CNC Project: FS4MG - "Not a Kern" 

Hallo Stefan. I will continue in English for the broader audience. Nice to see you upgrading your shop. I don't want to be that guy, but please don’t encourage people to use the Erowa zero clamp system on a lathe. We use this and a different system quite extensively at my workplace. You can do at your shop whatever you want, but systems like this one are forbitten to be used at the lathe by the workers' compensation board (Berufsgenossenschaft). There are special versions of it that can be used, but the normal version can kill you if you, if the clamping mechanism becomes undone while it rotates

"Just like some people, it is just a hollow shell" 🤣 Love that kind of humor. Exiting project Stefan!

Very neat chuck system for proto/dev work and short-run manufacturing. I like the possibility of having a chuck on the lathe and on a CNC mill to move parts between machines with no loss of precision. I use a collet chuck to do that with microwave antenna feed parts, using a dummy D1-4 spindle nose on the mill. It's very repeatable in X/Y/Z but it's not so precise in rotation.

We all have the "I need another project like I need a hole in the head" problem, but it doesn't make us reject enough projects to make the list shrink anyway. I'll probably die with a list longer than my leg of projects 'needing' (for a given value of 'need') to be completed. Very nice project, that You didn't need. :)

*FOR EVERONE WONDERING ABOUT DRAG CHAIN CABLE.* In an earlier part of my engineering career when I was doing custom built production cells. I did projects where we built gantry robots and where we used 6 axis robots. There are 2 distinct kinds of cable you will find in catalogues from companies like Lapp, Belden and Olex - trailing and robotic and yes there is a difference. FIRST a basic lesson in copper cable. Typically electrical cables are made from strands of copper wire but you also get aluminum and gold for some applications. For all those who have watched Blondihacks series on copper boilers you'd know that copper *work hardens.* The difference between good quality electrical cable and poor cable is the quality of the annealing after the wire is drawn AND YES there's a big difference between manufactures. The main difference between cables for fixed applications and flexing applications are the number of strands and how the cores are encased in the plastic sheath. Fixed wiring has thicker strands and is simply encased in the plastic. Trailing and Robotic cables are made from much finer strands and they are installed with a dry powder lubricant so that the strands and cores can slide over each other. You'll see that lubricant when you strip the cables. Some of the higher performance multicore cables also have cloth sheaths between the cores and the outer plastic sheath. If the cable is shielded they have to do the same with the shielding in that its made from much finer strands. *- ROBOT cable* is the cable specifically designed for 6 axis (and similar) robotic applications where the cable doesn't just flex back and forth but also *TWISTS.* If you think about welding robots and spot welding robots they flex and twist in all sorts of ways. The standing, sheath and construction is all done for continuous flexing in ANY DIRECTION. This is why it costs a lot of money per meter but in things like welding applications its an absolute must if you want to avoid heartbreak. *- TRAILING cable* is what is used for drag chains. In most catalogues you won't see titles or descriptions or categories saying "drag chain cable" you'll see "trailing cable" and in the description you'll see "suitable for drag chains." Despite the label trailing cable is specifically designed for things like drag chains. It can be used for twisting applications but its main use is in drag chains going backwards and forwards. A COUPLE OF KEY POINTS A critical thing to look for is the minimum radius of the drag chain and the minimum radius for the cable. You should always pick a combination where the minimum radius of the cable is LESS THAN the minimum radius of the drag chain. Otherwise the cable will be stressed by the chain as it runs back and forth. The main aim of these systems is to NOT stress the cable or you will work harden the copper and it will eventually fail. When installing cable in a drag chain a major mistake is to use cable ties to clamp the cable to the chain DON'T DO THIS the idea is to let the cable flex. Most drag chain supplies have clamps for the end of the chain if required but typically you'll only clamp at one end so that the cable is free to flex. Most drag chains also have separators to keep cables from rubbing against each other - USE THEM. If you have communications, encoders and/or sensors don't simply throw the cables in the chain next to the motor power cables. I typically had AC servos with either encoders or resolvers so we had BOTH power and sensor cables. Its best practice to keep them as far apart as possible. Most of you will have power cables for stepper motors not AC Servos but don't forget that stepper motors are notoriously noisy by the nature of what they are. So its still sound practice to keep the power cables separate from the sensor cables. If you have a chain without separators use the air lines to separate the power cables from the sensor cables. So for all of you with these cartesian type machining centres you only need trailing cable but you do need to install it properly if you want it to last. FINAL POINT ON MOTOR CABLES WITH PLUG CONNECTIONS In this vid you'll see that Stefan bought a factory made cable for the spindle motor. For these sorts of motors with multi-pin cannon connectors or mil-spec connectors I ALWAYS RECOMMEND BUYING A MOTOR CABLE FROM THE MOTOR SUPPLIER. I have done a lot of work with such connectors over the years and they are fantastic when you have the right crimping tools or high quality soldering equipment but they are a nightmare when you don't. Stefan says his spindle cost €3,500. You don't want to risk that on a dodgy cable where its 100% your responsibility. I have never had a factory supplied motor cable fail but have seen what happens when cheaper options fail. Even if you are that 1 in 10,000 who gets that factory cable that fails there's things called warranties and customer support.

I am looking forward to seeing you building that small CNC mill. Thank you for yet another great video.

Great video. Thanks for the concise description of the equipment, I look forward to seeing the build and operation.

Stefan, truly appreciate your honest options, fit for purpose is something not a lot of people can understand

That mounting system looks amazing! Congrats on getting that and have fun using it 🎉

Looking good Stefan, cant wait to seeing more! ATB, Robin

Congrats on your new acquisition Stefan! That little chuck is really cool, excited to see how you incorporate it into your work, thank you for uploading. 👍👍

I thought about building a similar mill. Glad to know I was on the right track! Can't wait to see how it turns out!

Great video,Stefan and very precise and quality machine.Thank you.

Thank you Stefan! I can hardly wait to see you machining some stuff with this "new to you" machine! 😊

Thank you for sharing the spindle specs and measurement!

That its chuck and pallet system is pretty clever. The post and ball bearing locking mechanism to me inspires confidence that it will be both accurate and durable as well as repeatable. A very nice looking piece. Look forward to seeing it perform in the near future!

Fun build! Those ITS chucks look amazing.

Stefan , you are amazing ... I loved your handcrafting , Made-in-Germany ! ...

This project will be fun to watch.

UGH. Not only do I have to put up with your amazing machines, your exemplary craftmanship, but now I have to deal with the fact that cool stuff just rains down on you. :) I look forward to this.

Very exciting upgrades. 👍😎👍

Thank you for this treat, perfect video to relax on this afternoon after doing the theoretical part of my journeyman exam this morning, i hold you parcially responsible for giving me the itch to become a machinist (Feinwerkmechaniker Fachrichtung Maschinenbau) myself and could not be happier with my choice after doing my apprenticeship time over the last few years. I also want to thank you for sharing all your knowledge so freely, i have picked up lots of little things from you that helped me greatly in the workshop and hopefully will too in my practical exams 2 weeks from now.

good video stefan..thanks for your time

The title “Not a Kern” attracted me to this video. I found it extremely interesting and informative. 😊

Stefan, it's really weird to me seeing you use a tape measure as opposed to a micrometer Great project and inspirational as always! Congrats on the new machine too.

100K subs coming in soon Stefan. What a journey it has been.. Finally have a nice CNC!

Great work on the machine stand! It's really hard to do it this nice in the garden.. 🤟🏼

Very nice work sir

I love this frame

Hi Stefan, that's a really nice clamping system. Looking forward to seeing how you align the spindle.

I love you’re new machine. I’ve been struggling on how to get a small CNC machine into my shop for some while. Unfortunately there are no obvious solutions in North America aside from CNC routers. Great setup.

Very interesting Stefan.

Looks like a fun project 😊👍🏻

It's like Christmas. Looking forward to operation.

The last years i used a small optimum metall mill converted with 4 closed loop motors 12.5Nm for milling nice small metall parts ( stefan helped me once while converting with an answer in a forum😊) and was quite satisfied so far but seeing Stefans project i think about buying a bigger frame and doing the same as he did. A friend with his router always comes to me machining when the material is harder than normal aluminium... the Optimum mill has no problems with steel of different kinds there is controlled cooling mimimal and normal also controlled by the cnc controller as the spindle speed...the parts are very close to spec and for my use more than exact enough 😊thanks to the closed loop system which is nothing else than a servo....

Wow. Getting the basic frame is just the beginning! Work holding, tool holding, electronic gear and much work await. Plus, of course, a few Euros thrown in. An economist would call this capital investment. I don’t know what you’d call it when a hobbyist does it. But this is not a hobbyist on display here! It’s also interesting how people progress to increasingly precise machines. I’ve watched people get small motorcycles and progress to monster speedsters. It all seems like a natural progression. Good luck, Stephan.

Great choice! It's more a lost mould or stressed skin kind of deal than a filled steel frame, and I'm not entirely sure but I think I remember Thomas, one of the manufacturers, told me a few years ago the steel skin isn't very significant for the machines stiffness/stability. Might've just imagined that though, but it's definitely not a filled steel frame kind of deal. The larger ones, FS3MG, rely solely on epoxy granite though and are made in reusable moulds.

I can highly recommend those carbide cold saws with ~350mm saw blades.. I got one 2 years ago and I will never go back to cutting stock with a grinder or similar machines. And yeah, I'm also not set up to fab.. except I use those economical 120kg WLL aluminium trestles/platforms as welding-"table" ;-)

Stefan. That hollow 3d comment was classic😁👍😁👍😁👍

Fantastic small CNC machine frame! I remember about 12 or so years back on the CNC forum when the German guys were designing that epoxy franite frame and starting to make them. From memory it is not a welded structure filled with EG but instead is an EG structural casting with some steel plates fixtured at critical places. It will make a very pro setup for your small part machining needs! 👍🙂

I was waiting for Stefan to dial in the cross member of that stand. 😁

Thanks for the detailed explanation of the Erowa system. It’s quite unfamiliar to me. 👍

Nice and informative video. Stick welding a thin metal tube is nothing but easy. I always succeed in making some extra holes and then the weld tends to stick to only to the other part to be welded. But, grinder and paint make You the welder You ain't. The 3M Cubitron cutting discs are great. Especially the thin ones You were using. They really cut the metal. If You take a look into the metal dust they produce, it is actually tiny metal chips.

SO CLOSE TO 100K!!!!!!! LET'S GO!

I'm only 5 minutes into your video, but I wish to say that I've used all sorts of welding processes and the SMAW (stick) is a fairly high skilled process...with the right type of filler rods, and just a bit of 'finishing' you can build quite a nice table/frame...and it's not very expensive. And some feed-back on those stepper drive...Sweet....I used to be electronic tech on the first CNC stuff, DC motor drives the ball-screw, 2,000 RPM...and 3-phase decoder for positioning....0001" back in 1997...Some of the first Mazak controls...and some Fanuc...

I remember this router from a Marco Reps video and it was a beast one.

Great video again Stefan. One small remark from my own electronics background knowledge, better not to put the unshielded motor powercables next to the unshielded data control cables in one box. They could interfere with eachother. And hard ground all metal parts of the machine with its own earth cable (preferred 4mm2 or bigger) also the metal box. Looking forward on the next video showing the results and obtainable precision with this new cnc machine.

Good job❤❤❤

This style of "Bridge Mill" is BY FAR the best design in my opinion. Our Okuma M560 is so much more rigid than any C-Frame mill i've owned

These things can definitely get with in a couple thou. Especially with a guy with this kind of knowledge.

Sefan with a tape measure is like DaVinci using a house painters brush. Lol. Love your work! 😂

Gehört in jeden Haushalt!

That is going to be a very nice machine👌

I laughed when you said that was a torque wrench tightening the tool holder, then I realized it really is, and now I really want one!

gorgeous

Shopping with Stefan! :)

I bet we soon have a video making those palette! Nice!

100k soonsies!

You may have mixed feelings about another project, but it looks interesting to me and I am enjoying it already.

Anyone else shocked that Stefan whipped out a folding rule to measure 🤔 I didn't think the most precise man I've ever seen would own such a tool; that's for the likes of us dead tree carcass butchers 😂 I love watchin you work and talk through your process Stefan 😁

I don’t know why stick welding is si doggone hard, but I have the same problem, Stefan. Tig welding is always my favorite.

You had me with the title, Kern is visiting us in two weeks, presumably to try to sell us a Micro HD.

Really rigid 💪

3M Cubitron is good enough for just about anything. Seriously one of my favorite abrasive families. Between my "projects" and my Steam library it is truly a miracle I get anything done some weeks.

That chuck pallet system is very interesting.

Stefan, long time no see. I've been going down a bit of a micro-CNC rabbit hole lately myself and am looking for inspiration. Interestingly, I've spent years wanting to buy a Hörger & Gaßler mag base myself. But being in the US, ordering one from Hoffmann or the likes would set me back a small fortune as I tend to need a larger one for my day job. So, when a 440 model popped up on Ebay for $129, I jumped at it and it just arrived today. I've spent the past 5 or so years feeling a bit silly mounting a one or two micron indicator to an amazon mag base but, no more!

very mice. I am frpom sink edm background. At first I redognize the machine frame as a casting I know from China, but yours is a sheet metal envelope with stone and epoxy filling. The spindle is new to me and looks very good. The ITS tooling is veryu familiar. I used 3R Erowa Istema Jackie Smeder and they are great precision. BTW this famework would make a great EDM machine! I look forward to further adventures of this system Thank you/

Cool Tool

Good work

Cute! ThisOldTony will be green with jealöusy.

Interesting project :⁠-⁠)

This morning I opened RU-vid main page to watch some videos about possible civil war in Russia. But, geopolitical catastrophe will have to wait 43 minutes because Stefan has a new video and THAT one has has priority over anything else. Including work and chores ;-).

A nice follow up will be using the self proving characteristics of the square. By using only 4 points of the x and y rravel you can measure both machone and squ.are at the same time.

I have some catching up to do on my mill, my hiwin rails should be coming soon though so I can start getting closer.

happy to see you arent the "plunge cut" type of angle grinder user! :P

I see a lot of home built CNC gantry type mills, and have wondered how, if at all, they were able to achieve any accuracy like you have shown on this machine. It seems to me that the linear rail mounts would have to be ground square, on a much larger grinder. Thanks again for all you great videos. 🇨🇦

That spindle is awesome. I bet when it's warm that 2 micron becomes zero.

Mill scale pain? Try this: Storage tray with lid. Soak parts overnight in neat strong vinegar. Wrapping big parts in vinegar soaked rags in a plastic bag also works. Yeah, I was sceptical till I tried it

@33:22 degree,.? 180...?😮 35:19 But, watching more, the system is brilliant, amazing. And accurate as well. Thank You, for the lesson.

Alot of ac servo manufacturers use molex actually. It's the electricians job to mount the cables in a way they will survive. But yes, automation brands mostly use high quality metal round connectors.

Great video 👍 Stefan nice to see you got to go primitive and work in the great out doors and swing a hammer and finish with an angle grinder and paint😅

I really like those machines. I was hoping you'd say you were planning to use LinuxCNC just so I could see your attention to detail applied to a project like that. I'll look forward to seeing what you do with your new machine!

Fun project! Did you know you can use vinegar to dissolve mill scale without abrasion? Soak it overnight and the mill scale will dissolve.

Fancy stuff.

An extra manual movement on the Z/(C) axis would be nice, I think, for longer tooling and stuff.

Stefan, I thought you would make your own draw down bolts for the pallets 😊👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Hi Stefan ,what a great machine! looking forward to seeing it evolve. About a month ago the channel marco reps did a factory tour of the spinogy factory , you get to see some details of the inner workings of the spindle. Does your spindle have an encoder that allows for rigid tapping? He also is constructing a machine using linuxcnc and a watercooled spinogy spindle. interestingly he is using EtherCat servos, that allow for entirely digital domain servo control instead of +/-10VDC .

not related to machining, but i will be going to wacken this year for the first time!

The hollow shell comment😂😂😂😂

Danke Stefan für das Video...ein paar Dinge waren wieder hochinteressant! Wenn man nur mehr Spielgeld hätte...😝😉 Ich hätte übrigens noch 4 Tütchen Metaflux hier. In meinen Augen für HSK Spannsätte am Besten geeignet! Wenn du was brauchst...kein Problem. Machen wir dann im Discord aus...👍

A grinder and some paint will make a welder what he aint.

its look like a tiny strong cnc Mill👍

I'm VERY excited to see what you are going to do with this! I have a small(er) DIY cnc mill made out of concrete-filled aluminium extrusions that I built a couple years ago (made a post about it in r/diycnc recently with the cad files). Building a tiny mount-in-vise 5th axis for it was quite an adventure, the ITS mounting system looks like it would be great for mounting something like that as well. Too bad now the true-5-axis toolpaths in Fusion360 cost a small fortune worth of a subscription.

16:10 Your first measurement should be: Are gantry rails parallel to build plate and linear? I see they are attached with screws that could produce a center bow if not tightened correctly.

maybe the plate is flat, but the rails in the gantry have been bent. to check it: put a straight edge on the table and test again. same idea for the other axis.

Nice project good luck with it. What brand of taps do you like? I have been using OSG taps they work great.

hello stefan, i am in the process of building an enclosure for the same machine and i was wondering if in your case, you bolted the machine to the frame from behind in addition to the two front holes?

👍

Were you tempted to fill the stand with granite epoxy too? We could see the machine wobbling when you jogged the X axis. I guess it's the M8 feet that are mostly to blame.

Actually you should use 1um indicator for that kind of job.