Retrofitting a 1986 Maho MH400E

RotarySMP wrote:

That looks really nice. How reliable is the wireless connection?
Mark

Its never let me down and the batteries last forever. The correct part number for a Mesa config is ATWGP01-6BB-3.
That is a 5 volt compatible encoder with coded binary signals for the scale and axis selection switch to save pins. It can control 6 axes so there are a couple of extra MPG outputs. I was thinking of using one for reverse run...

The only thing I've found is that by default the estop is enabled so you need to switch it on or off or hit the estop on startup. I thin that is by design. I use estop_latch to merge the stop chain in HAL.

the wirerd XHC-hb04 is a great gift at 80USD
it has all buttens free programable in HAL
i use it the way as i cna do MPG 0.01 .02 0.5 steps
and on F6 F7 i can go 200 500 1500 mm/min Jog decision on mpg press for the large plasma tables
no need to rotate like grazy

Doing things the hard way come naturally to me

I am also very good at starting projects, and very patient at letting them mature.

I was given a tool holder with a broken off carbide jamming the hole.



Picked up some offcuts of an industrial plastic. (something harder but still insulative would be better)



Scrap endmills provide 6mm carbide shafting. These ones I bought as scrap, although I have a talent for produing scrap end mills.


Six balls from bearing


And a slug of Meehanite.


You can probably guess where this is going.

i am pretty shure that there are Holders like you need
from older shops on low cost
most upgrde there stuff regular and sell the old stuff

I'll need a cylinderical surface, and took a shot at hard turning the tool holder, but carbide and hard turning --> the carbide loses. I'll grind that round between centers with the Clarkson.

Yesterday I felt more like turning than milling. Switched from the Meehanite to a 50CrMo4 drop I got from the scrappies. The finishing pass was a fresh TMCT090402 insert at 1800rpm, very shallow cut and low feed. The swarf came off as sparks, but it looks pretty.


Ground the mounting boss round on the SK40 tool holder, and then ground in an alignment goove using a cut off disc, before parting it by hand.




My grease press arrived so I filled it with Kluber NBU15 and lubed the angle gears of the MAHO.

I've been thinking about how unenjoyable engraving is at 16mm/min with the MAHO screaming away at 4000rpm. Decided to add yet another project, and ground up an old carbide endmill for a drag engraver bit, and then started making a holder for it.





Mark

A lot of work for only 750rpm more, and engraving wouldn't need 1.2kW, wouldn't it be better to go with the little frame size ten, and 20K rpm. You could probably fit the tool inside an ER 32 collet

I have an ER-16 collet chuck with 20mm shaft, and a set of P4 AC bearings stashed away in my future projects treasure trove, waiting to be turned into an engraving spindle. There wasa really good one made on CNCZone years ago, where the maker used the rotor and stator from a BLDC model motor as an itegrated motor/spindle. Not sure whether the is much of a benefit now that the chinese HF spindles are so cheap.

It looks like drag engraving works very well on aluminum. Probabaly can't do a useful depth on steel. At least I won't be thrashing the MAHO at full rpm for hour doing that.
Mark