My Home Affairs Minister has been bugging me to clear the Portabee and filament spools off the dining table. I was dragging my feet as I simply do not have room in the shop to have it in a useable manner. Though I've kind of gave up on it, I'm still holding on to the believe that I can one day modify it to work as it should.

At the Hokkien service yesterday, she made me fill up a form to register our interest to open up our home for Care Group meeting. I'm very much for the idea to make my home into a place of worship.

This afternoon, after getting home from Church, I started clearing stuff that I thought I wanted to dismantle for parts (yes, it's beginning to look like a junkyard). A little space measuring about 750mm in length was reclaimed, right next to the table where the Sherline lathe sits. A search on Ikea website uncovered this little kitchen trolley (2 legs on wheels) that is just about the right size. After dropping off the kids, we made a trip to Ikea Tampines to pick it up.

The table cost me SGD99. It is rather heavy, being made of solid Birch.

After about an hour of assembly, I've the table ready and wheeled into the shop.

I'm now not able to close the door all the way as the ladder is now right behind it.

At least the stiff on the dining table and the side table next to the main door of my flat are clear out if sight.

I wish the time spent was used instead on tramming the mill but to stay out of trouble, what I did is necessary.

Wouldn't have time for shop work next weekend as I'll be attending the company's annual offsite.

One other thing: Mike, if you're reading this, I thing the table is big enough for the Replicator! No place to use the notebook with it though. Hopefully he SD card function works as it should.

Till the next time, be blessed!

I've always wanted to install the precision leadscrew on the Sherline CNC mill. The modification requires a bracket to be made for the leadscrew nut and a bracket to offset the motor mount.  Some times ago, I completed the nut mount based on Graham's plan but decided to start over and adopt Tang Kee's instead. According to Tang, he based his on Graham's design but with modifications to allow tools mounted in the spindle to reach the table.  However, I did not complete anything due to my schedule and lack of focus. I was also looking for solutions to stiffen up the 2010 column. 

I was at Mike's shop to pick up the 2 gears for the 3D printer's extruder. I kind of briefly asked about the A2ZCNC Monster Mill column which I know he has one in his shop. Less than 10 mins later, I walked out with almost a grand poorer. Mike was nice to deliver it to me as I was too busy to pick it up. 

With the Sherline 5410 sold to a reader of my blog, I've some space for the CNC mill to be put back in action. 

The column is rather heavy, made entirely in aluminium. Mine came with one deep cut and a rather big dent. Figuring out the source of damage is impossible as it can be inflicted from Tim's shop in US to the port, or during shipment to SG, or at Mike's shop. Since they're not on any critical surfaces (I think), I will just leave them alone.

The swapping of the column went without much issue, except the threaded hole at the end of the precision leadscrew which almost felt like having bad thread. 

I was feeling lazy about tramming the mill this session, so used a square to square up the side of the column to the way of the base.  One observation though: the column seems to be leaning forward.  I find some time to properly tram it up in another session.

To see how well the new column works, I quickly key in the parameters in Mach3 to get motion. The "Step Per" for the axes were set to 400 steps per mm for a start and Mach3 was used to set them more accurately, or as accurately as my cheapo digital micrometer can read. 

Next was backlash time. The X axis measured 0.06mm of backlash and Y measured 0.04mm. I can't recall the reading on Z. The backlash compensation in Mach3 was appropriately set and it seems that I'm within 0.01mm of accuracy in all axes. I think this is enough. 

One thing that I feel uncomfortable about is the tightness of the gib in X. Having it tight, I've increase in backlash. Having it a little  loose, I've quite some bit of play.  Will have to find a compromise. 

I set the feed rate to 2000mm/min and tested all 3 axes. Cool... Nice to see the axes zipping around but I don't think the mill is rigid enough to cut at that speed nor I have the courage to try. 

The installation is completed. Next up, tramming - something I don't really fancy; maybe due to the lack of success in getting it right.  With this, my Sherline 2010 mill has now been transformed to a A2ZCNC Monster Mill, except the spindle, motor mounts, and table, which are still Sherline's.