Busy Bee retrofit ?

I've got the space for a large machine, but getting a larger machine
means more money, and at that point it may be wiser to bite the
bullet and get a good used VMC on eBay? I've seen late 80's fadal's
go for $9k (double my budget).

I don't know, I am going to do some more research. Has anyone here
built a machine from the ground up?

Peter


--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com, Peter Renolds <prenolds@s...>
wrote:

> Hi Guys,
>
> I just hate to take the wind out of your sails but I have one of

those

> units from Busy Bee. They are also well know in the US as the Rong

Fu

> RF-30 and as far as I know, they all come from the same place in

China.

> Anyway, about 4 years ago, I did convert one with 530 oz-in

steppers

> and found that at least with mine, I had to loosen the gibs to

allow the

> stepper to be able to move the table in X & Y without stalling. I

never

> did get to fitting ballscrews as I decided to upgrade to a

bridgeport

> clone knee mill. When you get to machining with the Busy Bee (or

Rong

> Fu) unit, you'll likely find the slop in the ways to be excessive.

It

> will be hard to maintain tolerance - in my opinion. To give you an
> example of what I mean, wind the table all the way to one end of

its

> travel in X - the long axis. Pull on the extended end of the table

in

> the +/- Y direction and watch how much slop you see in the Y

saddle.

> Try the same thing on a BP type knee mill and I doubt you'll see

any

> movement. I seem to recall Jon Elson recently measured the column

flex

> while cutting and it was a lot more than one would ever expect or

want

> in a precision machine. You also only get about 6" of Z travel and

that

> poses real problems when you get to do tool changes under CNC

control.

> You need 4.5" to get an R-8 tool out of the spindle. That's why I

cnc'd

> the knee on my machine.
>
> This machine was my first conversion and I learned a LOT but I got
> frustrated when I tried to make any precision parts or smooth

finishes.

> Once again, I didn't fit ballscrews with double nuts to eliminate
> (virtually) backlash and I'm sure this would have made a big
> difference. I still use mine for odd jobs where I have another

setup on

> the big one that I can't remove - but I don't ever expect to get

good

> cuts.
>
> I know they are on sale at a great price - but know what you are

getting

> - before you buy. That's why so many people recommend tracking

down a

> good used bridgeport - there is no comparison in the quality of

work you

> will produce - but I know not eveyone has space for a 2200 lb hobby

item...

>
> Cheers, Peter
>
>
>
> peterboutakis wrote:
>
> >Awesome! I'm going to go out and buy that mill, and get this

thing

> >off the ground. I'm will go the same route as you, and use the
> >acme's for now, and then upgrade to ballscrews later. I will keep
> >everyone posted here about my progress and probably set up a site
> >with lots of pics.
> >
> >Great advice, thanks alot for your help!
> >
> >Peter
> >
> >PS, I used to be a mac guy, back as far as the Mac Plus, I still

own

> >a Mac Portable (gasp!). Those were the good 'ol days, when there
> >were no viruses, and photoshop came on floppies!
> >
> >
> >--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com, shyningnight@y... wrote:
> >
> >
> >>Hi!
> >>I'm a "newbie" at this too.. just designing my own retrofit for a
> >>
> >>
> >very simillar sized machine.
> >
> >
> >>I can let you know a few things I've found out...(and if anyone
> >>
> >>
> >with more experience
> >
> >
> >>contraedicts me, believe them.. like I said.. I'm new...).
> >>
> >>The NEMA refers to the frame size of the motor, and determines

the

> >>
> >>
> >dimensions of the
> >
> >
> >>mounting holes.
> >>As for motor power in Oz-In; I'm a little confused about that
> >>
> >>
> >myself... But I've gathered
> >
> >
> >>that you CAN use as little as a 400 Oz-In motors for XY, but

more

> >>
> >>
> >is better.
> >
> >
> >>I just bought three 680 Oz-In Stepper motors from Dan Mauch at
> >>
> >>
> >Camtronics (http://
> >
> >
> >>www.seanet.com/~dmauch/). He currently has a GREAT deal on a

load

> >>
> >>
> >of motors he
> >
> >
> >>picked up from a distributor. I haven't been "stepper shopping"
> >>
> >>
> >very long, but his prices
> >
> >
> >>seemed REALLY REALLY good for the sizes he has.
> >>
> >>As for controllers;
> >>A LOT of posts here and on other boards recommend the Gecko

drives

> >>
> >>
> >(http://
> >
> >
> >>www.geckodrive.com/). Camtronics also sells them.
> >>I've had my eye on a cheaper setup from Stepperworld.com, but I
> >>
> >>
> >think I'm going to
> >
> >
> >>chicken out and probably go with the Gecko's since they seem to

be

> >>
> >>
> >thought pretty highly
> >
> >
> >>of. I KNOW there are other drivers too...
> >>
> >>If you want a "bolt on" retrofit "kit"...
> >>MicroKinetics advertises one, driver, motors, mounting hardware,
> >>
> >>
> >ball screws.. the whole
> >
> >
> >>deal. But it ain't no how cheap!!! I'm gonna stick to some make

it

> >>
> >>
> >myself components.
> >
> >
> >>In the SHORT term, I'm going to use the Acme lead screws in my
> >>
> >>
> >mill, get it up and
> >
> >
> >>running, and turn out a few projects to 1) learn and 2) make
> >>
> >>
> >enough "hobby money" for
> >
> >
> >>the ball screws later.
> >>
> >>As for software, I've heard good things about Mach2 , but also
> >>
> >>
> >about TurboCNC.
> >
> >
> >>I'm kinda in the dark about that though... I'm a die-hard Mac

user

> >>
> >>
> >(run a network of 150 of
> >
> >
> >>them), and learned how to write G-code all by myself way back
> >>
> >>
> >when...
> >
> >
> >>So I'm going to be starting pretty much from scratch with a

PeeCee

> >>
> >>
> >and CAM software...
> >
> >
> >>Yes, all this stuff is possible. When I read about it all 10

years

> >>
> >>
> >ago, it was possible if you
> >
> >
> >>had a lot more money, and more electronic knowledge. NOW it's a

lot

> >>
> >>
> >cheaper, and
> >
> >
> >>enough of the fine folks around forums like this have done it

that

> >>
> >>
> >they can offer advice to
> >
> >
> >>us "dummies"...
> >>
> >>Hope this helps!
> >>Paul F.
> >>
> >>--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com, "peterboutakis"
> >>
> >>
> ><peter@b...> wrote:
> >
> >
> >>>Hi, I am looking to retrofit a busy-bee milling machine:
> >>>http://busybeetools.ca/cgi-bin/picture?
> >>>&NETID=0345350502040532429&NTITEM=B1976
> >>>
> >>>First off, would you guys recommend this machine to be a good
> >>>candidate for retrofit?
> >>>
> >>>If so, I was wondering where I could obtain parts for a quality
> >>>retrofit? I am assuming I would need quite powerful motors, a
> >>>capable controller, and some ballscrews etc.
> >>>
> >>>What size motors? I have been reading about oz/in and NEMA. It
> >>>
> >>>
> >is
> >
> >
> >>>all quite confusing, but I am under the impression that with the
> >>>right hardware this can all be accomplished.
> >>>
> >>>Is there a controller that is everyones favourite? A company
> >>>
> >>>
> >that
> >
> >
> >>>has knowledgable staff?
> >>>
> >>>I am assuming that the software to use is called Mach2 by
> >>>
> >>>
> >artofcnc.ca
> >
> >
> >>>is that correct?
> >>>
> >>>Thanks alot,
> >>>From Peter
> >>>
> >>>
> >
> >
> >
> >Addresses:
> >FAQ: http://www.ktmarketing.com/faq.html
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