Here’s a modification I made to the Z-axis ball screw mounting bracket on my Sieg X2 (Harbor Freight) mini-mill. My CNC conversion kit was made by CNC Fusion and their design does not allow you to adjust the top gib screw without removing the column from the base and sliding the head half way off of it, which is necessary to get at a large 10mm bolt that holds it from the inside of the spindle head (along with 2 smaller bolts on the outside). … Read the rest
How I tram my mini-mill
This is how I tram my mini-mill. I think the method I use is fairly common, although I may use slightly different equipment than others. There are other ways of doing it and some people have strong opinions about which way is best. I’ve included links at the bottom to some interesting discussions I found if you would like to learn more. … Read the rest
CNC: Automatically find edges, hole centers and more with Mach 3
This article describes how you can use Mach 3, the popular CNC controller software, to automatically
- Find the edges of your work piece (and therefore the corners)
- Find the centers of holes and their diameter
- Set your cutting tool at a known height above your work piece or table
What’s involved
This feature is very easy to implement and use and it will cost you almost nothing. … Read the rest
“Cabin Fever” Model Engineering Expo – January 15 & 16, 2011
We’re about a month away from the 15th annual “Cabin Fever” Model Engineering Expo in York, PA. I went last year and wrote an article about it. It was was my first model engineering show and I really enjoyed it. So I’m going back again next month.
“Cabin Fever” is one of the oldest and largest shows of its kind, and certainly the largest in the Northeast. … Read the rest