Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

Thanks guys!! Well my brain has been bleeding out!! Smoke from my ears and sometimes nostrils!!! Not having any background in cnc, cad (very little) and none in cam. I figured what better way to start than making track links in a fixture with multiple parts with multiple operations!! I don't have the stock 3/8" plate I wanted to use to make 12 at a time so I'm using square stock and going to make 4 at a time. Well two and a finishing opp for the other two. Then another rotated for screw holes. I'm in the deep end of my gene pool and no lifeguards ,,,, I don't think my lineage had ever intended for me to do this!!

Some things are starting to come together but just when the do something else!! Now I need to find any good cutters I have and input all those numbers!! The material and tool list keeps growing!! At least the small cutters are not bad price wise:).

Hats of to you guys that do this stuff all day!! I've been trying to make my biggest foe my friend,,, the computer,,, but all those times I didn't agree are now paying back!! One day I may be on friendly terms with they keyboard!!! Humm., reminds me I'm out of beer! That makes ugly women look better, wonder if it makes computer work better!??!!?!?

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

Ha, I feel your pain! For me, the beer just makes it easier for the wife to hear me scream!

Jim

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

You sound like you did when you started making tires for the dump and then the dump it self lol. You got this it'll turn out just fine, might not be cheap but nothing is nowadays! Waiting to see cool parts!

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

Cooper, After almost 30 years of running CNC equipment, the best advice I can give you is "TAKE YOUR TIME!!" Don't rush anything. Since you are paying for everything and have a wife to contend with, this will help save money. She should be happy that you are-1) HOME and not in a bar, 2) Trying to learn something new, & 3) Trying to save money by making things yourself. Now you need to try and hide the cost of tooling and tool holders :rolleyes: You can't do this but you can try!!

Enjoy your new mill. You will get the hang of it

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

Amen , you can tell yer wife there are some that actually buy there husbands these machines to keep em outa trouble :D :rolleyes:

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

Cooper, Got to echo Lynn, "take your time."
How you hold parts to machine them is more important to the finished part than the actual machining. Think your work holding through carefully remembering that milling tools will grab. I've seen some descriptions of how parts are held that made my hair stand up! The better you can hold the part the less chatter you'll have and your finishes will be better. And don't hesitate to ask questions if you're not sure on something. There's a ton of experience on this board and we'll all be glad to help you get started. You'll be an old hand in no time.

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...pszfrzsjxy.jpg

Well the other day didn't look like the one befor!!

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...psaunbrcur.jpg

Spent a few days trying to figure out the cad software and even bigger hurdle on the cam stuff

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...pshksruamz.jpg

Some pics of first parts,,

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...ps5drtbvny.jpg

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...psukstz9hw.jpg

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...psp4upuivl.jpg

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

And still need to cut the bottom , then make another fixture for drilling and tapping holes for track pads.

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...ps9nbgvr3r.jpg

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...psxochneks.jpg

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...psvzap8rpi.jpg

And broke one mill, I forgot to slow everything down in first run and account for tool path cutting the soft jaws. Changed a few things afterwards to make it cycle faster. I'm not in any hurry but don't like to see the tool moving slowly in empty space. Starting to get a taste of capabilities this cnc stuff will allow me.

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...ps3emv5mnb.jpg

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

Cooper-seems you have the new "cnc gizmo" figured out. Are you making another dozer or making new links for your D11? I know nothing about this modern stuff but have another silly question- wouldn't it make sense to cut the links out of wider stock and not hack up your vise jaws? Keep posting pictures and how about a video of the mill working.

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

Hello DB you should try is out on wood first to see if it is going to work until you get use to the machine and how it works. Ed

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

I'm making a set out of alum and then another set from steel. 160 each set. The jaws are just perishable aluminum. I purposely purchased this set up for making parts like these in quantity. I probably have almost $10 in jaws but very little stock on the parts will be wasted. Stock sides are same as part side so just top, and profile cutting, so savings in the long run. I'm sure as I learn a bit more I would prefer to be making a regular fixture that could cut about 20 at a time but then I would have the added cost of stripper bolts, ( not much like a $1 a piece, but wanting 40 or so and also having them for future fixture things) I just decided a simple piece of square stock held and referenced would be simple and repeatable. And my work origin is set to a specific location on one jaw that will never change even if I remove them and replace later. So in some years later I would be able to use same jaws and make new parts very easy and repeatable. But I'm just learning and well, that's what was making sense to me then and now :).

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

When you go to making the links out of steel; Try some 11L17 or other free machining steel. Stessproof (1144)is nice stuff but you can only get it in rounds.

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

Thanks Steve, I did get some in the specific size, 3/8" square from 12L14. Also some new cutters from maritool. I know what have abused the cutters I already have and don't have many in the under 1/4" size so new tools for the cnc mill. Once they get worn I'll use them for roughing and manual milling. It's got me to learn more of the speeds n feeds and realize almost all my cutters are almost new on the sides!! Been learning a great deal of the cutting process, or should I say I've been learning a lot about how much I don't know :).

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

Happy birthday Cooper hope you have a good one :cool:

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

Hi
Happy birthday Cooper
Hope you spend time doing what you want on your birthday.

Tormach is looking great hope you are enjoying it.
Im looking to import one to the UK end of this year or early next year
:):):)

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

Happy birthday RW!

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

Thanks guys!! Another day older!!! When we are young we can't wait till the next birthday, now that I'm older I wish I wasn't!! Lol!!
Well I've been messing with the new mill and am slowly getting use to it. I'll try and post some progress pics shortly but in the mean time,, keeping with my scattered off topic thread the mascot of Great Dane construction company,, this was a few years ago.
http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...psqytunj3s.png


Hey ed, missed your call but I'll try and get in touch with you sometime today, weather is nice and am doing some early spring clean up around house and barn. Thanks to snowplow dipsh$&s most of my yard is curled up in a pile along driveway!!

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

Nice machine and nice parts coming from it. As soon as I get money and space I will start to look for a CNC mill and start lerning.

Very intresting, Keep sharing! :)

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

That's funny! My 7 year old amstaff is named Kane :D

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

Made another set of soft jaws for milling the other side
http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...ps2wxtordm.jpg

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...pspd2pwqth.jpg

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...pslhhorhya.jpg

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

Gotta like CNC!! Multiple parts in one fixture!! Nicely done, seems you are catching on to using your new machine!! Good job man...keep it up!! Looking forward to seeing all the goodies you will be able to make now, so how do you like the machine so far? I've been looking at that machine for a while and was totally surprised and pleased to see you buy one!! Have fun!!
KP

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

What would the jaws be for? Sorry if it's a dumb question very newbie when it comes to milling.

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

The jaws are the pieces of alum that clamp into vise,, they are called soft/perishable jaws because you cut them to hold parts. It's just a custom made vise clamp to hold that specific part. Not the best for one offparts but for making multiple parts it allows you to hold many parts for machining.

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

Hey kp, I've had some steep learning to do in the computer side of this cnc adventure. The actual machine is simple. And it's nice to be able to do simple things like face or pocket right at the machine without having to make a program at computer. When I first got this I couldn't find anything on break in or set up. Well they run them through a breakin routine and it's not necessary for customer to do. Right out of crate it was perfect and accurate. I did do a lot of research on retro fitting my grizzly mill verses this tormach. A bit more $ but I'm not piecing together something and I really didn't want to learn how it works but rather how to work it. I basically just got what I thought I needed to get by during the learning process. I have switched out the flood coolant to the fogboster ( air blast with minimal coolant). Way better for alum chip evacuation and not as messy. And with dehumidifier running in shop to keep rust down and forced hot air furnace the coolant was being depleted pretty quick. I didn't want to be messing with adding water and not knowing concentration without checking s.g. I do want to get the air drawbar and rotary table 4th axis. And probably get the touch screen shortly just for ease of use. I did get the probe but wish I would have just got the hiemer zero set probe. After a little bit of learning the pathpilot (similar to Mach 3) controller is pretty easy to understand. I don't think I will ever get the tool changer or enclosure. Unless I start doing more steel. If you are looking at these, take my word for what it's worth. ( I'm just a beginner) the machine is pretty solid and I am very happy with it. Plus it's about 20k cheaper than a hass mini mill!! And it's been approved by fat malbert, he just sleeps next to it while running and air compressor kicking on/off!!
My wife's mother was down to see it and she just doesn't understand why I spend $ and countless hours making this stuff just so I can sit in a chair and play with remote control toys!! Had to explain the idea of my mancave and being a manchild!!! Lol!! Parents just don't understand!!!!

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

I think its a mom thing, she looks at my trucks and goes "you made that?" and gives me a funny look, my dad loves to see the trucks and enjoys it when I bring them over, he was always a pencil pusher and never had any thing to do with trucking machining or anything like that. Glad things are coming along well, your already a master modeler and with what your learning now, wow your definitely in your own zip code!

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

The only difference between men and boys is the price of their toys....very true...LOL. And you got a real nice toy now!!
I think you bought this machine at the right time, I can see the price of any off shore products going up very soon.
Speaking of toys here is another one...
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=D5ziiX_235Q

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

Thanks cooper makes total sense now.

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

Cooper, You wouldn't have had to make the pockets for the track links as deep as you did. Only needed to be as deep as what you wanted to not machine. Since you only milled on end and only about 1/3rd of the way thru the part, that is how deep the pockets needed to be. Would have saved you lots of time making the jaws and milling. Just a little info for next time!

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...pslfnrhgu5.jpg

The top and bottom are cut out. I didn't want to clamp against the little points and round end, that's why I cut them .3" deep as the part is .3" deep but offset .15" in heights from one end to other.

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

I've clamped to less then .06" but, seeing the way your clamping them your best off at that depth . Looks good so far.

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

Wow, that's an awesome lil machine! :cool:

You have one on order for your shop KP?

I could go for something like that... someday. :)

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

Water jet looks nice but don't want to pay for it. Can't be cheap!!! The floor model one that I use to run cost around $500,000!!

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

https://www.wazer.com

Going for $4,499 at the moment - not too bad really all things considered.

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

Actualy the price is not bad on the water jet for what you get!
Info here.

https://www.wazer.com/pages/home/#buy-wazer

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

Basic price is not bad but you must remember that you will need cutting media, replacement nozzles, and pump repairs when it breaks down. Media is not all that bad but the nozzles are carbide and expensive as they have a very small hole thru them. I can only hope that the pump repairs can be handled by the owner of the machine. Forgot about the seals and filtration system maintenance plus what type of water do you use? We had to use de-ionized water in the bigger unit to cool the pump.

Would really like to see a cost per year usage chart on this machine. Don't want to burst any ones' bubble on these machines but you must be realistic unless you are a small shop and not a home machinist.

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

would love to have a water jet!!!!!

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...psdmstwv3v.jpg

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...psh7jbjgwn.jpg

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...ps5rhzaemf.jpg

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...ps4ypsjceg.jpg

The d11 is getting a full undercarriage overhaul!!

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

Nice!! How many hours do you estimate to complete all the links?? Are you going to make new pads as well??

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

Just an estimate but I think I have about 22-24 hours. I have a good bit of unnecessary machineing, like changeling my retract heights and feed heights that I could even get time down more. I don't have a tapping head so I'm tapping them by hand. But that is pretty easy and just a couple seconds per hole. I am not planing on making new pads and am still debating about cutting two small reliefs for links in them. Just like the 1:1 machines. The links curl fine but they don't curl backwards any because links hit. Not a big deal but it would be a simple thing to do.

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

Did you program the "Y" axis wrong or locate? I see some holes that look like they're in the wrong place. Or, is the tiny drill bit wondering off center from sticking out of the chuck so far? If so, add another event with a spotting drill or center drill that is more rigid then come back and finish drill.