DIY Drag Engraved Scales For Machine Restoration
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ส.ค. 2020
- In this video I demonstrate a technique for making replacement arc and linear scales for a Bridgeport Milling Machine. To achieve the necessary contrast I use anodised aluminium and a simple spring loaded drag engraving tool to scribe the digits and tick marks on the scale. Drag engraving tools don't need to rotate to mark the metal and they can be used in a CNC milling machine or a CNC router. My drag engraving tool came from a company called Boring Research boringresearch.com/store/drag...
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Really appreciate you sharing this information in how to remake factory type scales. I will definitely save this for future use.
Glad it was helpful!
Regards,
Mark Presling
love the sound of the cnc doing the large radius!
Couldn’t agree more!
Yes, it's quite musical isn't it?
Regards,
Mark
its the song of my people
Ditto.
THX Sound in selected workshops!
Mark, those look very nice. One comment on the quill scale is that those 2 screws that came with your machine are NOT really mismatched. They are made specifically to put the correct orientation of the screws to go into the the same hole from which they came. The shorter of the two screws go on the bottom hole so it doesn't interfere with the auto down feed rod and the longer screw goes on top....
Anyway, you really bring back many memories of my machine and fab shop.. Retired now but it's all the same to me in my home shop without the hassles of customers. Ricko
Thanks. At first I was disappointed that I couldn't replicate the look of the original scales (black engraving on a bright background) but now I prefer the look of the "dark theme". I recall reading about the two screws being different lengths for the reason you outlined. It was only recently that I started using the power downfeed so it's a good thing I got it right when I put the new scale on.
Regards,
Mark
Exceptional result. Drag engraving on the black anodised aluminium was definitely the way to go. 👏👏👌👍😀
I think so too. The scales are easy to read and have good contrast. Thanks for watching.
Regards,
Mark
@@Preso58 As you have seen I have binge watched many of your videos recently and find them all so enjoyable and educational.
Regardless of how they turn out, atleast you have had a go. Good work. Like the contrast of colours easy to see.
Nice mill. I just bought a 2HP Bridgeport, can't wait to get it up and running.
I have wanted one of these for so long. I made the decision to get one this year since an overseas holiday wasn't going to happen. I like that you can still buy spare parts for them and there is plenty of support from the vast community of users.
Regards,
Mark
Outstanding! The originals look very cheap compared to your shop made scales. Thanks for sharing!
Not everything has to be exactly original, as long as it looks true to the nature of the machine I think you’ll be right. The whole restoration is looking mighty fine.
I think the black looks better and is easier to see. Thanks for sharing!
Looks amazing and definitely better in black than in the silver.
Thanks. I think so too.
Regards,
Mark
Ok, this prooves it. Google knows everything about me, how else would it know to recommend this video today.. I’m presently doing something very similar. Restoring the quill scale on a Dah Lih milling machine where the numbers have totally rubbed off, they weren’t even engraved to begin with. I’ve written a piece of software to generate gcode for linear and circular scales.
I’ve been thinking of engraving black anodized aluminium plates too, I love how it worked out for you, looks stylish! Haven’t tried using a drag engraver yet, I’ve been grinding engraving tips from small worn out end mills. Like you say in the video, the flatness of the surface becomes critical when cutting, so the drag engraving tool is looking super useful.
Your bridgeport is looking great!
Thanks for the feedback. I have never tried rotary engraving. I really should give it a go. The drag engraving is relatively fool proof though. You just have to be sure the point of the stylus doesn't get caught on an edge.
Regards,
Mark
Nice. I've had success removing burrs like this with a piece of canvas. It doesn't seem to damage the anodized surfaces, but wears down the raised aluminum.
Great tip!
I'll give that a try.
Regards,
Mark
One word, EXCELLENT! I love the black background with the bright lettering. Don't get dark grease in them. LOL
The black scales look great! Good choice.
Wow Mark, those scales turned out amazing
Really enjoyed the proces. Have been looking for a way to replace scales on a vintage wheel alignment tool and this is inspiring. Thanks!
Looking fantastic! Very nice work Mr P. Thanks for sharing. Cheers.
If you have to do another similar project consider making the millimeter scale markings a little longer to the outside then needed. That will put all the rough dragged material outside of where you define the perimeter.
Looks really good Mark, nice job!
Absolutely amazing! The color contrast is great, especially for 70 year old eyes! Great job, great camera work! I wonder if painting over the scale with a coat of clear would help keep out grease, and other crap from blurring the lines?
My thoughts too, I absolutely agree with Ken on all his comments, another outstanding video Press, thank you very much
Ken, I did consider clear powdercoating the scales but thought that might be overdoing it. I have also had it suggested to re-anodise the scales so that the exposed aluminium in the engraved areas was protected. The good thing is that now that I have the DXF files I can make new scales fairly easily if they ever get grubby or damaged.
Regards,
Mark
Came out amazing! Nice work!
That curved section was pretty close to the old THX soundtrack from cinemas :)
Lovely work, I appreciate the attention to detail and the variety of tools and techniques you use to get it done.
That looks pretty sweet Mark!
They look great! Very professional looking.
Looks great Mark. Excellent work mate 👍
Nice work! They look great!
Those look so nice!
Very cool. I've never done drag engraving, but I've done a lot of photo etching for these kinds of parts/plates. Cool to see a different process.
Great stuff Mark!
Thanks for sharing. Excellent video! 😊
great job! Very professional looking
I have an audio amplifier I built over 40 years ago and I used almost the exact same technique except I had the engraving done by pantograph v-bit after punching all the relevant panel holes and black anodising. It STILL looks like when it was just made 40-plus years ago. I wouldn't use any other method now for aluminium panels especially as different colour panels are so easy to achieve. Plus I now have a CNC engraver so can do the engraving myself as well as the anodising. I shall have to see if I need any new scales for anything and try your method of drag engraving. Lovely job and glad to see someone else using a technique that I have often used (normal engraving though) in the past.
Bob, I recall seeing the process you were describing for making custom panels for electronic equipment but they used a hard black wax to fill the engraving. It was melted into the engraved area and then shaved off when it was cool. You could buff it to make it glossy too. It was done on a satin clear anodised aluminium which was quite thick, probably about 4mm. I remember when black was all the rage in HiFi equipment. It seemed to go in and out of fashion quite regularly.
Regards,
Mark
@@Preso58 yup! I have a slightly older 60w + 60w workhorse power amp (different one) done with red lacquer.
The university technician who engraved it did my black one too. When I said what I was planning he was a bit dubious but when he saw the result he started doing the same for other panels. He went one better though ... he had some fellow technicians in Chemical Engineering who would do the anodising and they started to colour the panels for him! Red was the second favourite!
😁😁😁
Love that engraver! Good work!
Me too! One of the most underrated workshop tools you can have.
Regards,
Mark
Looks Great, I like the contrast.
That sure turned out great,I think the black with natural numbers is on point,looks like it's easier on the eyes. The process was interesting too. The ole Bridgport is looking good!
Have to say, I prefer the silver on black. Much easier to see. I now need to work out how to do this around the knobs of my Mill
I ended up using the black anodised aluminium to get the engraving to show up better but I also like the added contrast. Apparently you can purchase pre anodised aluminium in all sorts of colours and I am guessing that factory anodised stock would be a lot more uniform and a lot less work if you had access to a CNC router or mill and a home made drag engraver. Rotary engraving would work too if you can get the spindle speed out of your machine.
Regards,
Mark
I must say it looks better compared to the original.
The black really pops out.
Stop buying Chinese is a great motto to live after by the way 😁
I waited nearly two months for that rubbish scale. I won't fall into that trap again.
Regards,
Mark
That was some of the goodist work I've seen, doubt anyone could do betterer :)
Oh dear Mark, hasn't anyone told you? They call it nodding. :-)
Those are gorgeous.
Nicely done. Interesting video with good narration.
Thank you very much!
Regards,
Mark
Nice job Mark
Really nice Mark.
Glad you enjoyed it
Regards,
Mark
This is like an instruction video with the instructor with great talent, and passion for quality. I can relate to it. I put way too much time into projects like this and I blame myself by saying what wasted talent-time. I guess I want my time to be way more productive somehow. This guy does great work.
Great video, so interesting. The labels turned out better than stock, way more legible. Mahalo for sharing! : )
They came out real nice.
Re, I don't know if that is a word, Much More Goodera! Cheers from John, Australia.
Or more betterer.
Good Show Mate...as always. Very well applied OCD.
Wow you might just have the nicest looking Bridgeport on the internet. Put it next to Aaron's nicest looking Monarch on the internet and you've got a show. Nice work Mark!
I think you had the score written by some talented musicians!, Polka to Zydeco.
Great items, and excellent technique.
Thanks for sharing.
Regards John.
Ha ha. Yes of course...Zydeco! A very cool musical genre!
Regards,
Mark
Very nice. Thank you Mark. This is perfect for me. Some machine shop time out.
I won't be back in the shed for a little while.....
Lockdown no.2 here in Vic. 'Now you have time to paint the bathroom dear' : )
I feel for you in Victoria. It all seemed to be going so well. It's truly scary how quickly it all went pear shaped. We were planning on taking a road trip to Melbourne in October. I guess that's off the agenda now.
Stay safe.
Regards,
Mark
Nice work Mark very impressive.
Thanks for that. I did my first serious work on the Bridgeport today and it's a revelation being able to use a more rigid and user friendly machine than what I had before. I am afraid that I got some oily fingerprints on the nice yellow rubber cover on my X axis rapid switch though! 😥
Regards,
Mark
Gday Mark, you have done a beautiful job with the scales, the black background and shiny markings are much easier to read, especially with eyes like mine, love to sound of the Cnc mill, take care
Matty, after my early experiments I was looking at the prospect of having to order brand new scales from the US and we all know how much that would have cost. It was a bit of a last resort to try the black anodised scales but I thing it paid off.
Regards,
Mark
Hi Mark,
As always a very enjoyable video... Final outcome was very great...
Take care
Paul,,
Thanks 👍
Looks better than the factree ones, nice work!
A 'dark mode' mill- love it!
Ha ha. I like it!
Regards,
Mark
Looks much betterer!
Those scales look great!
Using stepper motors to make music is well known, but there's a sound element 'Shepard tone" that I think your machine makes on those large radius perimeter moves. Pretty cool.
Looks original to me! Nice work. And as an English teacher, I can confirm that Nicer is the correct comparative form of nice :) And if I ever hear 'more better' again...
So, not nicerer then?
My wife is/was an English teacher too so I generally check with her if I'm not sure.
Regards,
Mark
Mark Presling nope, nicerer has to go and autocorrect just suggested nice rear for nicerer so I'm going to end this reply before I get into real trouble.
For the long ruler, the thickness of the material will also change the graduation. White letter on black background is said to be more readable than the reverse, so it is good that you do it on black background.
I did find that the long scale was very slightly shorter than the original after it was rolled to the correct diameter due to the almost double thickness of the aluminium. I had to file the holes slightly elongated to get the rivets to line up with the holes in the casting. The scales are only used to get a ballpark position though. To be precise you would then need to use an indicator and an angle block or a sine bar.
Regards,
Mark
I thought there was an air raid and the bombs where about to drop. Top job Mark as always, awesome. Thanks mate👍
Yes, it's quite musical sometimes.
Regards,
Mark
Mark, good on you! This process has broad implication. I have a gear plaque on a lathe that should I get the courage to replace it, this is the way I would go. Thanks for sharing.
To get things like that scaled properly, draw a line of known length on the original, then set it on a flatbed scanner and scan it. Import the scanned image into CAD scale the image using the line you drew, and use that as a template for the CAD. You can also put a 2" long line in the CAD next to the part, print it, and make sure it is printing to scale.
I did try scanning the original handle but most flatbed scanners these days can't focus on anything above the surface of the glass. Most of the edge that I wanted to trace was blurred and distorted. Autodesk Inventor allows you to set geometry lines at accurate locations in the sketch and then you just scale the jpg image until it lines up with the CAD geometry. Other CAD products may need the method that you are describing though.
Regards,
Mark
@@Preso58 I've used the scanning method on keys and a couple other things that are relatively flat, I guess. The known length straight lines just make it a bit easier, but you can use any measurement you know in any program. Nicely done. They look really great.
Nice job on the scales, they look better than original. I love the contrast between the light letters and the black background.
Stay safe sir 🖖!
Yes, the black background worked out better than I expected.
Regards,
Mark
Hi Mark, Great Job! I think they call the forward and back tilt 'NOD'
Looking good.
16:35 that noise. my goodness.
i thought it was mr. Hitler with the luftwaffe showing up.
great video Mark. i do my engraving with a rotary tool all the time. ball mill 0,5mm max, and go with a dept of 0,03mm deep. with bigger numbers i use ball 1,0mm at a dept of approx 0,2mm
i prefer ball mills before Flat mills because sometimes i have to mill in hardened steel also, and the ball mills seem to last longer with less effort at cleaning burrs at post production.
I must say I haven't actually tried rotary engraving on my Sieg mill. I suspect it's not accurate enough on the Z axis and the spindle speed is probably not high enough.
Regards,
Mark
Fun video. Came out great. I've made dials for my hand wheels using a dividing head. Came out pretty good, but fell down on the numbering. Still a work in progress.
I used to do it the same way. I have an attachment that fits on the tapping and staking tool by George Thomas. It holds the letter and number punches so that you get a good chance of forming the numbers in the correct place but it takes a lot of practice and if you get one wrong, like upside down, then the whole thing is ruined. Ask me how I know.... Now I use a CNC rotary axis and the drag engraving tool. It takes some of the guesswork out of it.
Regards,
Mark
They look better than the original.
Certainly looks 'more better'
I'll have to look into getting one of those drag engravers to save me breaking v bits
The drag engraving bits take a lot of the worry out of simple engraving. They are pretty bullet proof as long as you don't run the point off the stock.
Regards,
Mark
@@Preso58 Ooh I hadn't even thought of that. That would be a nice way to bend the tool and break stuff
Lookin good!
A laser engraver would work really well for this too. Nice work.
I did try it when I made a replacement instruction plate for my horizontal arbor attachment that bolts to the end of the Bridgeport quill. The original was very damaged. The laser did a good job. I ran it as hot as I could and used a .05mm stepover.
Regards,
Mark
They look better that way!
very nice
Nice! You mentioned that it was difficult to reverse-engineer the angle scale. For reverse-engineering radii and the like, I like to put the item in question (along with a ruler) onto a flatbed scanner and then use my favorite CAD program to trace
David, I did scan the original scale but it was badly bent and distorted so even though I had flattened it as best I could it appeared to be somewhat stretched at the corners. It took a few goes doing it geometrically but the end result is as accurate as it needs to be. The scales are only meant to get you close and after that you would need to be using an indicator to get it exact.
Regards,
Mark
Look great, well done. Etching could also work.
Etching would almost certainly be better but it takes a lot of skill and to get the graduations fine enough without undercutting them during the etching. Tom Utley is a master at doing this. He is well known on Instagram as being the go to guy for replacement machine tags and graduated plates like the ones I was doing. You can check him out here @kingtutley
Regards,
Mark
I have a mitutoyo pocket scale that's white lettering on black background. WAY easier to read, for my old eyes anyway. Love the look and contrast on the mill. Get into CAD like Fusion 360 or something similar and creating these types of things is pretty easy. Setting up these types of marks is a simple process in a CAD environment and Fusion 360 is a great starter package that is free for hobbyists, add in the fact that it does CAM as well... I do understand any trepidation using it though. It is primarily a cloud app, that is one aspect that I detest, but when I need to knock up a model, there are few "free" packages that I've found that are faster.
You could have just measured 2 points across the arc for a width(W) and measure the height(H) or highest point of the arc with a straight edge in place across those 2 points to find the radius(R). The formula is R=(H/2)+(W²/8H), knowing the radius will take you a long way to completing this type of project MUCH easier. For the flat piece that you had to bend, I think I might have placed gauge blocks on the old scale until it covered an edge (left is a good place to start) then just barely touched the left edge of the previous line; verify this with another stack-up that is twice as thick as the the one gauge block between 2 lines and see if this comes out in 3 lines (barely touching the edge), in fact verify this as many thicknesses as you desire. That would give you a great starting point there as well for a center to center measurement on the lines.
Ian, I have been using Autodesk Inventor and Fusion 360 for some time but I generally go back to CamBam for simple 2D tool paths. It's simple and quick but not so good for 3D work or adaptive tool paths. The problem with the arc scale was that the casting that it had to attach to is not machined except of the face so the two edges were not exactly circular and the edges were radiused over. Getting an accurate measurement was difficult so I made several iterations and gradually eliminated the errors. I taught geometrical drawing for many years back in the days of tee squares, compasses and dividers so I am guessing I did the construction to find the centre of an arc about a hundred times. I actually started that way on paper but the error was significant. I do wish I had some gauge blocks though.
Regards,
Mark
@@Preso58 - Did the final shape and scale lines use an arc center? Just curious if you had to make some sort of "odd" shape. I am known to not pay careful attention, I heard you mention "art program" and thought that meant, that was what you used. I'm a relatively new subscriber so I haven't seen enough content to actually know what types of software that you use. I apologize if I come of "knowit all (ish)" it was not my intent. In my defense it did sound like you struggled with the project, having done so many iterations. A width and height measurement would have gotten you really close, to the radius, with little effort as long as the shape wasn't all beat up.
I do know that Fusion has a great single line font right at the top of the list. I have to wonder if this font is built in or something that I added.. Hey if cambam works, go with it. I've seen high end software do the same stupid things with engraving so I don't imagine it would be any better. Do a line in the middle then bugger off and do a line at the end, then turn around and do a line way off at the other side, then operate with one after another all close together for a while, then start all over with going all over the place. Makes me wonder about the algorithm that's used for this heh.
You could have made the piece "bigger" than what you need and trim off the excess, but that's extra work as well and sanding or milling off this amount on an arc, with a thin piece, that might have to be moved to check; this sounds like a nightmare in the making. I like your method (just uses a little ink and paper) and getting something like this exact isn't easy without knowing the precise starting radius.
I have had good results with the caswell black, however with the anodising using pool chemicals (I do it same way) I have had much better results using a higher voltage (45-60V) to obtain a thicker coating/longer pore depth. This will give you deeper colours and a tougher coating. They alloy may also be a factor, ie: machine grade alloys tend to go a yellower colour and the black doesn't do well.
On your offcuts you could test the robustness of the coating.
The result looks great though!
This was the first time I have had any success with black dye. The original Caswell black dye must have been contaminated as the parts came out a bit grey. I also recently purchased some titanium wire to hang the parts. It does seem to help with keeping the voltage and current more stable. I usually run the voltage at 15V and my power supply tops out at 24V. I must say I am still on a learning curve with the anodising process. I will try running the voltage up to the maximum to see how that affects the dying time.
Thanks for the tip.
Regards,
Mark
Well. Done.
I find that all of the replicas are second rate. I bought some for my Southbend lathes. But they’re all thin aluminum, with printed scales, numbers, names, etc. But the originals are most all brass that are engraved, or acid etched three dimensional plates. Since it’s almost impossible to get these new, as Southbend is long gone, I also had to make my own. Not too bad, really. Made a copy on my computer, and photo etched the plates, the way a circuit board is made. I used to do that, so the method was obvious. Then adding paint, and fine sanding it off the surface resulted in plates that look correct.
Very good, Mark.
Mel,
If you are looking for South Bend replicas you could check out Tom Utley. He is the guru when it comes to making replica brass maker plates and the like. You can find him on Instagram at @kingtutley He does them to order and he usually makes plenty of spares so he may already have what you want. I made my own plates for my Colchester lathe. I also did them in brass and powdercoated in red and black. It's certainly satisfying to recreate something that looks fresh and new!
Thanks, but isn’t making things like this what we’re supposed to be doing? It’s some effort, but if we can do it instead of buying something, I say, go for it. I bought the others several years ago when I was stripping paint off a couple of my machines and decided to replace the worn, and sometimes battered plates. I was too busy to think of making them. The aluminum ones were pretty cheap, and while they didn’t even look original, I thought, from the photos, that they were good enough. But when I got them, something inside me said, nope, looks terrible.
You’re concept was to mechanically draw the lines and numbers, which was what you could do. Mine was to use the experience etching my own copper circuit boards. That’s really the only practical method to made these complex plates, and similar to the way they were originally made. Not too hard to do, really. For one color plates, I could have powder coated them, but wasn’t really properly set up for that yet. For two colored plates it’s more complex, but I would likely do that now.
Nice job mate. Just curious, have you ever been accused of being a perfectionist? 😃 You're just the kind of guy I'd like to hire for contract piece work
Perry. I was once described as being a "finisher". I tend to stick with a project long after other people would recognise a lost cause and walk away. However, as they say... I have not failed. I have found a thousand ways not to do something!
Regards,
Mark
@@Preso58 Fair enough mate 😄 I said it before, that mill will be a beauty when she's done... that is of course if she's ever done 😄😄 I expect there will always be one more enhancement to be made.
@@swdweeb : Truth !!
The dial on the X axis is .200 in. per revolution which is 5 MM. You don't have to replace the lead screw to go metric.
That looks great, especially with the way the black contrasts with the paint. I wonder if a sharpening stone ground flat a la Robin Renzetti would take care of the burrs raised by the engraving. It seems like every TH-cam machinist has a pair of those, haha.
I would love to have a pair of precision ground flat stones! They are almost impossible to buy here in Australia.
Regards,
Mark
6061 T-6 anodizes very well after simply degreasing.As for engraving,nothing works better than a 30 degree solid carbide vee bit .It looks like hell while it is cutting but,after you are finished,deburr it with fine sandpaper. I made three scales for my lathe that look amazing.
James, I get most of my aluminium stock as scrap and I sort of know which is 6061 from how it machines. Sheet stock is a bit of a lottery though. I would love to try some rotary engraving with a carbide vee bit but my CNC mill is not the most rigid machine in the world and I am a bit dubious about how accurate the Z axis repeatability is. The X and Y are good since they aren't handling the mass of the Z screw. Maybe I'll give it a go on something not too critical to see how it goes.
Regards,
Mark
Mark Presling I am using a desktop CNC router.Z axis repeatability is very good. The table is not flat which is why I machined a aluminum block,drilled and tapped holes in the corners for set screws and a hold down clamp on each end. I use a dial indicator to get it level.I engraved 11 gauge steel sheet with it.Excellent results.My wife said I would never be able to cut numbers that small and still be able to read them. I believe they were only 4mm tall.She was wrong.They are very legible.
In UK English nice, nicer and nicest are valid words.
I have never used a drag engraver.Just the carbide vee bit at high speed with WD-40 as a lubricant. I made a block of aluminum ,stepped down on the ends to allow it to be clamped down then.use a fly cutter to surface the top so,it is perfectly level.
I recently watched a video by Tom Lipton (OxTools) where he rotary engraved his logo into a piece of tool steel. Of course it turned out perfect. The drag engraving process is very tolerant of imperfect stock though.
Regards,
Mark
That 16:34 wasn't nice, thought they were coming to get me. I almost run out the back door of the house ;-)
It's quite musical is it not?
Regards,
Mark
Loved the video. I was thinking if you coated the anodized metal with the clear epoxy prior to engraving you could the wipe on a better contrast paint like white or yellow as the paint is not able to adhere to the epoxy it would sink into the engraving and wiped away from the background after it dries a bit. Of course, I have not done this as a scale but I have wiped up spilled paint off of epoxy with no scrubbing or solvents.
I haven't tried engraving over epoxy. My thinking is that the drag engraving tool might chip the epoxy off the anodised surface. It is possible to vary the force applied to the carbide tip and it might take some experimenting to get the correct settings dialled in. As it turns out though, the scales are very legible as they are now.
Regards,
Mark
@@Preso58 Well you have a point about the drag engraving tool might not work but since you have a CNC you could engrave with a sign carving bit like 30 degree V bit.
Mark, I’m a new subscriber and have to say I am impressed by your very rounded knowledge, imagination and depth of skills. Were you involved in this sort of work during your career?
Sort of. I was an industrial Technology teacher in the secondary school system for 35 years but it was only in the last ten years of my career that I got involved with CNC, 3D printing and laser engraving and only then because I took on a project called "F1 in Schools." It was a extra curricular programme but it allowed me to get involved with some very interesting people, some very clever kids and some innovative industries. It was pretty much like taking on an extra job but I don't regret it for a minute.
Regards,
Mark
Fore and aft tilt is often referred to as ‘nod’.
That's the problem that I have with my Sieg X3 mill. They are notorious for nodding under load. The column is hollow and open on the back so it deflects alarmingly with even the lightest of cuts. I filled the base and column of my machine with epoxy granite and moved the Z axis screw to the outside of the column. It helps stabilise it a bit but It's still not a HAAS.
Regards,
Mark
Great job I don't know what year your mill was made but the technology that you're using today must be an improvement over what was used on the originals.
Jim, the mill I have was made in 1973 which was my second last year of high school! I love that it is still a useful machine and I am hoping that my son will be able to use it well into his retirement.
Regards,
Mark
@@Preso58 Hi Mark I know that your mill will outlast both of us i was only referring to the equipment that made the original scales was probably not as sophisticated as what you used to make the replacement scales. BTW I graduated from HS in 1963.
Hi Mark, looking great, but looks too good to get oily lol, now go make some chips with it. Cheers Peter from Melbourne Australia
Peter, I actually made the first serious parts on the mill today. I am making four aluminium end brackets for the iGaging scales that I will fit to the X and Y axes. The pressed steel brackets that came with the scales are not accurately formed and they bend the rails on the scales when tightened up. So the mill is now covered in aluminium chips and coolant but it's nice to use a more rigid machine than what I was used to.
Regards,
Mark
I think the term for the front to back tilt is called 'nod'
That's correct. It's nice to have that capability on the mill but I am generally loathe to adjust it since tramming it back in again takes some getting used to. I have a very nice spindle square which I purchased from Boring Research but it nearly did my head in the first time I tried to tram in the nod. I did eventually get it correct but it's quite different to tramming in the side to side tilt.
Regards,
Mark
Fantastic job your doing. I have an old J head I am going to bring back to life. I have a thought on your process but you probably have already thought it out. Would it work if you prep'd your material , engraved , cleaned up the burrs , filled in your copy with a masking of white silicone or something the anodizing process wouldn't attack etc. and cleaned off excess really good and then anodized your scales. Just a thought and I have no idea if it would work. I'm quite sure you have already thought down that path. Appreciate the video !
I went through a lot of experiments before settling on the method I used. If I were going to try anodising after the engraving I am thinking that a hard wax would be a good masking agent. I have seen black wax used after machine engraving lettering and numbers. It is usually melted and flowed into the engraving and then sheared off flush with the surface afterwards and burnished with a cloth to smooth it out and create a uniform shine. It would be worth a try.
Regards,
Mark
Every CAD/CAM software I've seen has ADHD. The squirrel is strong with them.
I can't help wondering about a potential variation on this scheme. What if the aluminum were anodized, then the engraving process drags away everything, leaving behind colored graduation lines and numerals? Then, perhaps in the larger engraved spaces, the tool path would affect appearance more, so something attractive (diamond cross hatch?) but not too distracting (skip the fractal geometric patterns?) might work. A pursuit for a rainy day maybe.
Greg, I have seen that process done and it looks great. There is a lot more effort that must go into producing the artwork though and the tool path takes way longer too but it can produce those lovely vintage looking effects seen on old clocks and firearms.
Regards,
Mark
👍👌
If you get tired of stepper motor whining, replace the drivers with DM556 and the sound will change to low humming.
I just googled that. So the DM556 is a replacement stepper driver? My controller has proprietary drivers and I am not sure if a self contained stepper driver like the Leadshine units would be compatible. I am not really bothered by the peculiar noise that the Promica units produce. It's quite musical!
Regards,
Mark
Mark Presling
Those Promica AB403 stepper drivers are very proprietary.Spares may be difficult to get.
You may consider mapping the signals on the connector for the driver board before the disaster strikes.
Then it is a matter of requiring the motor connector.
You only need Step/Pulse and Direction signals to run any self-contained driver board.
Ever thought that your anodizing produces the same stuff that many grinding wheels are made of? Luckily the base aluminum is weaker and the anodized layer is thin, so you carbide tip survives.
I think hard anodising can be quite destructive on some tools. I visited a Toyota Rally car builder who replaced a lot of steel underbody parts with hard anodised aluminium to reduce weight and to cut down of wear and tear.
Regards,
Mark
Really nice and I'm inspired to try some drag engraving. I have an old X-Y plotter that might be strong enough to do it. (Your bandsaw drove me crazy. Maybe set the fixed guides and ball bearing guide correctly?)
That would be interesting to try the plotter. The good thing about drag engraving is there are almost no cutting forces although it might need some grunt to depress the spring on the stylus. It's interesting watching the video during editing and picking up on things that you don't notice when you are concentrating on cutting close to a line. I did notice the poor adjustment on the guides - after the fact. I replaced the blade recently and must have forgotten to adjust the tracking.
Regards,
Mark
@@Preso58 Good to know about the forces. I ordered a diamond point tool from China for about $20 after shipping to give it a try. I have a diamond wheel dresser from the same source that has been just fine. I wrote a full driver for the plotter with fonts and the works for an instrumentation application decades ago. It used direct stepper control so I can make it do whatever is needed. By the way, there are graduated tapes that are so inexpensive I can afford to attach them to anything. Like this www.banggood.com/Self-Adhesive-Metric-Ruler-Miter-Track-Tape-Measure-Steel-Miter-Saw-Scale-For-T-track-Router-Table-Band-Saw-Woodworking-Tool-p-1410646.html?rmmds=search&ID=565425&cur_warehouse=CN