LMS offering rigid column X2

[Brass_Machine]

Looks like Little Machine Shop is offering a X2 with a solid non tilting column.

LINK



Might have more potential?

Eric

[HS93]

anyone know where I can buy one of them motors and what controler does it need, I have a project in mind.

Peter

[John Stevenson]

Short answer Peter is you can't. I have already been down this route.
LMS sell them but they are expensive and by the time they are in the country they will be even more expensive.
ARC will not sell them as they work out to be the same cost as the machine. This is not ARC's fault as the prices are defined by China.

John S.

[John Rudd]

anyone know where I can buy one of them motors and what controler does it need, I have a project in mind.

Peter

Peter I recently purchased a super C3 lathe from ARC...It has the new brushless motor that the new minimill has.
The controller that drives the motor is of a 3 phase H bridge design with an Atmel micro doing all the speed control...

[raynerd]

Quick question based on this new rigid column - I`ve owned an X2 for near 3 years now and yes, it is small but in all honesty, I`ve only been really annoyed that something wouldn`t fit on once! It does for everything I need. An X3 would be my ideal choice but I can`t afford one. I read a lot of the forums (only tend to post on here and clock/watch forums) and lots and lots of people have modded their X2 to strengthen their column.  In reality, will you be able to tell a difference and how? I`ve read that it will be more rigid of course and there will be less deflection - what does that physically mean - I understand it implies the column won`t bend or deflect but will you actually be able to see different results from the machine?

Chris

[John Rudd]

Chris,

I've owned and used the Chester Conquest mill for at least 5 years now...it is basically the same machine but with a bigger motor (500watts of dc motor and a bigger table)...
The most ambitous project  I've used it for, was to make the indexer described by Harold Hall in his book on milling...That involved using a 2 inch boring head to make some big holes and to slit sone slots using big saw blades...

IMHO, it has never let me down on when I managed to smash the gears in the cog box when fly cutting(I was learning at the time)...Strengthening the column imho does nothing to improve the machine when used as designed...

[raynerd]

John, I said mine was an X2, but actually I have the Chester Conquest as well! Your reply is really interesting and I guess in some way I was loading my question with the fact that I can`t imagine a stronger column would do anything! I`ve used mine for fly cutting, gear cutting and general milling and at the tollerences I expect from the machine due to other features, I just can`t imagine this mod would give me any benefits. I could be wrong....

Chris

EDIT:  just wanted to add that you have mentioned you had smashed the gears. Did you do a conversion to belt drive? I did this mod a few years back and this one is well worth the effort! :  http://www.raynerd.co.uk/?p=413

[John Rudd]

EDIT:  just wanted to add that you have mentioned you had smashed the gears. Did you do a conversion to belt drive?

Does the big brown bear crap in the woods?    lol...

Course I did, was the first mod I made to the machine before going to taper roller bearings...

I couldnt believe the noise the machine made until I made the delt drive mods ( Jerry Rollet thank you... )

Glad to hear someone else has the same mill as I..
As an aside, I've just changed the bearings to taper rollers in my Super C3 lathe..before I even had chance to use it...   What a difference! lower noise levels smoother running..Just need to check the spindle with a dti for runout etc....

[ketanswali]

John, I said mine was an X2, but actually I have the Chester Conquest as well! Your reply is really interesting and I guess in some way I was loading my question with the fact that I can`t imagine a stronger column would do anything! I`ve used mine for fly cutting, gear cutting and general milling and at the tollerences I expect from the machine due to other features, I just can`t imagine this mod would give me any benefits. I could be wrong....

Chris

HaHa, I am so happy you and JR brought this up. i.e. ...Strengthening the column imho does nothing to improve the machine when used as designed...

Now comes one of the real reasons why this happened......About two years ago, a particular person with no mechanical knowledge took advice from a seller who also had no knowledge (not me), and wrote an article in a well known publication. This made me, for one, very angry to say the least!  , and my opinion was colourfully stated to the editor...even though I was not selling the X2 at that time. The editor did some editing to avoid collective damaging actions being taken by parties effected, but a little too late.  Obviously what ever is written in this "respected" publication has to be true...doesn't it?, and the newbies obviously follow what is said......so, the rest is perception as you have noted...

To deal with this, "we" the sellers have to come up with what the market wants. Simples

[Stilldrillin]

I am very happy with my modded Chester Conquest, (R8 spindle, rollers, belt drive). My second such machine in just over 2 years.......

I have never noticed column flex, during sensible use....... 

David D

[raynerd]

Sorry, maybe a little OT but still regarding X2 mods - has anyone written more details about their taper roller bearing mod?

[Stilldrillin]

Sorry, maybe a little OT but still regarding X2 mods - has anyone written more details about their taper roller bearing mod?

There's very little to tell Chris........   

Strip down. Knock the old bearings out. Insert the tapers. Re assemble........     http://madmodder.net/index.php?topic=4754.0

What do you want to know? 

David D

[John Rudd]

Sorry, maybe a little OT but still regarding X2 mods - has anyone written more details about their taper roller bearing mod?

Apologies for taking this even further ot...but to answer Chris's q.

Well,I'm sure I did....when I did my Chester Conquest..One thing to watch for is the journal diameter on the spindle..The orig bearings are a press fit (how the preload is adjusted is beyond me!), fitting taper rollers necessitates the polishing of said journals to allow the inner race of the bearing to slide...not a slack fit but a tight hand push fit....

[ketanswali]

Sorry, maybe a little OT but still regarding X2 mods - has anyone written more details about their taper roller bearing mod?

Apologies for taking this even further ot...but to andwer Chris's q.

Well,I'm sure I did....when I did my Chester Conquest..One thing to watch for is the journal diameter on the spindle..The orig bearings are a press fit (how the preload is adjusted is beyond me!), fitting taper rollers necessitates the polishing of sad journals to allow the inner race of the bearing to slide...not a slack fit but a tight hand push fit....

1. The X2 head is more or less the same as a mini-lathe headstock turned vertical. So have a look at mini-lathe headstock bearing change guide on ARC site or in Mini-Lathe book or anywhere else you prefer to look.
2. Regarding polishing, JR is more or less right, depending on how tight the spindle tolerances are.
3. I am going to stick my neck out and suggest using 7206-2RS angular contact bearings instead of the taper roller bearings which are normally suggested. They are same dims as 6206-2RSs which you are intending to replace, they are sealed, you can pre-load them, and they will give you greater speeds then the tapers 30206s. Still, the decision is yours.

[krv3000]

I am still saving up for one of them mills 

[raynerd]

I picked my Chester conquest for near £200 in perfect condition with a set of 3 digital readout scales (which at the time, I was a little ignorant about as i didn`t realise the price of these alone!!) off a poster here at madmodder. I`d look around at second hand as well and see what you can find!

[raynerd]

Thanks for the info guys.

David , in terms of "what did i want to know", just any info like the details posted up here after asking. I`ve not done this mod so maybe it is something to consider. In all honesty, I don`t really know much about bearings or spindles and so don`t really know what the modification achieves above how the spindle is currently setup. Will have to do some more reading! Thanks for the info David, John and the links Ketan.

[HS93]

I fitted a belt drive and high speed decent bearings on my X1 and it made a massive diference so much smoother and very quiet, but the finnnish was improved so that must of been down to the bearings. ?

Peter

[Stilldrillin]

Thanks for the info guys.

David , in terms of "what did i want to know", just any info like the details posted up here after asking. I`ve not done this mod so maybe it is something to consider. In all honesty, I don`t really know much about bearings or spindles and so don`t really know what the modification achieves above how the spindle is currently setup. Will have to do some more reading! Thanks for the info David, John and the links Ketan.

Chris.
The bearings swap makes a big difference to the mini lathe's rigidity. But, the mill is not as heavily loaded while working.

I believe the mill bearing swap is a good thing, "while you're in there". But not really necessary, until that time....

David D