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I know the 16T ATC is over the top for stock X2's so I've started sketching a 3rd Automatic Tool Changer.
It will be the little brother of the 16T.
Smaller, lighter, cheaper and a little different with components that will be X2 work envelope friendly.
Builders will have a choice of 8,9,10,11 or 12 tools depending on how many large tools they want to run.
There won't be any medium sized toolholders, the chucks that I used for them are pretty crappy.
Better off with the bigger 3/8 chucks that fit the large toolholders.
I'll be adding these plans to the 16T DVD-ROM and will be giving free upgrades to the folks that already bought one.
I'll make this little brother in the next couple months but the plans will be done in a couple weeks.
Hoss
Gosh, you've... really got some nice toys here.-Roy Batty
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This is a quick look at the new toolrack.
It shows the 3 versions of the tool holder wedges, I'll be building this one.
It's only 11 inches OD.
Hoss
Hoss attached the following image(s):
Gosh, you've... really got some nice toys here.-Roy Batty
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Rank: Administration
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Rank: Newbie
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Just Love it!
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Rank: Administration
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Location: Follansbee, WV
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Finished the toolrack.
Excuse the pic quality, I forgot the camera so I had to use the webcam.
The video has no audio.
It looks tiny compared to the original but thats good,
smaller, cheaper, lighter and faster.
Hoss
Hoss attached the following image(s):
Gosh, you've... really got some nice toys here.-Roy Batty
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Rank: Administration
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Joined: 6/28/2008
Posts: 202
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Location: Follansbee, WV
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Rank: Administration
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Joined: 6/28/2008
Posts: 202
Points: 515
Location: Follansbee, WV
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These are a couple responces i just added to the FAQ page.
16. Q? - Is the Power Drawbar strong enough to hold the tools?
A - Yes it is. At least for what it's designed to work on, X2 or X3 sized mills.
The Belleville springs exert around 650 lbs of pull on the drawbar. This gives the collet more than enough clamping pressure on the toolholders to retain them for any milling the machines can handle.
These mills don't have the mass or rigidity of a 1000lb Industrial Hobby mill or a 2500lb kneemill so of course they can't get near the same cutting rates. Those mills will need much more pull to retain the Tormach type toolholders without slippage. A BT30 toolholder is a better option for them. It has dogs to keep the toolholder from slipping. The Tormach style is suited best for the smaller light duty mills that need much less clamping force. I've made a video that shows my Power Drawbar is more than capable of retaining the toolholder, holds fast with a .375 endmill with a .375 DOC in Aluminum.
The test was done with a 4 flute HSS endmill @ 2500rpm. This is a finishing endmill, not the proper roughing endmill I should use for a DOC this deep but I was all out of roughers. I'll rerun the test with a rougher and it should get the .001-.002 chipload I prefer. With a finisher I normally don't go more than .125 DOC @ .0015 chipload.
Power Drawbar Toolholder Retention Test Video
17. Q? - Does the Power Drawbar hurt the spindle bearings?
A - That was a concern early on but not now. The force put on the bearings is gentler than the shock force that can be applied by whapping the drawbar to release the collet manually. It's been nearly 2 years (10/07) since the drawbar was installed and it has done hundreds of tool changes since then. The stock bearings are still silky smooth and that's even after also being subjected to
2 1/2 times the original max (2500) rpm. The belt drive conversion runs at up to 6100 rpm.
Gosh, you've... really got some nice toys here.-Roy Batty
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I made a couple more videos testing the drawbar retention as well as the machines capabilities.
Pretty happy with the results.
Power Drawbar Toolholder Retention Test 2 shows it successfully running a .375 roughing endmill @3500 rpm, .375 width of cut, .500 DOC @ 10 IPM
750 Depth of Cut is pretty self explanatory a .375 rougher @ 3500 rpm, full width, .750 DOC @ 4 IPM.
Hoss
Gosh, you've... really got some nice toys here.-Roy Batty
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Looking for a little help with my ATC. According to the documentation I can use a 233 - 238 to turn on and off output 4,5 & 6 http://www.machsupport.com/MachCustomizeWiki/index.php?title=OEM_ButtonsI am using a Grex which has 16 digital inputs and 16 digital outputs, I have inputs 10-16 being used for my start/stop/hold/estop/coolant, i am trying to get input 6 to fire output 6 for the air ram on the power draw bar. Can anyone help me with the input/output code? thanks
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Rank: Newbie
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Rank: Administration
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hope you got it figured out, dont see much about the grex very often.
Hoss
Gosh, you've... really got some nice toys here.-Roy Batty
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From my research it does not seem to be a grex issue but a mach issue, are you able to describe in detail the program that you use for your tool changer, it is a macro i assume?
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Rank: Administration
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it's a modified M6start macro that comes from mach. http://www.machsupport.com/downloads/M6Start.zipthey have a tutorial video here. http://www.machsupport.com/videos/Hoss
Gosh, you've... really got some nice toys here.-Roy Batty
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Rank: Newbie
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