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Home built CNC Mill - Gonna make a 1911


StraightUp_OG

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Like running length wise with dial indicator? Lol hmm maybe that is my issue

Yes it should be indicated In for level and square regardless of the vise being square.

I know for me I have to really pay attention to the level in the Y as well. I've got an el cheapo vise and when it tightens it lifts on one side, the moving jaw. I've adjusted the tension screw as much as possible but it still lifted like 0.010" when tightened. I ended up putting shims behind the tops of the vise jaws so the jaws have a slight angle to them. Now when it tightens it holds pretty level but I still tap it down as I'm tightening and then check with an indicator.

Just trying to say that Brian is dead on, you gotta check after you think it's ready to go. Took me a while to figure out why my cuts looked so bad lol.

Wish Orange made a single 4", anybody have/like the Glacern vise?

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Yep that's what it is Kevin

Why you got it apart?

Just finishing up the CNC conversion. Gonna clean it up and put some paint on it. Hopefully it's going back together for the last time lol. Looking forward to having a usable mill again not just a project scattered in the garage.

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I feel like a dip! I had only been using a level to check the slide :-( I was thinking "ok I have squared the table to the head and the vise to the head so the slide should be parallel with the travel of the X so if it was leveled within the vise side to side and length wise then it was ok". Oops

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I feel like a dip! I had only been using a level to check the slide :-( I was thinking "ok I have squared the table to the head and the vise to the head so the slide should be parallel with the travel of the X so if it was leveled within the vise side to side and length wise then it was ok". Oops

All of us are learning the hard way lol. I think if we had better tooling all of that would be true. But with my vise definitely not. The X is repeatable, the fixed jaw is always parallel to my machine but I've found the part I put in the vise isn't always that way. And the movement in the moving jaw is frustrating. A new vise is on my 2015 list for sure. Glacern is a front runner right now.

As long as we're on the topic of level and square. If you do get that grizzly mill you're gonna have to spend some time getting it squared up. The Z column bolts to the back of the x/y base with four bolts. I had to shim mine in the y and spend some time tilting it in the x before it was cool. They don't come squared up out of the box.

It wasn't really that big of deal, I had to take the column off to to get it in the garage anyway. Fully disassembled I could hand carry all the parts, can't do that with a bridgeport lol.

Edited by kevinj308
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Glacern is a well respected name brand on the Home Shop Machinist Forums. No one has had anything bad to say about them, only good. I am running all Kurt vises so this is second hand information. Some of the Home Shop guys are fairly accomplished, the same as some of the Enos guys.

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with the sales glacern has now I'm tempted to pick up a vice, 2.5" face mill and 1" insert cutter. all very cheap right now. And I havent heard anything bad about them either, especially for the price

Edited by amish_rabbi
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In regards to indicating a slide in using a Yavapari Jig as everyone knows these are not always machined level or square. What I did was indicate the slide level, indicate the Z on the slide, indicated the X in along the slide then I flat topped and milled the sides of the slide. Then clamp the slide in the vise on parallels then mill the sides of the fixture and the bottom( which is on top now).

Next time you have a slide to work on this will get you within a few thousands right from the start and save time on a lot of indicating. And of course only do all of this if your mill is trammed in and vise indicated square.

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OK this is my first ever how to video. Did it in just one take and a quick edit makes for not so riveting content but it should get the idea across. It was tough trying to express an idea in words while I was juggling the camera and working the tools, need more practice. I kept saying 1/5000 which is .0002 but I am really aiming for .0005 I hope this helps a little and I will make part 2 as time permits.

Edited by StraightUp_OG
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Hi OG -

Great vid ! You are doing a lot of things right. I can give you a couple of tips to make things faster and easier.

Tramming the vise -

You are right to use the dial test indicator on the fixed jaw. You can turn the dial face (bezel) to put the zero wherever the needle is. Zero is the easiest number to remember and work with. You want to use the level on the bed of the vise rather than the movable jaw. It will be a more accurate reading. Better yet, use the indicator on the bed to check for parallel to the ways of the mill.

When indicating the vise for square, tighten the bolt on the side you start with the indicator. Move across to the other side and get that to the same zero. Tighten that bolt and loosen the bolt on the other side just enough to move the vise. Go back to the first side and get that zero again and tighten that bolt. A few times back and forth this way will have you squared up in a couple of minutes. Make sure you have washers under the bolt heads. That will help keep the vise from moving when you tighten the bolts.

General -

If you can, get a manual pulse generator to move the mill around with when doing small movements. That is an electronic handwheel that you can move the mill around with just like a manual machine, one axis at a time. You can also use it to mill with if you have something you don't want to write a program for. It is much easier and more controllable than jogging.

You are doing great work, I enjoy reading your posts. Keep on keepin' on!

All the Best -

Warren

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