Milling machine - video

[Jon]

Congratulations SteelCraft - your milling machine is the Homemade Tool of the Month for June 2024!

This is an epic build that we have been following for years, and a worthy winner of our first Homemade Tool of the Month contest.

Some more good builds from June:

Dremel EZ Lock Modification by ductape
Current Sensor by BuffaloJohn
Thickness Caliper by olderdan
Leadscrew Half-Nut by h7eh7e
Sandblaster Foot Pedal by garagehobbyist
Electrical Connector Filing Template by Occasional machinist
Chamfered Spacer Cutting Tool by Mook
Soil Compactor by warsztatOdZera
Snake Catching Tools by desbromilow


SteelCraft - You'll be receiving a $250 cash prize, in your choice of Amazon, PayPal, or bitcoin. Please PM me your current email address and prize choice and I'll get it sent over right away.

And, you'll now notice the new four-column award in the awards showcase in your postbit, visible beneath your username:

[SteelCraft]

Thank you very much for the prize. This notification was nice suprise in my brithday!


Ofcourse project continues:

Currently I'm working on control panel for my milling machine.

Swivel arm is made from 50x50x2 [mm] square tube:


Box for electronics and switches is made from 2 [mm] steel sheet (a little bit overkill but I don't like when whole thing bends while pushing the buttons):



This big area in the left corner is left for DRO lcd screen. I won't cut it untill I buy one. Cutting too big window would be fatal failure for apperance of whole thing.

[ductape]

Congratulations, and happy birthday!

[SteelCraft]

I did some wiring in control panel. I also bought DRO but lcd screen got damaged during transport and now I'm waiting for screen replacement.

[SteelCraft]

Still waiting for new lcd screen, meanwhile I installed linear scales with covers.




I have to find a nice solution for cable managment.

[mwmkravchenko]

These are going to be great additions. The linear scales will allow easier milling work.

Mark

[SteelCraft]

DIY Y axis covers made out of waterproof fabric. Sections of the covers have dove tail matching plates so they fold nicely.




I'm going to make the same covers for Z axis guides.

[SteelCraft]

Z axis cover is done

[SteelCraft]

New video!
Part 15, DRO, VFD, way covers.

[SteelCraft]

Temporary X axis power feed from literaly trash. I used motor with planetary gearbox from very very old cordless drill leftovers (20+ years old), to change shaft direction and multiply torque I connected it to gearbox from broken 125 [mm] angle grinder gear box (extra 1:3 reduction ratio) and then I used chain and sprockets from bike I found on junkpile adding 1:2 reduction. The lowest feed rate it can go is 30 [mm/min] and the fastest is 350 [mm/min]. I was testing it a lot, this small 12v motor was barely warm. I will use it until I build proper power feed unit (hopefully before winter)
I also added very simple clutch made from polyamide (left over from bulding a milling head), it's actuated by m6 screw.

This improvised power feed unit is controlled by PWM controller on panel from previous video. That's why I put there XT90 connectors. I can change direction with 3 position switch, set the feed rate and use fast travel function.

Cost? 3 hours of figuring out how to connect all those things, 1 hours of making it and 4 bolts to put everything together