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Metalworking (rec.crafts.metalworking) Discuss various aspects of working with metal, such as machining, welding, metal joining, screwing, casting, hardening/tempering, blacksmithing/forging, spinning and hammer work, sheet metal work. |
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Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
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Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!!!!!!! O'Yeah!
Well, I finished the dual spindle mount today.
I got it rough fitted right now. Still need to level the top and bottom pieces, but the levelers for raising and lowering the spindles independently work fine. I decided to add levelers to both handles so I could raise one and lower the other for single cutting or level them both for dual cutting. Nothing fancy. Just a 1/4 20 stainless bolt threaded on up the shoulder and my original single clamps drilled and threaded to sit between the dual clamp mount. I had to pull the main spindle motor, and for the first time ever my stepper motor was able to raise and lower the Z-Axis from stop to stop without binding. I don't mean just short of the stop, but right up to it. I knew that 12 pound (I put it on the scale) motor had to be a load for that little 280oz stepper motor. I imagine the twisting force had to be a lot more than that since its center of gravity was several inches out in front of the Z-Axis ways. After I realized how much better the Z-Axis moved I decided to tighten it up some and adjust the gibbs. It took a little while, but I got it dialed in with zero noticeable slop, and it still ran stop to stop without binding. Previously I always used the z-axis below 4 inches, kept it loose, and kept it tuned at 10 IPM. By doing that I was able to do a lot of work without too much trouble. After doing all of that I got into my software motor tuning and set the Z axis for 30 inches per minute for fast travels. Same speed as I have the X & Y set for. Again, stop to stop repeatedly with no binding or even sounding like it was working hard. I wrote a short piece of code to run it too just short of its limits back and forth and ZIP. If these flex handles work out and I can get a pair of those that will use collets upto .250 I may NEVER put that spindle motor back on. I may even remove the spindle itself and make a different set of dual spindle mounting brackets that come right off the carriage instead of being mounted to the spindle t-slots. Oh, yeah. I go that new tool glow... only better. |