My home workshop dreams are coming true

[kitatit]

Hi guys,

Well I'd like to say "long story short" but I'm not very good at that, so here goes a ramble

I haven't been around much for a while but I've made great progress in working towards my dream of having my own home workshop and thought I'd share some pics and my experience converting my milling machine to run on single phase. I'm so happy and am having the best fun and wanted to show you my babies. It's starting to make going to work a real drag.


I'm still keen on lasers and building things, however I got to a point with my experimenting and learning about lasers and optics where I was quiet frustrated. As I have't worked as a machinist for a few years now, I don't have ready access to the machines I need. My friend Phil had been very generous in letting me drop into his shop and use a free mill and lathe from time to time but I didn't want to wear out my welcome.

It's always been my dream to have my own mill and lathe to make my ideas a reality but I've always though that with most of the decent machines being 3phase it wouldn't be until I had my own place with 3 phase power, that I'd be able to get my own mill. Well, I started looking at smaller single phased milling machines and in my searching I spent a bit of time on the practical machinist forum.

I knew there was a few methods for getting 3 phase machinery to run on single phase, but remembered it either being expensive, inefficient or both.

"What are these variable frequency drive things they are talking about?"
VFD if you are searching. Most people in Australia I talk to about them call them Variable Speed Drives, VSD, but they are the same thing. Long story short they have become relatively cheap to buy and readily available. What can you do with it? Well, it's important to know that they aren't a phase converter, they are a 3phase motor driver. Also, I believe you can't go much more powerful than this 2kW (single phase to three phase trick) which is on the low end of industrial machines. What's really cool is that you can supply single phase power to the drive, wire the 3phase motor to the outputs and you are in business!

……Actually it took me quiet a few more steps, head scratching and a useful learning process about 3phase motors and how they are wired and work. I'd do some research and buy a model VFD/VDS that has a friendly user manual. Mine was Chinese and while not terrible, It wasn't written for someone with no experience of VSDs. I'm lucky my Dad is an electrician so I can call him to supplement the info online. Some of the brands like Hitatch, ABB, ect. might be a little easier. I'd strongly recommend a licensed electrician or work under the guidance of one. Due to most of the information about doing this conversion being US centric, some points aren't covered in detail relating to converting a Bridgeport mill or the copies made for countries with 220/230/240V single phase outlets. Also the motors for these regions are quiet possibly, not suitable to be wired in delta. This necessitated a new motor and likely the need to make an adaptor plate and bore out the motor pulley and broach a new keyway. (Nothing a motor shop can't handle) and it wasn't expensive either. It was a bit of a winding path to get things working but I did and I'm so please with the results. I won't ramble on as I tend to do (Ha! too Late for that), but if anyone wants to do a similar thing, let me know. I'll help you save some time and money with a few clues I learnt. (Oh, I recommend buying a clamp meter to measure motor current too)

The machine.
-1980 build Bridgeport mill 9"x42"
-original motor, switchable 2HP 2 pole/4pole 380/440V 3phase.(Wasn't suitable to be driven via a VSD)
-new motor, WEG 1.5kW 2pole 240v/415V 3phase.
-Variable Speed Drive, Powtran PI8100 2.2kW.
-Motor adaptor plate.
-Fagor 4 axis digital readout.

I'd like to give a massive thank you to Jordi Luque (jors) from Atenlaser !!
The digital readout I wanted was made by Fagor in Spain. Thanks Spain I like your style! It was extremely expensive in Australia.
It's one of, if not the best DRO in the world but is pricey. I couldn't justify the cost but after buying after market linear encoders and Jordi helping me save a lot of money by facilitating me getting one from Spain, my dream DRO was in my hands. Without knowing me before this, Jordi was most welcoming and very obligingly went out of his way to help a then, stranger on the other side of the world. Well, we most definitely aren't strangers anymore!
Thanks Jordi, You are a true gentleman! I won't forget it.

And the other addition to the family?
A single phase 1.5kW Taiwanese lathe. I really like it. It's got a really smooth action and easy to do accurate work on. It's still a current model but I managed to buy a second hand one with only 30hrs on it. It's a model that's been made for 25 years and is badged as a few different brands around the world. Here in Aus. it is called a Hafco AL-960B. It can swing 300mm and 925mm between centres with a 40mm spindle bore. I put a quick change tool post on it. I hope to put a digital readout on it soon and eventually I'll probably put a VSD, 3phase motor to make it run faster, a little quieter and also be able to drive the spindle in constant surface speed mode.

Tooling has already cost far more than I paid for my mill but my dreams are coming true!!

Cheers.
Kit

Here are a "few pics" I whittled down from 300. Hopefully they tell a story.

[danielbriggs]

Great work Kit!
Those Bridgeports are excellent - good choice.
I used a very similar one when I was at the lab; it was "2 axis" CNC; and you set the Z-depth / quill manually. Super duper machines

Keep up the good work!

[LaNeK779]

if only you two and a couple of others lived closer to each other.....

machining p0rn kit!! well deserved, too! anxious to see it producing swarf

[kitatit]

Hi Dan and Chris yeah this girl has been in a few movies :P actually I was s little hasty when I made the purchase. She's a little more worn than I'd like. I have to set the gibs so I've only got 300mm travel in the x axis before i need two hands to wind the handle. It's mostly not s problem as most stuff I'd pretty small. Fly cutting a large base plate for a projector is probably out. I've machined a couple of bits and they've been accurate. So I'm happy. The DRO lets you sum the z axis and the quill so you can lower the knee to make room for s long cutter or tapping head and it will retain the z axis datum relative to the tool. It can also retain hole location programs which are handy for do small runs of repeat parts and recalling them later. I bought a pneumatic power drawbar which will speed things up too. It will never be s production machine but a few little tweaks help me make the most of my available machining time. The VSD kicks ass. I almost never have to change drive belts now or use the manual break to slow the spindle quickly.

I'd love a cnc and did contemplate the CNC retrofit option for s few seconds and decided to stay focused. This is for prototypes and small runs of s few parts. Prove designs then get them CNCed somewhere else.

Cheers
Kit

[andy_con]

love a good milling project, keep up the good work and keep us up to day

[kitatit]

Thanks Andy I swapped the morse taper arbor on my tapmatic tapping head last week for an R8 and used it on my mill for the first time. Loved it.

And you to. I've been real impressed how you learnt to use your CNC. It shows that you love what you do and you've made some top parts. I've been in the shed making something and caught myself in a moment of joy and actually said to myself "Yes! I'm machining parts on my own &$#%in lathe" yep it's a good place to be, it's been a long time coming. As we all do, we spend a lot of time doing things we'd rather not but designing something and making it yourself is my Nervana.

Happy swarf filled floors

[andy_con]

when i get home later in my cnc milling thread ill post a few rather cool and interesting youtube videos. there are 100's of ace cnc vids on youtube and its almost a weekly thing where me and dan are sending each other links. i spend far to much time looking at cnc stuff on youtube.

theres nothing more satisfying than designing a part in CAD, taking a lump of ally and turning it into that part. i also love the science behing machining. currently i have my denford traic, which is my main machine, i have a denford starmill which ive never used since i day i purchased it but do plan on doing it up at some point in life and i have my eagle 25 manual mill. would never get rid of my manual mill, so handy

[kitatit]

Yep, some of those vids of 5 axis machining a scull ect are mental!

Yes, CNC mill is my holy grail. Apart from the I'm impressed with myself that I restrained myself from going CNC just yet. After all I'm still in a rented house and a small machine shop in the garage is kind of taking the piss I've covered the walls and floor though and used some old office particians to keep the mess in. I want to buy a boring head but prices are a kick in the pants. When wallet has stopped smoking and the sherif isn't looking I'll get one. Www.arceurotrade.co.uk has one that's a bout half the price I can get one in Aus.
This one here at the top of the page http://www.arceurotrade.co.uk/Catalo...s/Boring-Tools. It's a clone but can't go to far wrong for the money. Obviously not required for CNC buy most definitely get getting used by me to more lense mounts ect.

It's fun choosing the right process for each job too. Sometimes laser cutting, welding, powder coating makes sense. Or 3D printed plastic or machining and anodizing.

[danielbriggs]

I want to buy a boring head but prices are a kick in the pants.

Maybe see if you can get a Wohlhaupter UPA 2 or similar for cheap on eBay. They are the best money can buy, and will probably outlive your machine
I was very kindly given one by a retiring precision engineer about 18 months ago; it's an absolutely amazing bit of kit

[andy_con]

I don't know why the forum doesn't like returns but this should keep you busy for a few hours

http://www.photonlexicon.com/forums/...-Shizzle/page7