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Reinforcing Sieg Import Mini Mill Column

January 31, 2022 / Circularfish

Inspired by this blog entry, one of our first modifications to the Sieg x2.7 castings will be a reinforced column to improve rigidity. Our strategy will be a bit different from the one used there, though. Because we will be installing the z-axis lead screw on the outside of the column as part of our approach to stiffening the head (more on that later) we can afford to enclose the entire column, from top to bottom, while leaving a 3-inch tab at the bottom to attach to the base.

To do this, I opted for half-inch thick, 6-inch hot rolled bar stock cut to the the length of the column plus the base so that it can attach to both and tie them together. Once the plate is installed, the plan is to fill the column with epoxy granite via the gap in the front side through which the head attaches to the lead screw that is located inside the column in the original design.

Our first step is to trim the 6″ bar stock to close to the 130mm width of the column. Because we will be using side brackets flush to the column sides to attach the head to the lead screw (and a couple of linear rails mounted to the back — again, more to come), it is important to get the width exactly right.

We start on the band saw:

No Guts No Glory – Sieg 2.7 mill castings have arrived

January 16, 2022 / Circularfish

Recall, the plan for the project is to substitute more rigid mill castings for the small X1 at the heart of the BenchMill 6000. At the same time, we want to keep the plumbing, software integration, and all the cool components of the Intelitek machine.

But what substitute castings to transplant?

This was surprisingly hard to figure out. A key design limitation for the project is the need for the new iron to actually fit in the BenchMill enclosure, which provides only 39″ x 28.5″ x 34″ of interior space to work with. On the small end of possibility, I immediately discarded the idea of using an X2 “mini mill”. It would certainly fit, but I would likely be swapping one set of rigidity issues for another.

IT’S ALIVE … but for how long? (Getting a surplus Intelitek BenchMill running)

January 12, 2022 / Circularfish

After getting the control software set up and making sure it was communicating with the machine, I took some time to clean the mill. Because we plan to replace the bed, saddle, table and column, I didn’t anal retentively clean the machine like I’d normally do, but did make sure to free up any stuck parts and stone any burrs.

Brains of the Operation? Inexpensive older touchscreen control for CNC

December 22, 2021 / Circularfish

To get the mill up and running I’ve elected to start with a cheap all-in-one touchscreen PC. Basically, all it needs to do at this stage in its life is to (a) not let out the magic smoke, and (b) run the Intelitek CNCBase control software that is set up to work with the BenchMill 6000.

I suspect Mach 3 or 4 might be made to work, but the appeal of the BenchMill was that it *should* work out of the box with the Intelitek software, which is set up to control all of the bells and whistles that come with the machine like the pneumatic shield, automatic tool changer, 4th axis, and pneumatic drawbar.

To test this theory I acquired a Gateway ZX4800 touchscreen from the most reputable of internet auction sites for the exorbitant sum of $85. This is the finest of circa-2012 era all-in-one computers, and other than concerns with the integrated graphics, its Pentium dual core seems to meet the minimum requirements published to run the CNCBase software.

Getting an Intelitek Benchmill from Ohio to Georgia

November 30, 2021 / Circularfish

After paying for the mill I loaded up a Uhaul 5×9 trailer and headed up to Akron. It was about a 10 hour haul from Georgia, cutting through South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia. Took my son with me and made a road trip out of it. Lovely country — believe it or not, it was an enjoyable drive.

The folks at the University of Akron couldn’t have been nicer. After checking the paperwork they helped load the mill using a forklift. Note to anybody considering getting one of these: with the enclosure the machine weighs in at around 400 pounds, so if you are thinking “micro mill” and are assuming you can just man handle it into the back of your SUV, think again. The weight isn’t toooooo bad, but the enclosure makes it bulky and difficult to move.

Donor Machine. Did I overpay? Yeah, I overpaid.

November 3, 2021 / Circularfish

So we’ve got the raw material to start with. Behold, an Intelitek BenchMill 6000. As far as I can tell, these were constructed around the Sieg iKX1 platform. They feature a pneumatic draw bar, jog pendant, auto opening/closing front shield, and a one-shot oiler. They come wired for a coolant pump and a 4th axis.They also work with Intelitek’s proprietary CNCBase controller software, which is free to download.

Project Overview: Upgrading an older CNC training mill with modern commodity parts

October 16, 2021 / Circularfish

While we all love old manual mills, what we really need for some of the ideas on the horizon is something that can manage light but precise and repeatable cuts in aluminum and mild steel. We need a machine that can manage complex, three-dimensional designs and, if possible, automate multiple tool changes. A bench-top CNC mill would be ideal. But how do we get there?