was to watch the pump with the ball screws activated. Lo and behold the pump worked! So what was the problem? Why was the oil not coming through?
We disconnected some oil lines, and they were dry. So we manually pumped the lubrication pump until the lines filled, (i.e. primed them) and tried the lubrication system again, with the axes working, and it worked!

So the bloody manual was misleading. The lubrication system does not work when the machine is switched on. It only works when the ball screws are operating. And the machine has been out of action for so long that the oil lines had dried out.

Another gripe with the manual, was when I tried to get a canned cycle working (dry run, with no work piece or cutter). I followed the instruction steps exactly, and nothing happened. I retried, with the same result. I tried another canned cycle… same result. Then Jason arrived, and followed the steps.. same result. Then he said “what is that DATA button for? I had no idea. It is not mentioned in the manual. So we tried pushing it, and halelujah, the canned cycle worked.
So why was it not mentioned in the manual ?????
Do people who write manuals, ever test their own instructions? Or try them with an end user???
So bloody frustrating and such a waste of time.

(note added a few days later… I found the DATA key described in a different section of the manual. My mistake, it was there all of the time. If I had read the manual from start to finish entirely, and remembered the entire 150 pages – or whatever – I would not have had the problem. Silly me. )

Anyway, another step towards making some chips.

So now for the final test, the hookup with a computer using a serial port. Fortunately I have an old computer with a serial port, and I will hook it up soon.

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August 30, 2014

CNC MILL 7

Z axis problem fixed!

My friend Stuart T methodically checked the wires and connections, and diagnosed a problem involving the Z axis encoder. He resorted to removing the encoder, to look at it more closely, and said ” that came off a bit too easily. I wonder if the shaft is connecting properly”. Sure enough, the shaft was loose, which explains the bizarre Z movements followed by a total loss of position information. Someone has joined the 6mm shaft to a 1/4″ socket, and it had probably worked loose during the transport from Echuca to Geelong.

So we quickly made a sleeve to join the 6mm shaft to the 6.35mm socket, tightened it all up, soldered a few wires which broke during the inspection, and hooray it all worked perfectly. Hallelujah.

Oh, and that $20 Chinese hand wheel. It was 10 mm thicker than the originals, and looked out of place, so I chucked in the the lathe, and turned it down to the same 18mm thickness as the originals. It was made of hard plastic-bakelite material which smelled really offensive while I was machining it, and was very abrasive. Tool steel lathe bits were just worn away, but a carbide insert tool coped OK. The reshaped hand wheel looks and feels much better.

Just the oil lubrication pump to fix, then I can start making chips.

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August 29, 2014

CNC MILL 6

Help!

I need a wiring diagram for the Extron mill.

It is a Hafco badged machine, but Hafco (Hare & Forbes) do not have wiring info. The Extron factory in Taiwan has not replied to my emails. Hare & Forbes apparently contacted the factory, and also drew a blank about wiring info.

That is pretty unimpressive. The machine is only 17 years old. In built obsolescence? Just not worth while supporting older machines? If it was a US or European machine there would be no problem getting info. It seems that this Asian factory has a different idea about what constitutes support.

Fortunately I have an expert friend who will, I am confident, be able to work it out.

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August 25, 2014

CNC MILL 5 with some more pics

The broken X axis hand wheel. replacement from China for $a20, including postage….

The replacement folding handle hand wheels arrived from Hong Kong today. I was slightly disappointed in the quality, but then, for $a20 each, including postage, I am not complaining. They are close in appearance to the originals.

The new hand wheel fitted. On the table is a spare new hand wheel, and the broken one. I am considering machining the new one, to be closer in dimensions to the old one.

This is the pneumatic draw bar motor and spring loaded engagement gear. It is now functioning!! I rebuilt a badly corroded valve, and remade a gasket, and hooray, it works perfectly. Still to replace the cover which keeps the dust out of the device. That saves $a700+ for a replacement, and gives me confidence to work on these precision items in the future. The motor behind the draw bar motor is the main spindle motor, a 6hp 3 phase motor with a very noisy fan which is another job for down the track. One thing at a time. We are getting there. I have contacted Extron Corp in Taiwan, in the hope of getting a wiring diagram, so I can look at the oil distribution pump and controller and locate the relay, which I suspect will be the culprit. It does feel good to have fixed 2 of the 5 or 6 problems with this machine.

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August 24, 2014

CNC Mill 4 (with some pics)

Now that I have a couple of days cleaning off the carelessly applied paint, I am prepared to show some photos.
The trouble with a 17 year old machine, even if it has done little work, is that repairs are required before it can be used.
1. New hand wheel
2. Z axis acting strangely. ? encoder faulty, or broken wires.
3. Pneumatic drawbar not working ? needs replacing.
4. Auto lubrication system not functioning. ? relay faulty, other problem.
5. Operator needs considerable training.

The only available space in my workshop was in front of the door

Showing the table, with the tool rests removed, the hand wheels including the broken X axis hand wheel, the turret and the electrical box

The broken X axis hand wheel. replacement from China for $a20, including postage….

Showing the X axis ball screw, the hand wheel gearing, and the coated way (? Teflon)

The control box for the pneumatic power drawbar (not working), and the automatic lubrication pump and reservoir (also not working).

The CNC input control panel. I am still learning how to use this.

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August 22, 2014

CNC MILL 3

Pneumatic draw bar. The draw bar was not functioning at all. One of the valves was completely corroded, so I rebuilt it, making a new rim from brass and attaching it with Locktite. The draw bar now functions, but it leaks air badly. A gasket needs replacing, and I will renew that. But if it is still unusable, I will buy a new air draw bar.

I turned on the mill for the first time today.
It booted up, and self tested OK. The servo motors and spindle work fine, and smoothly. The axes move up to 4000mm per minute. The spindle runs quietly up to 4000rpm. (not immediately. I ran it for 10 minutes at a low speed as per the instructions). There seems to be some limits to the travel on the X and Z axes, not related to the hard limits. There must be some soft limits set incorrectly.

All of the ways were dry. There is an automatic oiler, with plenty of oil in the reservoir. I used an oil can to lube all of the ways and the ball screws, because I am not sure if the auto oiler is functioning. It is meant to operate on startup, and then every 30 minutes. Another item to check.

This mill is an Extron, with 1000mm travel on the X axis, and approx 500mm on the Y and Z axes. It is big (for me) heavy and smooth. I expected that it would need some attention because it has not been used in years. So far the revealed problems have been with the peripheral items and cosmetics, and not the major components or the electronics. So far so good. I will post some pics soon.

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August 18, 2014

CNC Mill 2

I was on call over the weekend, so I had today off, and spent it in the workshop. It was cold. Jumper plus oilskin cold.
I crow-barred the space for the new mill, levelled the mill with a machinists level. One foot was missing so I turned up a new one… 75mm dia, 16mm thick, with a 20mm dia recess to accept the levelling bolt.
Then I started to tidy up the awful paint job, scraping paint off the machined parts, and using my Dremel to wire brush it off plastic parts. Starting to look more respectable.
Then I found a hand wheel control lever stop made from a rolled tube which had broken off at surface level. It was hardened, as I discovered when I tried to drill it out… changed the drill bit to mush. So I used the Dremel with a carbide bit to grind it out. That worked, but it took a lot of time, and I ended up with an irregular hole which I then drilled out to 5mm and tapped 6mm. I have inserted a temporary 6mm cap screw as the stop, and it works but looks a bit gross. Needs a tidy up.
The 3 phase lead does not reach my converter, so I have to replace it with a longer one. The plug is new, so I will re-use that. I have some 20 amp 4 wire lead, so I will use that. Maybe next weekend I will get to fire it up. Saturday is out though. Geelong – Hawthorn AFL game takes precendence.
I need to make some T nuts to suit the 18mm T slots. They are bigger than any machine I have previously owned. I will tap them to accept 12mm studs, rather than the recommended 16mm studs. I already have the 12mm studs, and I cannot see that I will need the bigger ones. If i was to use the table capacity of 900kg the big ones would be useful.

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August 14, 2014

CNC Mill

Today I took a half day off work, and booked a crane to lift my CNC mill off the truck onto a steel plate outside my shed, from where Des and I rolled the 2.8 tonne machine inside.
It has been under a tarp, in the rain, for the last week, so I am happy and relieved to have it indoors. Some surface rust was rubbed off. And I spent a few hours cleaning it up, oiling it, doing minor repairs and getting it ready for turning on soon.
One of the hand wheels has been broken and I have ordered replacements from Hong Kong. The pneumatic drawbar is not working. I have pulled it apart, identified the faulty part, and I will attempt to make a new part.
The mill is too big for where I have installed it. I have removed the side tool tables, but it is still too big. So I have some further crow barring of machines to make space.
I hope to connect it to the electrons in a few days.
It has been repainted at some stage. An awful paint job which has gone onto machined and plastic surfaces. I intend to spend time tidying it up, and one day I hope to repaint it more carefully.
Now I have my fingers crossed that the electronics and ball screws will work OK. It is a bit of a gamble.

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August 9, 2014

New Toy

I have been looking for a CNC milling machine for over a year. My requirements were that it had to be affordable, not too big for my workshop, not too big for my 3 phase converter (max 5hp), use Mach 3, and be in reasonable condition.

What I got was good value I hope, big, 6hp, does not use Mach 3, but I think that it is in reasonable condition.

See photo below.

It is an Extron (Taiwonese) 1997 model, vertical CNC mill, which uses a Fagor controller (not Mach 3), weighs 2.8 tonnes, and is BIG. Too big really, and I hope that I never have to move it again. It required a crane to lift it onto the truck which I borrowed from my neighbour. The truck (and me now, and the mill) smell of pig shit, because that is what the truck was used for the day before. But the 550km round trip to pick it up was completed safely. Now I have to organise a crane at my shed to lift it onto a steel plate outside my shed, from where I can push it into position (on rollers).

That was the longest truck trip I have driven since getting my heavy rigid licence a few years ago, and I feel quite proud to have completed it without a problem.

I will fire the mill up next weekend. Wish me luck.

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August 4, 2014

DIVERSION

I have heard that the castings for the triple expansion marine engine will be arriving in the next week or so. That is good news after waiting since the order was placed in January.
In the meantime, I have bought some castings and partly made components for a Burrell Traction Engine. It is 1.5″ scale, and I obtained some 1.5″ plans from EJ Winter for the Burrell. Unfortunately, one mans’ 1.5″ is anothers’ 1.45″ and the plans are not exactly correct for the castings! What would have been a difficult build, has turned into a very difficult build. So I have put it aside and will tackle it gradually. The plans will be some use, but as well as the difference in scale, there are differences in the designs. So I will have to make it up as I go, to a considerable extent.
My metal working club has promoted a competition for 2014, and it appeared to be a fairly simple build, so that is what I am currently machining. See the progress in the photos below. It is a Stirling heat engine, designed by J Ridders. You can see one working on the Ridders web site http://heetgasmodelbouw.ridders.nu

Almost finished stand for the cylinder fork.

Components made so far

The spirit burner, almost finished. Copper and brass, silver soldered.

Stirling “Bobber” plans

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July 19, 2014

Collet chuck for CNC lathe

I made this ER32 collet chuck for my Boxford CNC lathe. Actually I made 2 chucks, but the first one had 0.03mm runout, so I made this second one more carefully, and it has no measureable runout at all, at the chuck or 50mm out from the face.
The material is stainless steel, so it was difficult to drill the holes and tap the threads, and I used a few tungsten carbide inserts. I am very happy with the end result.
Thanks to Stuart T for the design.

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Image | June 2, 2014

Morning Mist at The Farm

A photo from 10-15 years ago, before the olive trees had blocked some distant views. The hills are the You Yangs. The buildings of Melbourne, 50km away, are just to the left of the pine plantation.
With the farm about to be transferred to new owners. I am feeling nostalgic. It has been a huge part of my life for the past 17 years.

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Image | June 1, 2014

I Love hydraulic POWER

As part of the farm sale, I had to remove 2 water tanks from the bottom of a steep slippery valley. The tanks were 2.8m high and 4,4m diameter, and weighed 1 tonne each. When full they hold 45 thousand litres of water each. i.e. they were big awkward and heavy, and easily damaged.
We pulled the first tank onto the truck tray, with a 4WD tractor. All OK, but the truck could not drive up the slippery track. Even with the tractor pulling the truck, it all came close to slipping off the track to disaster. Then my elderly farmer neighbour Des suggested using a steeper, but rocky track, and that was safely and successfully negotiated. Tank one placed in the top paddock ready for transport to the new owner.
The next tank was dug into the side of the hill, and required a couple of hours digging with a back hoe to free it enough to pull it free with the tractor.
We tried to pull it up the planks as per tank one, but the slope was steeper and the planks started breaking. So we used tractor hydraulics to do the lifting for us. See the next photo…

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Image | May 16, 2014

A MUSIC LESSON FOR THE METALWORKER'S APPRENTICE

John & John having more fun.
I did say that there would be no baby photos on this blog, but he is, after all, my future apprentice

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Image | May 15, 2014

Beam Engine Column after turning, before plating

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Image | May 15, 2014

BEAM ENGINE COLUMN CASTING

I still have not got the hang of this blogging stuff.
I tried to post 3 photos together, but wordpress accepted only the last photo posted.
So here is the first one in the series.
This is the casting of the beam engine column.
As you can see, it is roughly the shape desired. It was quite heavy, and had a very tough external skin which required carbide tooling to break through.

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Image | May 15, 2014

NICKEL PLATING CAST IRON

3 photos of the beam engine column
1. The casting, roughly the shape, with a very tough external layer
2 After turning, nicely shaped and shiny, but quickly develops surface rust
3. After nickel plating, not perfect, but not bad for a beginner. The nickel only plated those surfaces which had been machined. A few deep pits on the surface did not accept the nickel plating. I had conflicting advice about the adviseabilty of plating cast iron, but overall, I am quite pleased with end result. I might have overdone the electroplating brightener additive. One colleague called it engine “bling”.

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May 12, 2014

USING EBAY TO SELL FARM EQUIPMENT

I have sold 130 acres of my 135 acre farm. My 1500 olive trees, which I planted, nurtured, pruned, fertilised, and watered through a 10 year drought are looking magnificent (we have had more normal rainfall for the last 3 years, since signing the sale contracts). But we succumbed to the lure of the dollar, and sold. The olives were not profitable. Our land was too marginal. In an average year we get 390mm. In the drought years we were less than 300mm, officially a desert. The olives and the eucalypts and the peppercorns were the only trees to survive.

While olive trees are incredibly tolerant of drought, they will not produce decent olives if it is too dry. Plus, it costs me at least $20 per litre to produce olive oil, and European olive oil is being sold here for $5-10/litre, (?? being dumped again, like in the 60’s). So it is just not an economical proposition to continue. So the birds have been getting our crops for 7-8 years. But the trees look superb. I love them.

So we have sold up, and I had lots of farm stuff to sell. How to to it? Have a clearing sale, or list it on ebay? Clearing sale advantages are getting it over and done with in one day, 15-20% commission, everything goes, lots to organise, local buyers only. ebay: list one thing at a time, Australia wide market. Pick up only. 10% commission.

So I listed stuff on ebay, including items I considered junk.

I described them honestly. rust and all. lots of photos. pick up only.

And I have to say that I am very impressed with ebay!

Most things have sold. Some required 2-3 subsequent listings. Most items I started with a very low price. And I have had sales from as far away as Canberra (8 hours drive) and Ouyen (7 hours drive). Some things went rediculously cheap, but that would happen in a clearing sale. some things achieved quite good prices.

Sale prices have been quite OK. Ebay’s 10% commission seems high on a $7700 item , but fine on the $10 item. Overall acceptable.

Main problem has been travelling to the farm to be present at all of the pickups.

So overall, if doing this again, I would happily use ebay.

ps. I have retained my shed, including the workshop, for the time being. Not sad at seeing equipment go, but I know that I will be devastated when the olives are bulldozed.

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May 8, 2014

WILL THIS BLOG CONTINUE??

HI METALWORKERS, MODELLERS, STEAM HEADS & FRIENDS.

I have been posting these blogs for a few months now, and have had quite a few viewers and views from many countries.

While blogging has been interesting and fun for me, there has been very little feedback or comments.

Feedback is the pay back for the time and expense of the blogger.

So, please leave some comments about the blogs, positive, negative, good, bad, boring, interesting.

Otherwise I will take my bat and ball and go home.

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May 7, 2014

LAKE GOLDSMITH STEAM RALLY

Today I attended this steam rally near Ballarat Victoria Australia.

The weather was cold and wet, and accompanied by my brother Peter and friend Stuart S, we drove the 2 hours from home.

I had only a vague idea about what to expect, but it was so fantastic that I will be definitely going to future events there.

To explain, Lake Goldsmith is farm land, in pretty undulating countryside. 38 acres have been set aside for steam enthusiasts, and dozens of sheds of various sizes have been put up and filled with workshops and machines. Many of the steam engines were outside, so we were grateful for the shed displays whenever the rain set in.

There were hundreds and hundreds of steam engines, boilers, traction engines, early kerosine farm engines, vintage tractors, model engines.

There was a working timber mill, cutting huge pine slabs, powered by a superb steam engine. See the videos.

The star of the displays, is a working 90 ton steam shovel

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Video | May 7, 2014

MORE LAKE GOLDSMITH MACHINES

There are 2 “rallies” at Lake Goldsmith each year.
This collection of pics and videos is from some of the 65 sheds containing exhibits.
I thought that I would remember the details but there were so many……
Also, just iPhone pics. Next time I will take my Nikon.

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Video | May 6, 2014

STEAM POWERED SAWMILL, looks bloody dangerous to me!

at Lake Goldsmith Steam rally. 6 May 2014.
This must be the best value for the steam head, mech head, metalworker. male in the world today. I even saw some female types enjoying the show.
More vidoes to follow as my incredibly slow ADSL will upload them.
Next rally Nov 1 and 2 2014

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Video | May 4, 2014

BIGGEST WORKING STEAM SHOVEL IN THE WORLD

At Lake Goldsmith near Ballarat, Victoria, Australia

It is awesome!
Fantastic steam rally, held twice yearly.
Tractors, steam engines, saw mill (working), steam cars, and a profusion os steam experts.

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Image | April 30, 2014

INTO REDGUM

Maybe that’s what I meant with the “Interregnum” post.
This is a 20 tonne hydraulic press, bending 3mm steel.
Nothing too special. Except that the anvil is made of wood.
The bar is 45×45 steel, machined to an 80 degree edge, and that steel bar is pushing into it with all of 20 tonnes. And at the end of it, a nice 90 degree fold in the steel, an not a mark or a dent in the redgum. Redgum is amazing.
I used the wood because I did not have a piece of steel large enough to hand, and I knew from past experience just how tough this wood is. Our house rested on it for 80 years (wooden stumps, changed for concrete due to under ground rotting.)

Another photo follows to show some details.

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Image | April 29, 2014

Toolrest for Grinder -2

At least most of the wine ended up in the glass this time.

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Image | April 29, 2014

TOOLREST FOR GRINDER

This contraption is a toolrest for a benchgrinder. it was an early project when I started metalworking-machining, and was made mainly on a milling machine, and lathe.
The tool to be sharpened on the grinder (lathe cutter, chisel, screwdriver, saw blade etc) rests on the top platform. The top platform can be adjusted to any angle in 3 dimensions, using the brass handles. The 2 brass knobs are to present the work to the grinding wheel, and are graduated in thousanths of an inch. Sounds complicated and it is.
Designed by Harold Hall, with plans and instructions in his book “Milling, A complete course”.
The wine glass is for scale only. Although the level went down during the photography session. Must have evaporated.
I have nickel plated several components of this tool ,because of surface rust.

4 Comments

	John on Dodgy Dealings?
	daredesign on Dodgy Dealings?
	Robert Irving on Dodgy Dealings?
	John on Another Triple Expansion Steam…
	Huib Hoogendoorn on Another Triple Expansion Steam…

	John on Dodgy Dealings?
	daredesign on Dodgy Dealings?
	Robert Irving on Dodgy Dealings?
	John on Another Triple Expansion Steam…
	Huib Hoogendoorn on Another Triple Expansion Steam…

Tag: John

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