Centroid Community CNC Support Forum

That seems like a more accurate way Tom, what about a centering device to get the chuck in the ballpark, and an indicator for fine tuning?

That works too. If you make a plug, make a couple thou under so you have slop to play with. I've never had vise/chuck keys that were anywhere as accurate as indicating.

, I was planning to make one about 0.1mm (2 thou) under my measured size.

I would make a chuck flange and mount this centric on the rotary. You can trun the centering ring on the chuck flange -0.2mm and drill radial setscrews in the chuck, so it is easy to align the chuck with a clamped workpiece. This also keeps the bore open if it is needed.



(poor man's version of chucks like these:
https://store.bison-chuck.com/de/en/3-j ... 4-200.html)



But I prefer to use a chuck with 4 independent clamping jaws.

Uwe

Your right Uwe, accuracy is much greater with a 4 jaw chuck, but I've got a 3 jaw one. I haven't really got a use for the rotary axis ATM, so Ill just use the centering device I've made to install the chuck and use a dial gauge to get it concentric. If I use it a bit, then I'll revisit things.
Time to move on.
I've made a to do list for the mill setup, and I'm getting closer every day.
Here is the current to do list:
1/ Get knee working -Done.
2/ Make x,y,z cables -Done.
3/ Make new plate to mount knee motor -Done.
4/ Get new belt for servo motor on knee -Done.
5/ Cut key-way in upper knee pulley.
6/ Get coolant under Acorn control.
7/ Mount controller on mill.
8/ Setup new MPG (when it arrives). Partly done.
9/ Register Acorn mill software. -Done
10/ Make bracket and fit touch screen and NUC to mill arm -Partly done.
11/ Mount E-Stop Switch.
12/ Make cable for Rotary Axis. -Done
13/ Setup Rotary Axis with Acorn. Partly done.
14/ Calibrate X axis steps per mm Partly done.
15/ Calibrate y axis steps per mm Partly done.
16/ Calibrate z axis steps per mm Partly done.
17/ Sort out home switches - in progress.

This of course can be added to.....

Here is the current to do list, the list is getting a few more completed items every time I post it.

Thanks to Uwe and Tom for giving me the solution to moving the mill after homing. I just needed to edit cncm.hom.

1/ Get knee working -Done.
2/ Make x,y,z cables -Done.
3/ Make new plate to mount knee motor -Done.
4/ Get new belt for servo motor on knee -Done.
5/ Cut key-way in upper knee pulley. - Done
6/ Get coolant under Acorn control.
7/ Mount controller on mill.
8/ Setup new MPG (when it arrives). Done.
9/ Register Acorn mill software. -Done
10/ Make bracket and fit touch screen and NUC to mill arm - Partly done.
11/ Mount E-Stop Switch.
12/ Make cable for Rotary Axis. - Done
13/ Setup Rotary Axis with Acorn. - Done.
14/ Calibrate X axis steps per mm - Done.
15/ Calibrate y axis steps per mm - Done.
16/ Calibrate z axis steps per mm - Done.
17/ Sort out home switches - - Done.
18/ Calibrate A axis steps per degree 1/ Get knee working - Done.
2/ Make x,y,z cables - Done.
3/ Make new plate to mount knee motor - Done.
4/ Get new belt for servo motor on knee - Done.
5/ Cut key-way in upper knee pulley. - Done
6/ Get coolant under Acorn control.
7/ Mount controller on mill.
8/ Setup new MPG (when it arrives). - Done.
9/ Register Acorn mill software. - Done
10/ Calibrate A axis steps per degree - Done.
11/ Mount E-Stop Switch.
12/ Make cable for Rotary Axis. - Done
13/ Setup Rotary Axis with Acorn. - Done..
14/ Calibrate X axis steps per mm - Done.
15/ Calibrate y axis steps per mm - Done.
16/ Calibrate z axis steps per mm - Done.
17/ Sort out home switches - Done.
18/ Make mill move axis to the desired positions after automatic homing is finished. - Done

Good to see you are working step by step with system, this is the key to success without frustration.

Sometimes slow is fast

Uwe

Thanks Uwe, I suffer from a poor memory, so if I don't keep a list, then a project is full of surprises

Apparently I need to change my + homing direction on the knee, as per Cncsw's post on my homing thread.
"If your Z axis moves the knee of a knee mill, then the Z-plus direction (e.g. M92) should be knee-down."
An updated to do list:
1/ Get knee working -Done.
2/ Make x,y,z cables -Done.
3/ Make new plate to mount knee motor -Done.
4/ Get new belt for servo motor on knee -Done.
5/ Cut key-way in upper knee pulley. - Done
6/ Get coolant under Acorn control.
7/ Mount controller on mill.
8/ Setup new MPG (when it arrives). Done.
9/ Register Acorn mill software. -Done
10/ Make bracket and fit touch screen and NUC to mill arm - Partly done.
11/ Mount E-Stop Switch.
12/ Make cable for Rotary Axis. - Done
13/ Setup Rotary Axis with Acorn. - Done.
14/ Calibrate X axis steps per mm - Done.
15/ Calibrate y axis steps per mm - Done.
16/ Calibrate z axis steps per mm - Done.
17/ Sort out home switches - - Done.
18/ Calibrate A axis steps per degree 1/ Get knee working - Done.
2/ Make x,y,z cables - Done.
3/ Make new plate to mount knee motor - Done.
4/ Get new belt for servo motor on knee - Done.
5/ Cut key-way in upper knee pulley. - Done
6/ Get coolant under Acorn control.
7/ Mount controller on mill.
8/ Setup new MPG (when it arrives). - Done.
9/ Register Acorn mill software. - Done
10/ Calibrate A axis steps per degree - Done.
11/ Mount E-Stop Switch.
12/ Make cable for Rotary Axis. - Done
13/ Setup Rotary Axis with Acorn. - Done..
14/ Calibrate X axis steps per mm - Done.
15/ Calibrate y axis steps per mm - Done.
16/ Calibrate z axis steps per mm - Done.
17/ Sort out home switches - Done.
18/ Make mill move axis to the desired positions after automatic homing is finished. - Done
19/ Make knee down a move in the positive direction, as per Cncsw's post "

The To Do list keeps growing, but I think I'm on the cusp, or "cusping" as my wife is wont to say:

1/ Get knee working -Done.
2/ Make x,y,z,a cables -Done.
3/ Make new plate to mount knee motor -Done.
4/ Get new belt for servo motor on knee -Done.
4/(a) Adjust thickness of knee motor mounting spacers to make belt run in middle of toothed pulley. it is running up the pulley atm.
5/ Cut key-way in upper knee pulley. - Done
6/ Get coolant under Acorn control.
7/ Mount controller on mill.
8/ Setup new MPG (when it arrives). Done.
9/ Register Acorn mill software. -Done
10/ Make bracket and fit touch screen and NUC to mill arm - Partly done.
11/ Mount E-Stop Switch.
12/ Make cable for Rotary Axis. - Done
13/ Setup Rotary Axis with Acorn - Done.
14/ Calibrate X axis steps per mm - Done.
15/ Calibrate Y axis steps per mm - Done.
16/ Calibrate Z axis steps per mm - Done.
17/ Calibrate A axis steps per degree - Done.
18/ Sort out home switches - Done.
19/ Make mill move to desired working position after homing is finished.
20/ Make "knee down" movement positive + instead of negative -.
21/ Fit rotary encoder to spindle - Done
22/ Install shims to adjust spindle rotary encoder belt position (belt is running up on front rotary encoder pulley atm).
23/ Decide where to mount, and mount WMPG-6 bracket on mill.

The outstanding jobs atm are:

4/(a) Adjust thickness of knee motor mounting spacers to make belt run in middle of toothed pulley. it is running up the pulley atm.
6/ Get coolant under Acorn control.
7/ Mount controller on mill.
10/ Make bracket and fit touch screen and NUC to mill arm - Partly done.
11/ Mount E-Stop Switch.
19/ Make mill move to desired working position after homing is finished.
20/ Make "knee down" movement positive + instead of negative -.
22/ Install shims to adjust spindle rotary encoder belt position (belt is running up on front rotary encoder pulley atm).
23/ Decide where to mount, and mount WMPG-6 bracket on mill.