Thread: Cleaning a new Mill?

Oh come on, it shouldn't be a chore to strip down a new mill to clean!

I don't know much about Seig stuff but I have heard and read that their stuff is pretty good for Chinese so maybe you don't need to be so extreme. However, if in doubt, strip and clean it out!

I did this with my mill from new, which I'm glad I did. My lathe on the other hand had a few hours of use before I realised all the crud in the headstock. Too late by then, the spindle bearings were worn out. Like I said though, these were not a known brand like Seig that has built a sort of reputation for "better than average quality" for a Chinese machine.

How does it look, how does it feel?

Congratulations on your new machine!

I would only dismantle as far as I would feel comfortable in doing so... You start removing leadscrews and such, sometimes they can be difficult to realign upon assembly if they have not been doweled in position... Then you will have tight spots in them...

The link to ArcEuro Trade Booklet,


http://www.arceurotrade.co.uk/machin...mbly-Guide.pdf

Probably best to use the grease and oil that you read about.There strip down guide appears to be a guide to maintaining rather than cleaning.If you can trust what is shown and written that one appears to be very clean straight out of the box.

Hi Mark,
If it were me, I'd mechanically strip it down, that is everything but the electrics, I''d go into the electric boxes just to make sure that all the terminals are tight, I have found some loose on mine. Strip it down and you'll need a diamond file to clean up any nicks etc that you'll find. A book I read on the Sieg machines, said that the machining is pretty good for China, but assembly is a production line, no one takes much notice of the quality of the parts, over tightened, or loose, etc. Parts should be cleaned then checked for scoring, lubricated and assembled and adjusted to specifications. Some parts might need machining Gib screws to a blunt point for example. You'll get to know the machine inside out, and understand the workings of the various components.
Kryn

Little difference of opinion already regarding what to do with the Gib screws and you haven't started pulling it down yet,just be careful how far you go.

Thanks for your replies,
The mill looks great, very well made, bigger than I expected.
My project today is to start to clean it, So probably have mobs of questions later.

Originally Posted by pipeclay

Little difference of opinion already regarding what to do with the Gibs and you haven't started pulling it down yet,just be careful how far you go.

I think Kryn was talking about re-machining the gib screws and not the actual gibs.

Phil

Originally Posted by wm460

Thanks for your replies,
The mill looks great, very well made, bigger than I expected.
My project today is to start to clean it, So probably have mobs of questions later.

Remember, we like photos here!

Simon

Photos coming Simon.

got it striped down and cleaned ready to re assemble.

What sort of grease do I use on the lead screw?

no grease.... you use oil. pretty much any oil will do...

Read that PDF again.

Originally Posted by wm460

How far should you strip a new Seig SX3 mill to clean all the crap and grease off.
I have read ArcEuro Trade PDF Booklet, they strip it completely down, electrics and all. Do I have to go this far or is it an over kill?
What oil and grease should I lubricate it with.

Congratulations to your new mill.

When I got my new Sieg X3 10 yers ago, I initially only wanted to strip it partially. But I found so many burrs and leftover chips, I felt that I had no choice than going all the way to the very last bit. And in hindsight I am very very happy that I did. Many adjustments will not be lost, as Sieg uses taper pins in many places to ensure parts will fit together again as they should (the emty thread in the taper pin head is to help in taking them out with the help of a screw that you can use as a handle). I did wash all the gears and ball bearings, then deburr with swiss files. By the amount of metal dust and chips in the washing, the bearings would not have lasted for long.... I found places, like the tapered gib for the vertical dovetail, that had been "adjusted" with a blunt farrier rasp and needed much attention. They used the same old rasp to tram the vertical column to the bed casting. Go ahead, do the whole treatment, these low cost machines need that to become good machines. Some owners say its a materials kit, just put together to prove its all there and it fundamentally works. I also changed most (probably all) fasteners - they are stamped 8.8, but are soft like soup can iron. Replace them, before they stretch too much and strip the threads in the castings. Be careful with the spindle, the bearings are a very tight fit, you may have to correct that. And do not overfill the bottom taper rooller bearing with grease - by design excess grease has nowhere to go, and the spindle will get too hot when preloaded. After 10 years (actually I just checked, I bought it in 2004) I am still very happy with it, it was good value for what it cost. The only thing that turned out to be absolute sub standard crap was the DC motor and its drive to the spindle - I changed that to a VFD. But yours is the Super X3 with a completely new and much improved brushless motor and drive. I think you will like it. Chris

Edit: I replaced most oil ports with zerk fittings. If you punch out the brass oil ports, you can tap them for M6. I use gease on the handwheel axial ball bearings and leadscrews, I recommend oil for anything else. To tram the column you may do some scraping, I used thin metal shims. The interface between the base and the column is the weak spot for overall rigidity. But even with the shims, tramming is stable such that I can see the whole circle of the cutter on a very light finishing cut, and this has not changed in 10 years of use. Whilst at it, replace the die cast ratchet angle levers by quality items, they strip off before half a year use is over.

Originally Posted by cba_melbourne

Congratulations to your new mill.

Many adjustments will not be lost, as Sieg uses taper pins in many places to ensure parts will fit together again as they should (the emty thread in the taper pin head is to help in taking them out with the help of a screw that you can use as a handle).

Or with the help of a screw as an extractor. Heap of washers that will fit over the pin, then one that wont. Bung the screw in, and keep turning and and out comes the pin.

Dean