Thread: X3 Retrofit

Hi Sean,
Good choice for Aussie buyers. I have done the CNCfusion deluxe kit conversion on mine three years ago and it has been my machine building workhorse since. There is some criticism around about the X3 column but mine gets a hiding and as long as you are not too ambitious with depth of cut it is perfect.

I have it in a full enclosure built on the original stand and run flood coolant which helps a lot with clearing chips and finish.

I have attached four photos in transition from first assembly with CNC kit to how it is used today in my machine room. Note I shifted the machine switches off the column to the right hand side of the enclosure. Swarf and coolant is contained in the cabinet and I have a pre-filter to capture the swarf before the recycling tank.

I use an ER25 collets. I have a Nema34 640oz on the Z axis - the head is heavy and needs some grunt to lift it under the friction of dovetails. X and Y are 497oz Nema 23's.

I can highly recommend the CNCFusion kit.

Nice, looks like a display model in the cabinet.
Do each of your machines have its own PC or do you plug in when required?

Brian

It is easy to keep clean as I just flush everything down the drain plugs when I have finished for the day.

The console in that photo can run all my machines as it has a motherboard inside the box. It's a good backup and I usually commission a new machine using it that way I have the machine profile on a second computer in case of hard disk failures, etc. There are build logs for this and the X3 somewhere on this forum or if not on CNCZone.

My machines these days have a computer and console built in to the machine base.

Hi Rod thanks for the pics I will see if I can find you buil logs and link them in, I have ordered the kit as well as the gas strut and helicals from cncfusion.

I have made the stand already need to put some wheels on it I will do that today then I guess tear the mill down get it off the ute and give it a clean and start making the enclosure.

Putting the controls on the out side is an excellent Idea I think I will use that anything else you would have done different or are you content with your setup.

Hi Sean,
Only thing I would change is the polycarb doors to be bifold and open inwards. After using the machine if you open the doors a bit of coolant drips off onto the floor. Not a big issue but something that could be improved.

Get yourself a set of tslot clamps - I think they are 12mm but check on that.
I use acrylic as a spoilboard material so go find a dumpster as you only need thin strips to cover the table. You can use MDF if not using flood coolant.

Make the Greolt touchplate as it is near on impossible to zero Z manually as the stepper motor is housed inside the column.

I found a photo of the switch panel from the side. I used 3 pin sockets connected to the rocker switches so that I can plug all the electrics into the one area and operate them from the one panel. You could cut the plugs off and hard wire them to the switch if you wanted but I like the ideas of being able to disconnect them easy if you want to service anything.

There are some links here to tear down the X3

Originally Posted by Barbarian_Child

Nice, looks like a display model in the cabinet.
Do each of your machines have its own PC or do you plug in when required?

Brian

If you wanted you could have one and share it between units that's my aim but of course you can only use one at a time and I create enough problems for myself running one at a time so it wont be frustrating for me at all lol.

Sean

Originally Posted by rodm

There are some links here to tear down the X3

That was going to be my next question I just got it off the ute and onto the stand by myself of course because no one is ever around when you need them just dont tell the wife people I have a funny feeling I will be laying flat for most of the day tomorrow and it wont be for her enjoyment!

Sean
They are around 200kg and the Commonwealth Games haven't started yet.

When you have some spare cash buy one of these. I have one and when it isn't being borrowed it is great for shifting heavy things off trailers and utes. You will pay more than that visiting the bones doctor to get fixed.

Originally Posted by rodm

Sean
They are around 200kg and the Commonwealth Games haven't started yet.

When you have some spare cash buy one of these. I have one and when it isn't being borrowed it is great for shifting heavy things off trailers and utes. You will pay more than that visiting the bones doctor to get fixed.

lol yes was thinking about one of those when I was moving It I used a couple of pices of 25mm shs and some grease as the table was the right height to the ute so it all worked out but I will be buying one of those trolleys before we move again thats for sure I didnt realise they were that cheap!

So anyone aware of who has some 497oz Nema 23's duel shaft in Australia ?

Ok guys bit of an update due to me wanting to use my G540 to drive this baby I am going to go with the following as the only other choice I have is 203s and I have better things to spend moneys on like a vice etc

What this method does, is use a Keling N34 906 oz motor. That detunes @ 3.5A to about 520 oz of torque. The new pulleys will bring that torque up to 640-670 oz. MORE than enough to give very nice 160-200 IPM rapids on the Z.

CNC fusion offers a different pulley if you are going to use the G540 its called the CR option link for more information.

So the Deluxe kit and helical as well as the following is on its way just hope it arrives before xmas .

Keling KL23H2100-35-4B 381 oz motors for X and Y
Keling KL34H295-43-8A 906 oz N34 motor for Z (Detunes to 520 oz W/G540. Changing Z pulley to 1.23:1 = 640 Oz)

Any ideas where I can find some resistors for these motors or will I have to get them OS I need 1/4 w 3.48k ohms

I get resistors from Altronics or Jaycar - on line.

I got Peter Homann's connectors for the G540 which have a pot fitted so it is infinately adjustable. I also got his chiller to cool the 540. Both good products and worth a look.

I am running a 640 Nema34 on Z and get reasonable speed. An X3 mill does not need a lot of speed unless you are thinking of adding a faster spindle.

When you put your kit together make sure you add spring washers. I recently had a backlash problem and traced it down to the Y axis ballnut cap screws coming loose. Much easier to wack in spring washers during assembly than to have to tear it down afterwards.

Originally Posted by rodm

I get resistors from Altronics or Jaycar - on line.

I got Peter Homann's connectors for the G540 which have a pot fitted so it is infinately adjustable. I also got his chiller to cool the 540. Both good products and worth a look.

I am running a 640 Nema34 on Z and get reasonable speed. An X3 mill does not need a lot of speed unless you are thinking of adding a faster spindle.

When you put your kit together make sure you add spring washers. I recently had a backlash problem and traced it down to the Y axis ballnut cap screws coming loose. Much easier to wack in spring washers during assembly than to have to tear it down afterwards.

Good idea on the spring washers will pick some up

Off to peters site I go