Post project and shop pictures

[Bill the Cat]

My latest toy.

I recently put a crowbar in my wallet and purchased a Taig CNC Mill. I've installed limit/home switches and a sliding fixture that I made from 8020 parts. I'd love to have a programable 4th axis, but the crowbar wasn't strong enough. Instead, I made my own manual indexer. I've still got some more work to do before I start cutting inlays for cues, but, it's coming along.

 

[Mc2]

I recently put a crowbar in my wallet and purchased a Taig CNC Mill. I've installed limit/home switches and a sliding fixture that I made from 8020 parts. I'd love to have a programable 4th axis, but the crowbar wasn't strong enough. Instead, I made my own manual indexer. I've still got some more work to do before I start cutting inlays for cues, but, it's coming along.

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Bill, I like your set-up. Any issues with sagging when you have the fixture moved all the way to one side or the other? By the way 80/20 is 20 minutes from my house. I love that place. I can purchase on e-bay and pick it up with no shipping charges. I do however have to pay sales tax.

Jim.

 

[rhncue]

If you can get that set up to work properly then you are better than me. I set up a Sherline CNC Mini Mill that way in the mid 90's and it drove me nuts and about broke me replacing anti-backlash nuts and ruined cues from loosing steps because the gibbs get into a bind from the leverage that comes about when the bed and cue is at or near one end. I even had a set of pulleys with a bucket of metal attached to help counterbalance the set-up. This set-up would probably work well if the inlays were installed before the cue is assembled but then the parts would need to be almost finished size before inlaying.

All I can say is good luck and I hope you have better success than I did.

Dick

 

[zx24]

jealous

Looks good Bill....Good luck with it...I wanted a cnc also, but thought i would wait a bit till i was more experienced..When i'm ready, i'll pester chris, and maybe he will put something together..LOL:thumbuphint)
I'm a long way from a cnc tho....I just made it through joint pin installation.. Things are going sooooooo slow...

Off Subject.. I wish they had a chat room on here..
max

 

[bdcues]

No pics of my shop but here is the latest cue about ready to go out the door. Will have more pics later of the cue in the case. There is about 250 hours of labor in this project.

 

[Bill the Cat]

New CNC machine

To Jim -

I haven't taken any measurements, but I don't believe sagging will be any problem. The 8020 extrusions are remarkably rigid. I had no previous experience with there products, so I purchased the solid version just to make sure it would be rigid enough for my application. I'll start with what I've got, but I may eventually convert to their "lite" version of the extrusion (hollowed) to reduce weight. I'm guessing it would still be solid enough.

To Dick -

I certainly thought about the mass that would be hanging out on one end when the fixture was positioned to the extremes. If I had a sherline rotary axis, a three jaw chuck and a stepper motor hanging out there, I probably would think about some sort of counterbalance to reduce the pressure on the gibs. However, for now, my manual indexer adds very little weight and I don't believe it will have any more effect than the coupler and servo motor that are haning off one end of the table as part of the basic machine design.

IMHO, your problems with binding may have simply been your choice of machines. The Taig is a much more substantial machine than the Sherline. This link shows a simple comparison in construction of the two machines.

http://www.deepgroove1.com/tagsherline/sherlinetaigcomparison.htm


To All -

I've been to Dennis Searing's shop and seen the CNC machine that he built. It's rigidity and the quality of the linear bearings and lead screws give him the accuracy to do the "jewelry quality" work you see in his inlays.

I have no delusions about the capabilities of this machine. It will NOT produce that level of accuracy. It is an affordable alternative that I do believe will be more than adequate for my needs. When my designs exceed the limits of this machine, I suppose I'll have to do the same thing Dennis did and build my own from scratch

 

[KNcues]

I like your setup Bill. Very cool looking :thumbup:

I also use a Taig CNC and cut pockets to the cue after it's been assembled, with no problem.
I have mine set up a little differently though, where I keep the work pretty much centered on the bed. The only thing hanging over is the cue itself.

The Taig is a pretty heavy and rigid machine and I doubt that you'll have any trouble at all with sagging or binding gibs.

You'll be pleasantly surprised at the quality of work that machine will do.
Looks like you're almost ready to rock n roll!

Good luck and have fun with it.

 

[Bill the Cat]

Nice web site!

Thanks Keith!

I checked out your web site. Loved the pinup calander

I think I saw some cues on there too

 

[KNcues]

Thanks Keith!

I checked out your web site. Loved the pinup calander

I think I saw some cues on there too

Thanks Bill,
The pin-up calendar was a project I worked on while waiting for glue to dry.
It's really surprising how long it takes glue to dry

Looking forward to seeing pics of your first CNC project.

 

[zx24]

first cue

nice work bill.....My first attempt converting a house cue was a complete disaster...I was to embarrased to take photos..Didnt want anyone to see it...So i burned it....The flame was so pretty...LOL:embarrassed2:
I need to find a cue maker around here to help me out a bit...
max

 

[Bill the Cat]

You're in the right place.

This is a great place to pick up valuable information. When I was just getting started, I spent several months just following this forum and searching old topics. Everyone here knows what it felt like when they were just starting and most (including me) are more than happy to help an aspiring cuemaker.

BTW, where is "around here"? I would bet that there is a cuemaker near you.

 

[zx24]

home town

I live just outside of Charleston,sc in a a small town called Summerville..
There is a guy in Mt. Pleasant on the other side of town named Whitey..
He makes a cue called Hurricane.....I heard he just purchased a big time cnc machine too...
Some people dont like helping newbies..Especially if they live close..

max

 

[Bill the Cat]

Some people dont like helping newbies..Especially if they live close..

max

Yea, there is the problem of educating your competition I take it that this statement means you have approached him and he blew you off. If not, give him a call. You may be suprised.

If that doesn't work, post your questions here. You'll get more help than you can handle It's not the same as hands on, but that's how I learned.....along with a lot of mistakes

 

[cueman]

To All -

I've been to Dennis Searing's shop and seen the CNC machine that he built. It's rigidity and the quality of the linear bearings and lead screws give him the accuracy to do the "jewelry quality" work you see in his inlays.

I have no delusions about the capabilities of this machine. It will NOT produce that level of accuracy. It is an affordable alternative that I do believe will be more than adequate for my needs. When my designs exceed the limits of this machine, I suppose I'll have to do the same thing Dennis did and build my own from scratch

You may be selling that machine a little short. Switch your cutting head out to a Kress router or Laminate trimmer and take it slow at about 7 inches a minute and you can do really precision work with that machine.

 

[Tony Zinzola]

You may be selling that machine a little short. Switch your cutting head out to a Kress router or Laminate trimmer and take it slow at about 7 inches a minute and you can do really precision work with that machine.

I have the Taig mill. From my personal experience, the word Kress and Precision should not be used in the same sentence. For cutting points, the Kress works great, although, I rarely cut points on the Taig. I have a large mill for that.

I have a different spindle running at 32K RPM's. I did a test with my spindle and the Kress. With the same program, I cut .125" Squares and .125" Boxes with each spindle. The Kress pieces measured at .121" and the ones with my spindle measured at .125". I threw the Kress aside and am looking for a mount so I can use it on my Cuesmith because it is better than the Porter Cable Router.

I just did a cue with .008" Ebony and .008" Silver Frames around diamonds. If I had used the Kress, my frames would have come out horrible.

On two of the cues I will have with me at the Meet and Greet in CT on Saturday, almost all of the inlays were done with .0156" and .010" bits. The only bits I think I broke were the ones I dropped. I think with the runout I have on my Kress Router, I'd of broken ever .10" bit I tried to use.

Sorry for the negative post. I was just so disappointed in the Kress after all the rave reviews I heard about it.

As for the Mill. It should work fine for you. I don't slide the table around, instead I just rotate the cue. I have to align for almost everything I do anyway, so moving the cue around really isn't an issue.

I think the biggest limitation on that machine is the stock spindle and the A Axis. The A Axis is pretty crappy in my opinion. I try not to rotate the cue until I am absolutely certain I am done in a a position. If I have to rotate it, I will not go back, I just write all my programs to always rotate to the positive direction.

 

[zx24]

No i havnt contacted him as of yet...i see him around from time to time...i will approach him next time i see him..but i think ur right.. lots of help on here...I just wish there was a chat room here...

 

[Bill the Cat]

Precision spindle

I'm afraid I have to agree with Tony. If I am ever able to upgrade the spindle, it will be with a precision high speed spindle. I think the stock spindle should work for me for the time being. I may try a .020" cutter just to see if it will work, but, when I purchased the machine, I planned to design around a .032"-.035" cutter using the stock spindle.

 

[juspooln]

here's a few pictures of my messy shop thanks for looking,Bill

 

[BHQ]

here's a few pictures of my messy shop thanks for looking,Bill

yours looks like a freakin' hospital compared to mine right now
it's a total wreck, setting up two new lathes and all that jazz
moving things around to utilize every square inch i can
god!!! i should have doubled the size when i built it

 

[juspooln]

In the boating business we call that 4footitus I've got big plans for the other half of the room twice the mess