How to tram a benchtop mill (Optimum MB4) with epoxy

[@joansparky4439]

Thanks for the video. After watching you _beim Marathon-leiern_ I am 100% certain that I will only attempt this after having added a z-drive-motor to my machine.

[@Unl0gic]

Great video, short, informative and straight to the point without any unnecessary talk. 👍

[@CHIPLOAD]

Nicely done! Being in Germany myself i always wondered where you could get the Diamant stuff from... 👍

[@nickp4793]

Thanks for the video. It was actually easier to understand than Stefan's. I have a few questions as this topic has interested me for a long while, and I watched every video I could on it, and read through all 350 comments on Stefan's video. 1) When you get the front/back direction trammed and then switch to the left/right direction, if it is off, do you adjust two screws on the same side of the column the same amount, so as not to ruin the tram from the first direction? 2) When you are adjusting the screws for tram, are you always tightening only, so they compress the wire more and more as you go? Or do you ever loosen any of the screws mid-process? 3) How thick was your wire? It looked thinner than Stefan's. Was yours about 1mm thick? Is it a regular copper wire for house wiring? Did you anneal it like Stefan did, or use it as-is? 4) When you are tightening the screws (while the epoxy is still soft), are you making them only "snug" to get into tram? Or are you tightening them very firmly? 5) After the epoxy cures, do you have an indication on how much the epoxy shrunk? When you tightened the screws, did you have to tighten them a large distance due to shrink? 6) Did you make the screws super tight (after the epoxy cured)? 7) When you tightened the screws (after epoxy cure), did you have an indicator in the spindle agains the table, to see it it moved while tightening? If so, did it move? How much? My first practice with this method I had a lot of movement while fully tightening the screws, that's why I ask.

[@RUNCNC]

Thank you for your interest in my video. As it is 6 am in the morning in my place and a bunch of questions, I'll answer them later when I'm back at my PC.

[@RUNCNC]

1) When you get the front/back direction trammed and then switch to the left/right direction, if it is off, do you adjust two screws on the same side of the column the same amount, so as not to ruin the tram from the first direction? I fastened all screws slightly. Than I used only 3 screws. As the column was leaned forward and more to the left I used the screws in the back and the right-front-screw to tram the mill. First I trammed forward/backward, then left right. Now it was only a little off and then it was some playing with the right torque on all screws. You tighten only a bit, check with the indicator, tighten, check, tighten, check, ... . I was really exhausted after this workout! 2) When you are adjusting the screws for tram, are you always tightening only, so they compress the wire more and more as you go? Or do you ever loosen any of the screws mid-process? Always tighten, no loose - we don´t want any gaps. 3) How thick was your wire? I used 1.5mm2 wire for regular house wiring. The diameter is 2 sqr(1.5/pi) - . Did you anneal it like Stefan did, or use it as-is? Yes, I used a gas torch to make it soft. 4) When you are tightening the screws (while the epoxy is still soft), are you making them only "snug" to get into tram? Or are you tightening them very firmly? See process described in 1 - only low torque. 5) After the epoxy cures, do you have an indication on how much the epoxy shrunk? The datasheets provided with the product says this stuff only shrinks less than 0,1%. Well, i didn´t messuare it, but i think this is true. When you tightened the screws, did you have to tighten them a large distance due to shrink? No, I think due to the very little shrinkage. 6) Did you make the screws super tight (after the epoxy cured)? I used a normal hex-wrench, no extra long and no lever. I just tightened them with normal force. 7) When you tightened the screws (after epoxy cure), did you have an indicator in the spindle agains the table, to see it it moved while tightening? No, I tightened them without any indicator reading, but checked it afterwards. To be honest: The reading you see in the video is done after the cure - I was to busy while tramming the mill. If so, did it move? How much? I think it didn´t move or maybee in the range of 1/1000 mm. Hope that helps! Otherwise feel free to ask! Cheers Markus!

[@nickp4793]

@@RUNCNC Hi Markus, thank you very much for the detailed answers! Best, Nick.

[@frankk8018]

Thanks for showing this method/idea.

[@stubar7123]

Would you concider this a better\easier technique than spotting the surfaces and scraping them? Would scraping just take too long to make the adjustments needed? Does epoxy have vibration dampening characteristics? I feel like the epoxy layer would make a weak spot in the rigidity. Atleast more than two scrapped mating surfaces. Love the video

[@brandontscheschlog]

Can you give us an update on how much difference you think the epoxy made? Is your mill more accurate or is it more rigid? When do you notice the difference most? I just discovered that my mill has the same issue and will be doing the epoxy soon.

[@appliedanodize5420]

Thank you! This is a great video!

[@williamstock3007]

Thankyou for sharing this with us👍

[@cliveb4845]

Very helpful video!

[@stylerxxl1]

Bist Du zufrieden mit dem Material? Ich bin am überlegen, die Führungen für meine Eigenbau-CNC damit abzuformen ...

[@RUNCNC]

JA, sehr! Kann ich empfehlen.

[@marcusplanlos2037]

Sehr gute Video. Ich habe eine ähnliche Fräse von Holzmann. Die Z Achse von der steht so extrem schief, dass es eigentlich kaum möglich ist die mit unterlegen auszurichten. Ich muss mich erst einmal noch um die Keilleiste der Z Achse Kümmern. Die ist wie eine Banane geformt. Danach werde ich meine Z Axhse sk ausrichten wie du.

[@jameskrippner4974]

Well done, I believe you should have only waxed one side, so that it is bonded properly however. Will still be a great fix though, as long as you dont move it.

[@RUNCNC]

Yes, you are right. I took it into consideration, but I wanted to be safe and able to seperate both parts. As I want to keep the mill, my heirs can cope with! 😉