Meet my new little friend, Haas super mini mill

[bdkw1]

Interesting. We have many kinds of machines at our shop (haas, belmont, mitsu, etc.). All of them have something hokey about them, but the only vmc better at holding size than the fadal is a 50 taper tree. I am fond of the heavy boxed way machines when it comes to production and holding size.

If you stick with things that are Fanuc based or copys, it makes life a lot easier. Any operator can jump back and forth between Fanuc, Haas, Okuma, Yasnac without to much of a learning curve. When you start throwing in stuff that doesn't fall into that category it puts you at a disadvantage if there's only 1 or 2 guys in the shop that are familiar with the control.

Things that fall into the oddball category are anything conversational, mazak, hidenhan the multitude of retrofit controls. If a shop is set on going a certain way, they should stick with it for all the machines. It makes programming and operating much simpler.

There are not any box way machines in the cost effective category. Sad but true. You really need to be running a lot of parts or heavy cutting to justify one. A well set up linear guide machine is just as accurate. Maybe not as fast, but it will do it.

 

[Bacho]

I run the machine enough now to notice at the oil/coolant separator was not working. It has a constant drip out the top and onto the floor. I took the thing apart and was unprepared for how nasty it was on the inside. A couple of the screws snapped when removing them which should’ve been a warning.

I cleaned it all out and stuck it back together with RTV. Currently, the gasket for this is on back order. This might be a good TPU print project.

The coolant has a heavy skim of some nasty oil. I’m hoping I can clean that up with some pigmat. I think I mentioned before, but if I ever do this again, I would hot pressure wash that coolant reservoir before moving it into the building.

 

[bdkw1]

I've shit canned every one of those oil separators I've come across. They work for about a month under normal useage, then they clog up and start dumping coolant everywhere. Tube down to the coolant tank and a good skimmer.

 

[SHARPMACHINE]

Something like this will save you money in the long run. Just learn to set it up so you do not leave it on and make a mess.

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[Bacho]

So last Friday I was in the process of working on my second part. I found the machine did not have enough coolant in it to pump. I only put 12 gallons or so in to begin with. I decided now is the time to remove all of the quite nasty coolant and clean out the sump. Wound up pressure washing it with the hot water washer inside of the shop. Which is only about 95% as awful as it sounds. Anyways, I got all of that done and the coolant changed out.

While dumping coolant I noticed that the Y-axis limit switch flagged an error. I reset the machine, but when I tried to send it home to table, moved all the way to the back and got stuck. After a few moments of panic I hit up youtube for help. I found chips getting in the Prox switch on the axis is the common failure. I popped the way cover off to find a single chip resting against the proximity switch. I guess that was enough to make the switch fail. I cleaned this area out and put it back together for a successful fix.

It turns out this some area is where the oil and water mixture is piped from to go into the oil/coolant separator mentioned a few post previously.

 

[bdkw1]

It's a good idea to hose the limit switches down with wd40. If the machine is used infrequently they get sticky and can do the same thing.

 

[Grendel]

So who can I send a few Dana 60 inner C's to remove the cut tube from?

 

[bdkw1]

So who can I send a few Dana 60 inner C's to remove the cut tube from?

How much tube is sticking out?

 

[Grendel]

How much tube is sticking out?

Varies, 6" to less than an inch (that's what she said )

 

[bgaidan]

Varies, 6" to less than an inch (that's what she said )

I've never retubed one - are they just welded around the outside where the tube goes in to the C? It'd likely be easiest to leave a few inches of tube on them so you can stick that in the lath chuck and then just groove out the weld.

 

[Grendel]

I've never retubed one - are they just welded around the outside where the tube goes in to the C? It'd likely be easiest to leave a few inches of tube on them so you can stick that in the lath chuck and then just groove out the weld.

Yes, but the tube is pressed all the way into the other side of the C. Some of these, I didn't cut.

here's one i did, see the tube inside the C?

 

[bgaidan]

Yes, but the tube is pressed all the way into the other side of the C. Some of these, I didn't cut.

here's one i did, see the tube inside the C?

Makes sense. Definitely a lathe job, IMO. Once I get my big lathe repowered, I'd be able to do it fairly easily.

Looks like it'd be easiest to groove out the weld and then bore the ID of the tube until you get it thin enough to just break out. Ideally you'd want to leave at least 4-6" of tube when you cut them off so there's something to grab on to.

 

[bdkw1]

I've never retubed one - are they just welded around the outside where the tube goes in to the C? It'd likely be easiest to leave a few inches of tube on them so you can stick that in the lath chuck and then just groove out the weld.

Exactly. First bore the inside so that they are paper thin. No need to fight the press fit then. Then part them most of the way off. A little gr8nder work to remove the tube then a small chisel to break out the thin sleeve left inside.

6" or less ain't enough to work with, good luck with that.

 

[Grendel]

Well, I have 10 of them to do.

 

[bgaidan]

6" or less ain't enough to work with, good luck with that.

I've been doing just fine my whole life, thank you.




Maybe if you're working with a small machine, but anything with decent throw, all you need is enough room to get between the jaws and the C to take down the weld. And you'd only really need a couple inches of bite on the tube. I'd have no problem doing with that on my machine.

 

[arse_sidewards]

Are you willing to lose 1/8 to 1/4 off the back of the C? Because that would make it a heck of a lot easier.

There's going to be some weld fusion in the root of the joint under the back face of the C and there's no good way to get at it without taking some off the C.

I suppose you could cut it off outside that and then turn/bore it out and then press out the ring of tube that's left in there but that's way more work.

 

[Eric642]

I guess that was enough to make the switch fail. I cleaned this area out and put it back together for a successful fix.
.

If something stops working on you HAAS it is most often a limit switch issue. At least that's how it is on ours anyway.

 

[Bacho]

I’ve been working on replacement guide blocks for my bandsaw. Simple part, but it involved machine in both sides as well as making jaws to fit the second side. I made a couple mistakes along the way, one of which I’ve identified the other I have not. I feel I should consider this mostly successful.

Is the first photo I noticed some a lot of marking by the endmill, which I didn’t think I should be seeing. I theorized that the machine was rocking some. I couldn’t feel any obvious play One Direction or the other but I tightened up one of the quarters half a turn or so, which maybe made it better. I haven’t run a comparable part since.

on the second side, I made a mistake and the parts wound up .030 thinner than they should’ve been. I think I’ve identified this as when I faced off the soft jaws I did not necessarily model them to their new faced off dimension. I just adjusted the bottom of the cut. I also cut these with a .120 step down without a finishing pass. So the center of the part for sucked up into the cutter too much. Lesson learned. I’ll try this again with the parts at the correct thickness and less aggressive cutting towards the end and see what happens.

The second mistake was the Y offset was off making the second side. I haven’t been able to figure that one out yet. The jaws and the part both use the same origin point. I’m wondering if I possibly moved the relationship between them in fusion in between cutting them.

I was also quite surprised how much memory these programs required, and how low the memory is on the machine. I’ve got a couple of her and options there, but it looks like the only affordable answers are is running the program over drip or learn to cam in fusion much more efficiently. I’ll start with the latter for now.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

Not sure on 3d operations, but enabling smoothing for 2d cutting saves a lot of gcode in my experience.

 

[bgaidan]

I was also quite surprised how much memory these programs required, and how low the memory is on the machine. I’ve got a couple of her and options there, but it looks like the only affordable answers are is running the program over drip or learn to cam in fusion much more efficiently. I’ll start with the latter for now.

How are you loading programs now? Is it still floppy or does it have USB?

Should be able to get an USB to RS232 adapter to DNC the programs to it for relatively cheap. That's what I'm doing with my Fadal.

 

[Ovrez]

I was also quite surprised how much memory these programs required, and how low the memory is on the machine. I’ve got a couple of her and options there, but it looks like the only affordable answers are is running the program over drip or learn to cam in fusion much more efficiently. I’ll start with the latter for now.

you can edit your post processor to get rid of trailing zeros, also get rid of 0s in M and G codes M08 to M8, G01 to G1 and all other M and G codes. You can also make Fusion make sub programs and nest your parts. All those will make your programs smaller.

 

[bdkw1]

You need to work on your programming, that thing should have plenty of memory. Line numbers? Ditch them. Is it using smooth arcs or steps for curves? Smooth arcs is about 95% smaller program if you have a lot of surfacing or dynamic milling.

 

[bdkw1]

Also, stacking parts like that in a vice is a disaster waiting to happen. The more parts you run the more uneven the clamping pressure will be and it will start sucking out parts. 2 parts per vice will never go wrong.

 

[bdkw1]

What's the coolant ratio? Rusty vice is bad news. Are you running de-ionized water?

 

[Bacho]

How are you loading programs now? Is it still floppy or does it have USB?

Should be able to get an USB to RS232 adapter to DNC the programs to it for relatively cheap. That's what I'm doing with my Fadal.

Floppy has been replaced with a USB. I did so,e reading on the rs232 to usb but was under the impression they would not support DNC

You need to work on your programming, that thing should have plenty of memory. Line numbers? Ditch them. Is it using smooth arcs or steps for curves? Smooth arcs is about 95% smaller program if you have a lot of surfacing or dynamic milling.

Thanks, will investigate.

What's the coolant ratio? Rusty vice is bad news. Are you running de-ionized water?

10%. The vise had that prior to my purchase.

 

[Bacho]

Of course there was a local auction yesterday that had most of the stuff I bought go cheap cheap.

 

[Ovrez]

Of course there was a local auction yesterday that had most of the stuff I bought go cheap cheap.

What are you looking for?
I have plenty of machinist tools from 45+ yrs. just sitting in my tool box.

 

[Bacho]

What are you looking for?
I have plenty of machinist tools from 45+ yrs. just sitting in my tool box.

Mostly 40 taper tool holders and work holding stuff.

 

[72Pstroke]

Can't you load the code on a USB stick and run it straight off of that? I can do that on my TM2.

 

[bgaidan]

Can't you load the code on a USB stick and run it straight off of that? I can do that on my TM2.

That's DNC....or it looks like HAAS calls it TNC. On my fadal, I have to run the program through a DNC command via the adapter, but it'll run way bigger programs than the internal memory can handle. Still bogs down it if I get too crazy with adaptive-type paths though.