MICROBOTER'S HOBBIES
If you ordered your CNC Fusion Deluxe kit you will soon discover that it does not come with any instructions. While most of the installation is intuitive and the quality is outstanding, there are a few things if done in the right order will save you some time.
The standard disclaimer “The following information is provided as use at your own risk.” This is the techniques I used to achieve the installation with no loss of life or limb. Your mileage may vary.
The standard disclaimer “The following information is provided as use at your own risk.” This is the techniques I used to achieve the installation with no loss of life or limb. Your mileage may vary.
Y axis
You need nothing from this axis but the gib strip, gib adjustment screw and nuts and the saddle, the kit comes with all you need. Punch the pins out of the base casting of the mill. Mine punched from the top down. The new piece from CNC Fusion does not have holes drilled for these alignment pins.
X axis
Remove all drive parts as well as the plate bolted to the end. Punch the 2 pins located on the saddle these also punched out from the top down. The only items needed from the original are the table, X gib strip, gib adjust screws and nuts.
Most of the time you will have your X3 before the CNC Fusion kit arrives. This time is a good opportunity to perform the tear down as per
Tools needed. Small hardened pin punch ( a must ), Metric Allen set, English Allen set, hammer, 2 channel locks or 2 vise grips, the wrenches the X3 came with, screw drivers, a friend with a strong back.
Z axis
After you have removed all the castings and bearings from the Z axis clean them. Next prepare the ballscrew for attachment to the middle iron casting. The machined block of aluminum needs to be twisted from the ballscrew to allow for the holes to be lined up with the holes of the casting piece. Once lined up install the Allen cap screws you removed earlier from the brass piece, twist this machined piece back into place.
Next grease the top casting and re-insert the shielded bearing also greasing the inner race of the bearing as well. Place the larger diameter end of the new Z ballscrew into this bearing. This is a slip fit, take care it doesn’t fall off for the rest of the assembly.
Remove the locking nut from the small end of the ballscrew shaft. Clean and re-grease the thrust bearings. Make note of the grooved washer parts of the bearing this mates with the ball bearings in the retaining ring. Place one set of thrust bearing onto the small diameter end of the shaft. A set is 2 grooved washers and a bearing cage. Now place the bottom casting onto the shaft. To ensure you do not do this backwards look at the pin holes in the column for proper orientation and mark the casting. Now place another set of thrust bearing onto the small end of the shaft. Now install the locking nut that you removed at the beginning of this section. To tighten I wrapped a double layer of shop rag around the small end of the shaft and held with channel locks while tightening the nut up to the casting assembly. Rotate this section to make sure you haven’t over-tightened.
At this time it is a good idea to move the center ballscrew/casting close to where the head brackets are located on the column.
Install the pulley on the small end of the shaft at this time. You will not be able to install the pulley once the Z ballscrew assembly is installed. (Don’t ask how I know this…)
Install the Z assembly into the column.
The next section is a bit tricky. If at all possible have some help for this.
Take the table/saddle assembly and install them into mill base Y ways. Install the Y gib. Now the tricky part. Place the mill on its back to expose the holes to mount the Y ballscrew. Screw the ballscrew away from the motor mount, but do not screw it so far as to let the ball screw come off the end of the shaft. Insert the Y ballscrew assembly under the saddle. Insert the Allen’s from the bottom of the base into the Y ballscrew mount and tighten. Install the provided Allen screw into the front of the Y mount into the saddle.
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Take the table/saddle assembly and install them into mill base Y ways. Install the Y gib. Now the tricky part. Place the mill on its back to expose the holes to mount the Y ballscrew. Screw the ballscrew away from the motor mount, but do not screw it so far as to let the ball screw come off the end of the shaft. Insert the Y ballscrew assembly under the saddle. Insert the Allen’s from the bottom of the base into the Y ballscrew mount and tighten. Install the provided Allen screw into the front of the Y mount into the saddle.
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Parts required from the X3 for the conversion.
Z axis
You will reuse the following from the old Z axis screws.
The top casting
The bearing located in the top casting
The casting located mid screw. (Remove and keep the Allen screws that attach the brass piece to the iron casting, also keep the iron casting. You will not need the brass.)
The lower iron casting.
The thrust bearings located on the top and bottom of the bottom casting.
Z axis
You will reuse the following from the old Z axis screws.
The top casting
The bearing located in the top casting
The casting located mid screw. (Remove and keep the Allen screws that attach the brass piece to the iron casting, also keep the iron casting. You will not need the brass.)
The lower iron casting.
The thrust bearings located on the top and bottom of the bottom casting.
Z motor mount
Help for this section or a hoist is advised, the drive head is surprisingly heavy.
Loosen the Z gib on the top right / back side of the head with a screw driver. A couple turns should be enough. Remove the drive head from the column. Remove the 4 bolt from the base/column intersection. You do not need to remove the column from the base. Place the Z motor mount on top of the column flange. Re-install the 4 bolts.
At this point install motor couplings on the X & Y.
Install motors on the X & Y and tighten couplings.
Remove the motor mount plate from the Z motor mount assembly. Install the Z motor on this plate ( much easier to do this with the motor plate removed). Attach the pulley to the Z axis motor. Re-mount the motor and plate to the assembly but do not tighten the screw down yet. Install the Z axis drive belt. Adjust the pulleys so the belt will run straight and tighten set screws on the pulleys.
Help for this section or a hoist is advised, the drive head is surprisingly heavy.
Loosen the Z gib on the top right / back side of the head with a screw driver. A couple turns should be enough. Remove the drive head from the column. Remove the 4 bolt from the base/column intersection. You do not need to remove the column from the base. Place the Z motor mount on top of the column flange. Re-install the 4 bolts.
At this point install motor couplings on the X & Y.
Install motors on the X & Y and tighten couplings.
Remove the motor mount plate from the Z motor mount assembly. Install the Z motor on this plate ( much easier to do this with the motor plate removed). Attach the pulley to the Z axis motor. Re-mount the motor and plate to the assembly but do not tighten the screw down yet. Install the Z axis drive belt. Adjust the pulleys so the belt will run straight and tighten set screws on the pulleys.
X&Y assembly
To install the ballscrews for the X & Y axis is a little backwards.
Start with the table and the new X ballscrews. Mount the X motor mount to the table. Next mount the ballscrew assembly to the other end of the table, making sure that the ballscrew mount holes are facing out.
Slide the table onto the saddle and insert the X gib strip into place, do not tighten the gib at this time. Slide the table over the saddle until the holes of the ballscrew line up with the holes in the saddle. Install the Allen screw from the bottom of the saddle into the ballscrew. Tighten the gib screws and then back them off ½ turn. Move the ballscrew to the end of the shaft that has bearings in the provided plate. Tighten the Allen screws.
To install the ballscrews for the X & Y axis is a little backwards.
Start with the table and the new X ballscrews. Mount the X motor mount to the table. Next mount the ballscrew assembly to the other end of the table, making sure that the ballscrew mount holes are facing out.
Slide the table onto the saddle and insert the X gib strip into place, do not tighten the gib at this time. Slide the table over the saddle until the holes of the ballscrew line up with the holes in the saddle. Install the Allen screw from the bottom of the saddle into the ballscrew. Tighten the gib screws and then back them off ½ turn. Move the ballscrew to the end of the shaft that has bearings in the provided plate. Tighten the Allen screws.
