Novamill - additional holes in table?

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JohnHaine
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Hardware/Software: My Novamill, bought in Nov 11 without electronics, is now up and running under Mach3 with a home-build control box. I'm very pleased with the machine, only project so far is correcting a cheap small machine vice originally bought for a vertical slide to use on the machine - not a right-angle in it when bought!

Novamill - additional holes in table?

Post by JohnHaine » Sat 11 Feb , 2012 21:22 pm

I'm making progress with my Novamill and starting to make various workholding attachments. One issue is that the table has only 2 Tee slots, it would be nice if it had 3. I was wondering if anyone had drilled and tapped any additional holes where the 3rd Tee slot would go if it had one for additional clamping bolts? It looks like there is enough meat in the table but not enough for machining an extra slot.

flyingmike
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Re: Novalmill - additional holes in table?

Post by flyingmike » Sun 12 Feb , 2012 22:33 pm

Hi, I thought this too. In the end I bought a X1L long table from arc euro trade, machined off the bits on the underside that make it fit the X1 and bolted it to the Denford table. This gives you three T slots and a slightly bigger table. You do of course loose some of your valuable height though.

angel-tech
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Re: Novalmill - additional holes in table?

Post by angel-tech » Mon 13 Feb , 2012 9:45 am


JohnHaine
CNC Apprentice
CNC Apprentice
Posts: 51
Joined: Mon 21 Nov , 2011 12:12 pm
Hardware/Software: My Novamill, bought in Nov 11 without electronics, is now up and running under Mach3 with a home-build control box. I'm very pleased with the machine, only project so far is correcting a cheap small machine vice originally bought for a vertical slide to use on the machine - not a right-angle in it when bought!

Re: Novalmill - additional holes in table?

Post by JohnHaine » Mon 13 Feb , 2012 23:14 pm

Hi Mike, how did you bolt it on, just using the novamill Tee slots or drilling some more holes in the table? I haven't run into a height problem yet but can see that I may well.

I looked at the German tables (Google Translate to the rescue) - not a bad price though a CI one like the X1 table would be better.

John

angel-tech
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Posts: 525
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Hardware/Software: .....
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12 station lathe atc
Mach 3
Location: Quatroland

Re: Novalmill - additional holes in table?

Post by angel-tech » Mon 13 Feb , 2012 23:18 pm

JohnHaine wrote:Hi Mike, how did you bolt it on, just using the novamill Tee slots or drilling some more holes in the table? I haven't run into a height problem yet but can see that I may well.

I looked at the German tables (Google Translate to the rescue) - not a bad price though a CI one like the X1 table would be better.

John
There is a button in the top left to translate.

flyingmike
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Re: Novalmill - additional holes in table?

Post by flyingmike » Fri 24 Feb , 2012 10:04 am

Hi,

Yes the one from arc euro trade is ideal, good price too at about £30. Saves drilling that nice original denford table. Its typical soft cast iron though...

I didnt want to machine the denford bed in any way so I drilled and counterbored the arc euro bed. Unfortunately the arc euro slots dont quite match the denford slots but close enough. End up with half a hole, if that makes sense :) I`ll add a photo when I get home, but you might be able to see it on my other photos on here.

If you design for round head socket screws then they are lower head profile and dont obstruct any T nuts in the slots which Cap heads might.

Dont forget you need to machine off a fair bit of the underside of the arc bed though as it has all the mounting and lead screw fittings on.

Mike

JohnHaine
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Posts: 51
Joined: Mon 21 Nov , 2011 12:12 pm
Hardware/Software: My Novamill, bought in Nov 11 without electronics, is now up and running under Mach3 with a home-build control box. I'm very pleased with the machine, only project so far is correcting a cheap small machine vice originally bought for a vertical slide to use on the machine - not a right-angle in it when bought!

Re: Novamill - additional holes in table?

Post by JohnHaine » Fri 24 Feb , 2012 17:24 pm

OK, thanks Mike - photo would be good! However I don't have the column extension so I'm concerned about loosing height, so may think more about drilling holes though it seems sacriligious!

flyingmike
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Re: Novamill - additional holes in table?

Post by flyingmike » Fri 24 Feb , 2012 23:12 pm

Hi, I dont seem to have a decent photo of the table, you can just see some semi circles cut out in this one...

I wouldnt worry too much about loosing height. If you get a low profile collet chuck you wont have a problem. Its only an issue with the quick change stuff. Depending on what you are going to make of course...
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flyingmike
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Re: Novamill - additional holes in table?

Post by flyingmike » Fri 24 Feb , 2012 23:13 pm

and if its no good you can always take it off ;)

JohnHaine
CNC Apprentice
CNC Apprentice
Posts: 51
Joined: Mon 21 Nov , 2011 12:12 pm
Hardware/Software: My Novamill, bought in Nov 11 without electronics, is now up and running under Mach3 with a home-build control box. I'm very pleased with the machine, only project so far is correcting a cheap small machine vice originally bought for a vertical slide to use on the machine - not a right-angle in it when bought!

Re: Novamill - additional holes in table?

Post by JohnHaine » Mon 27 Feb , 2012 12:44 pm

Thanks again - John.

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