Milling machine controls

[lchris21]

interesting, only just stumbled across this thread. I too have an Omnimill. I ended up buying a small 3 phase motor for the feed as I couldn't fish out the star connection inside? I use 2 x Powerflex VFDs, one for the vertical spindle and one for the new feed motor. Im thinking of using the selector switch in the base to try and wire in the horizontal motor? This thread has reminded me to stick it on the project list......................For the coolant, I just used a 240v pond pump, works great, but I hardly use it to be honest.

 

[Carl Wilson]

Interesting thread. I am restoring a Harrison vertical/horizontal mill and documenting it on this site. Mine has also had silver/grey paint liberally applied to absolutely everything. I've found that oven cleaner is very adept at getting it off. Sodium Hydroxide basically. Don't get it on aluminium.

I rewired the 400V main and feed motors to delta from star to enable a 240V 3ph inverter to run them. I had to open the motors and do the rewire on the stator coils. I also changed all the bearings and seals on them while I was at it.

I'm looking forward to seeing how things progress with your project.

 

[daleyd]

Interesting thread. I am restoring a Harrison vertical/horizontal mill and documenting it on this site. Mine has also had silver/grey paint liberally applied to absolutely everything. I've found that oven cleaner is very adept at getting it off. Sodium Hydroxide basically. Don't get it on aluminium.

I rewired the 400V main and feed motors to delta from star to enable a 240V 3ph inverter to run them. I had to open the motors and do the rewire on the stator coils. I also changed all the bearings and seals on them while I was at it.

I'm looking forward to seeing how things progress with your project.

Hi Carl, yeah hopefully I can get it somewhere near the standard that you are rebuilding yours to as that is really something special.

I struggle with the finishing of stuff - I always tend to rush it once it’s in a working state, mainly as I don’t have a great deal of free time - but the beauty of this side of things is I can dip in and out of it during work time when I’m on a break etc as it’s all done on laptop.

Im trying to be a bit more patient with this and hope to get the paintwork in a nice condition before it all goes back together. Luckily it seems mechanically very good, so I’m hoping I won’t need to replace bearings etc though the fact a lot of the oiling points had been painted over makes me a little concerned - there’s no real discernible wear on any major parts so fingers crossed.

 

[Carl Wilson]

Thanks very much, I don't know how special mine is, doesn't feel like it at times. To be honest the biggest bug bear for me is the paint. It is such a mess, but I guess it will just be a case of taking the time to sort it out. There is such a lot of work to do but it is just a case of eating the elephant one bite at a time.

 

[daleyd]

Errr, yeah it’s just a gravy boat.....

Good job she’s quite an understanding lass.

Spent the entire week in front of PC with work so it’s actually been a nice (ish) change to get on with some paint prep. The knee made its way into the dining room this afternoon as it was rubbish weather, couldn’t get warm in garage and I fancied somewhere nice to sit while doing it.

4 layers of gacky paint off, the oil ways and bevel gear to clean out next and fingers crossed may be ready for some primer tomorrow

 

[daleyd]

Few piccies of the mill getting some primer. Looking forward to putting some top coat on

 

[MCKDAVID]

..........

Good job she’s quite an understanding lass.

nice one, lucky man, mines fairly understanding too, but I reckon if I brought a knee off a milling maching into the living room pretty sure it wouldn't be the only knee involved......


liking the colour of the primer, spot on, wouldn't change that for the final coat... looks good...

 

[Milkybars]

@daleyd Excellent work. Make sure you check all the oil points and tubes are "grease free" and function on re-assembly

Ohh and just noiticed you have taken the horizontal sight glass out (I wish I done mine !!) it still weeps slightly
Please let me know the product code of the replacement

Lovely stuff

 

[daleyd]

Thanks chaps

Yeah as I was lugging the knee into the house I was wondering how she was going to react when she got in - luckily she was ok with it, if a little puzzled

I’m cleaning the oilways as I go - most of them had been painted over so luckily (!!) they haven’t been greased - they all seem ok so far. Haven’t done the covers yet - the vertical head is much newer than the rest of the machine and is in almost “as new” condition so I’m in no rush to get that painted. I’ll see how it looks and if it bugs me being a different colour I’ll get it done (I almost certainly will do it but the rest of the machine is priority at the mo)

 

[daleyd]

Managed to sneak some time in to get some top coat on (Admiralty Dark grey tractol) - don’t look too closely as I have a few drips on the floor and have some overpaint to clear off the machined surfaces - ideally I would have split the base and column but didn’t see much point, especially as I don’t have an easy way of lifting the column off.

Still got the knee to paint and other bits and bobs but slowly getting there. This time next year Rodney ....

 

[Ali]

Ooooh, shiny... Did you get the paint online or somewhere local?

 

[daleyd]

Ooooh, shiny... Did you get the paint online or somewhere local?

Thanks Ali Online from Smith and Allen - I think the red oxide primer and topcoat come to around £40 inc delivery. It’s nice stuff, I did the horizontal gearbox cover as a test piece and it’s dried nicely and seems very hard/shiny. The column and tray have had 2 coats, the knee and table will too as these bits will have the most wear (I guess ).

The base bottom I’ve just left at 1 coat for now, if I have time and paint left then I may do another coat.

 

[daleyd]

I’ve got some air fix paint for the lettering

 

[daleyd]

Got all the main parts painted so made a start on the hernia inducing table - managed to get it on my workmate, then turned it upside down to remove the table from the saddle. Again it wasn’t something I was planning on doing but I’m glad I have as inside is full of accumulated gunk and metal chips, plus I can clean the slides and oil galleries as I go. Good job I’ve got plenty of degreaser, rags and blue roll

 

[daleyd]

I’ve cleaned the worst of the heavy grime and crud off the table, so made a start on the table motor and bracket - this is the 4 layers of plastered on paint that I was on about ...hopefully this will be the last of the paint stripping

 

[Carl Wilson]

My heart goes out to you. Stripping layers of paint and lumping stupidly heavy components about are something I'm familiar with, in my Harrison Mill restoration.

 

[Carl Wilson]

My heart goes out to you. Stripping layers of paint and lumping stupidly heavy components about are something I'm familiar with, in my Harrison Mill restoration.

 

[daleyd]

Currently its all back in one lump (well, mostly) and I've just sat the control panel on one side for the moment. I ran it up this afternoon and got power to each of the motors (coolant pump is still to do).

A bit of tweaking on the vertical head settings were needed as it didn't like running in sensorless vector mode much - it was jerky when starting and hunted around the frequency setpoint - I changed it to a straight volt/frequency profile and it runs lovely and smooth - I will try and see whats going on there later. The oil sight glass which I was worried about has been leak free, but annoyingly the other side with the gear lever (which i didn't think would be a problem) has a weep - oh well, at least it won't rust

The changeover by the hmi for horizontal and vertical contactor works well - it won't allow you to select a different mode while the drive is energised, so happy with that. I have a polycarbonate box coming to mount the HMI in - though I have yet to work out where to mount the panel and how to mount the screen. I was thinking of an articulated arm like used by camera people to give some moveability of the panel?

 

[roofman]

Currently its all back in one lump (well, mostly) and I've just sat the control panel on one side for the moment. I ran it up this afternoon and got power to each of the motors (coolant pump is still to do).

A bit of tweaking on the vertical head settings were needed as it didn't like running in sensorless vector mode much - it was jerky when starting and hunted around the frequency setpoint - I changed it to a straight volt/frequency profile and it runs lovely and smooth - I will try and see whats going on there later. The oil sight glass which I was worried about has been leak free, but annoyingly the other side with the gear lever (which i didn't think would be a problem) has a weep - oh well, at least it won't rust

The changeover by the hmi for horizontal and vertical contactor works well - it won't allow you to select a different mode while the drive is energised, so happy with that. I have a polycarbonate box coming to mount the HMI in - though I have yet to work out where to mount the panel and how to mount the screen. I was thinking of an articulated arm like used by camera people to give some moveability of the panel?

View attachment 270044

very nice indeed

 

[daleyd]

very nice indeed

Thanks luckily its mostly cosmetic stuff, mechanically its pretty decent though I've got a few bits ill have to make (the table feed handle is missing and the table feed drive stops aren't there either).

I hadn't intended to tart it up, but it was so bad I really couldn't leave it (oil/grease points painted over and paint everywhere it shouldn't be)- I'm really glad I've taken the effort now even though its taken a while...