Restoring a CNC machine! (Vertical Machining Center)

[@SlowlyLosinIt]

I usually skip the time lapse, but not on restoration videos. Especially one like this. This one was actually pretty peaceful to watch. Great job man, turned out great.

[@GoughCustom]

Thanks mate! Glad you liked it!

[@erikhedb]

Nice to se someone taking care of old machinery instead of just buying new. Keep up the good work.

[@GoughCustom]

Erik Hedblom Thanks Erik! The machine has treated me very well so far!

[@PiefacePete46]

I hope this lucky machine returns the love, and gives you countless hours of productive pleasure. Great video, thanks.

[@GoughCustom]

Thanks John! The machine has indeed been running well and helping me make a lot of knives!

[@ScoutCrafter]

Amazing restoration! This video just gives a small glimpse of how meticulous you are. (Painting without a drop cloth and not making a mess!) That is why I am such a fan of your craftsmanship. Thanks for sharing...

[@GoughCustom]

Thanks very much mate! After using the angle grinder to get all the rust/paint off the machine my shop was about as messy as it's every been... Bits of red grease and grit stuck to all the walls and floor! Took a good mopping to clean all that up! Thanks for watching!

[@mrbrianparker]

I'm a software guy who has trouble even constructing flat pack furniture so I'm in awe of your skill and knowledge. I'm looking forward to seeing it in action.

[@GoughCustom]

I'm actually a software guy too (by day at least) I mainly work on enterprise web-applications (in Ruby and Javascript). Like anything tackling this kind of stuff is largely a matter of not being afraid of it, being willing to research and getting some practice! I'm quite sure you could tackle it too after doing the research! Glad you liked the video! -Aaron

[@lunaticcycle1300]

I learned CNC 15 years ago on a fadal 40x20, good to see one brought back to new condition, happy chip making !

[@GoughCustom]

lunaticcycle1300 Nice! The 4020s are nice machines from what I've seen/heard! Thanks mate, hopefully will be making chips soon! New compressor arrived yesterday!

[@ivangarcia-xg5ik]

You have the cleanest workshop I've ever seen, good job.

[@GoughCustom]

+ivan garcia Thanks mate!

[@XxRandomKnivesxX]

Man, I just wanted to say, you're really getting me excited to start making knives of my own. Over the past few months since I discovered your page here, I've begun setting up my own shop. Being only 16, with no job, license, or a strong household, I haven't had much opportunity (or influence, even) to learn about all this stuff and the tools and techniques, this is all basically new for me. These videos you're making are fantastic to watch; I could (well, I have) watch these over and over again.

[@GoughCustom]

XxRandomKnivesxX TreeTickler Hey mate!Glad you've found the videos inspirational! I think it's really great to learn manual skills, even if you don't end up using the directly all the time they're still incredibly useful! Let me know if you ever have any questions! -Aaron

[@foompthedroid]

Nice shop! Always an indicator of how well the craftsman shows attention to detail is how clean his floor is. First time I've seen a CNC on a laminate floor. Wow.. But if your going that far into the refinish why not an amazing color paintjob! Ferrari Red with bright white accents!

[@GoughCustom]

+foompthedroid Thanks mate! The paint on the top half of the machine was ok, so I did the new paint to match... Maybe I'll do a crazy paint job on the next one :)

[@a10l56]

Hello Goug! thank you for posting this video! this video is helping me pushing through my 1983 Kitamura Mycenter 1 VMC Repair progress! been a great learning experiences! hope to see more similar videos like this in the future! cheers!

[@GoughCustom]

+Alexander Lin Hey mate! You'll be pleased with the results once you're done, it's very satisfying using a machine that you fixed up yourself!

[@Orgakoyd]

That was painstaking work, but a joy to watch (someone else do it...), respect!

[@GoughCustom]

Thanks mate! It was actually a lot of fun, although more than a bit messy!

[@MrRUKidddingMe]

Very cool... not certain that I could muster the patience, but really glad to see a classic VertMill rescued !

[@GoughCustom]

MrRUKidddingMe Thanks mate! Been very pleased with how it's performing! She's been running actual production for the last week or so! Probably the most work this machine has done in a long time!

[@harrisonking8156]

I didn't understand half of what was going on but I still loved watching it! Awesome video as always mate!

[@GoughCustom]

Mr. SirKing Thanks mate!

[@caidurkan251]

That things a real beauty! Love the old "Alien" look of the control panel. Great videos and knives too!

[@GoughCustom]

Cai Durkan Thanks dude!

[@MetroGradeGoods]

Way to go Aaron! Love seeing the process and the antique 'sage green' is sooooo fitting!

[@GoughCustom]

Eric Au Thanks Eric! I was really pleased I was able to match the existing color so well, very happy with how it turned out!

[@GeofDumas]

Amazing restoration! You have more patience than I do haha. I wouldn't be able to keep the shop so clean through all that.

[@GoughCustom]

Thanks mate! The shop was definitely pretty grungy at various points, nothing a vacuum and a mop couldn't fix!

[@andrewmcentire6203]

Mate very impressed with both your attention to detail and your quality of workmanship. Nice work!!!!! Judd

[@GoughCustom]

+Andrew McEntire thanks very much!

[@TinkerPrepper]

Fantastic video! That is so awesome to see a well built machine come back to life

[@GoughCustom]

Thanks mate! I have another restoration video as well where I replace all the ball-screws and the spindle!

[@freddychang4100]

Thanks for sharing this CNC machine restoration video!! I'm also about to restore a Dynamite 3000 cnc lathe, never done a restoration will give it a try soon!

[@GoughCustom]

No worries Freddy! Take your time and work slowly and you'll do well! If you have any questions post them on the PracticalMachinist forum and send me a link! Between me and the others there I'm sure we'll be able to help!

[@hatcherknives2579]

Oh, and it's so awesome seeing that machine being brought back to life!

[@GoughCustom]

Hatcher Knives Thanks mate, glad you liked the video!

[@YanDoroshenko]

How can you be so skilled in all kinds of stuff? This is absolutely awesome.

[@GoughCustom]

+Yan Doroshenko Thanks Yan! To be honest I knew nothing about dealing with this kind of machine before I started the project... I basically just jumped in and learnt as I went. I think a lot of people get scared off by things that look difficult, when they could probably learn on the fly with no problem!

[@BrianS2464]

Your machine has excellent penmanship.

[@GoughCustom]

Brian TX Better than me for sure!

[@IronForestKnives]

That things looks brand new! Amazing what a little paint and a lot of hard work will do.

[@GoughCustom]

Thanks mate! The machine gets used every day so it's always nice to have it looking nice!

[@russtuff]

Congratulations! Old Fadal are so sweet, great work!

[@GoughCustom]

russtuff Thanks Russ!

[@SlvrChkn]

Thats awesome! One of your knives is at the top of my wish list. Someday I'll own one! LOL! Someday! Nice restore sir, looks great!

[@GoughCustom]

SlvrChkn Thanks mate!

[@danielnapast4955]

Thats and amazing transformation, I wish I had the space and money for a machine like that. You did a great job and put a lot of had work into the machine and it appears that it has payed off.

[@GoughCustom]

Daniel Napast Thanks mate! Getting this machine is a bit of dream come true, I've wanted one for a long time!

[@BRpunkRock]

I can't wait to see what comes next, great penmanship too.

[@GoughCustom]

BRpunkRock Haha, thanks mate!

[@KSBladeworks]

Excellent job Aaron. Wonderful restoration! It looks like new-old stock

[@GoughCustom]

KS Bladeworks Thanks very much mate!

[@EkimKnives]

Wow what a transformation! Nice work! I hope she serves you well.

[@GoughCustom]

Thanks mate! I hope so too!

[@ivantoledo6187]

Wow great job on that fadal looks like new bud. Fadals are so simple to use your are going to love it and you got it at a very good price good for you

[@GoughCustom]

+Ivan Toledo Thanks Ivan! The machine has been treating me very well so far, I am keeping an eye out for another 2 of them!

[@dylankirdahy9591]

That control box attached to it is so unbelievably cool

[@GoughCustom]

I know right!

[@curtwarkentin2887]

Dang! Awesome work. All the effort you put into that machine sure paid off. it looks amazing.

[@GoughCustom]

+Curt Warkentin Thanks mate! I've been very pleased with the machine so far, it's been performing very well!

[@SolyWar]

Hey there Aaron, I've been subscribed for a while and always enjoyed your content. I think it's quite a challange to restore a machine this big and complicated, my respect for taking on the challange. I like how you take the time to respond to viewers, I saw it on an older video where a gentleman complained about kydex in cold weather and you took the time to answer. It's always nice to see that since I imagine it's quite a challange sometimes with over 40k subscribers. I also like your knife design, it seems purpose driven but is still estheticly pleasing. And I enjoyed your testing a lot, the kydex test for very cold conditions or the steel tests to find the ideal steel for you knives. It's a blast to see the work that goes into that tool that I enjoy using so much. Greetings from germany and have a nice weekend, Soly

[@GoughCustom]

Hey mate! Thanks very much for following along with my progress! It's been a very fun couple of years and it's always great getting to share these things with folks like yourself. I'm really excited about the new version of the Resolute. It will be very similar overall to my previous knives but with minor improvements all round, I like that the design keeps evolving and getting better! More testing (including steel testing) coming over the next year for sure! -Aaron

[@CNCDude]

A tremendous work of art! Welcome to the awesome world of CNC!

[@GoughCustom]

CNC Dude Thanks mate!

[@georgemouflis2419]

speechless...great job...I love people that r taking care and love their tools!! keep it up

[@GoughCustom]

+GEORGE MOUFLIS Thanks George! The machine has been treating me very well since the rebuild so I'm happy!

[@honda86tb]

Ahh a Fadal! I run one of those at work. Good machine. Great restoration

[@GoughCustom]

Tony Brewer Thanks mate! It was a lot of fun!

[@antman29able]

Thanks for the update video. I am looking forward to see you use the machine to make something. Take care, Anthony

[@GoughCustom]

antman29able Thanks Anthony! More videos of this machine coming soon

[@StrigaMort]

Just brilliant! I absolutely love the effort you put into your videos and knifemaking. Your journey that you allow us to follow sets the standard. Btw, I kept waiting for a massive bandage to appear on the back of your head while watching this in rapid speed. Glad it never happened!

[@GoughCustom]

Anthony Alms Thanks Anthony! Appreciate you following along mate! I only caught my head on the machine once luckily... The worst it got me was actually on the back, I stood up and ripped my back open on the corner of the servo drip shield (a piece of sheet metal with sharp corners)... Took a few weeks for that to heal up and I've got a pretty good scar now!

[@spamstabber]

Damn dude that thing looks as good as new. Excellent job.

[@GoughCustom]

+spamstabber Thanks mate! Very pleased with how it came out, and it's done a lot of great work for me so far!

[@jose89mr1]

nice work that was one hell of a restoration. looking forward to see some custom designs on your knives.

[@GoughCustom]

jose89mr1 Thanks mate! I'll be sure to make some videos of the machine doing its thing!

[@TrevorDyck]

Wow, great work. That must have been a monumental PITA!

[@GoughCustom]

+Trevor Dyck thanks Trevor! I found it fun actually :)

[@mrsaskriders]

Seems like a whole pile of work just to make a machine that can use a marker to make a sign. Obviously I'm just kidding I am absolutely amazed at the work you do Aaron! Truly inspiring. Cheers from fellow Canadian!

[@GoughCustom]

Haha yeah there are definitely cheaper ways to get a printer :)

[@oddiee01]

Amazing video and great job. Also looks like serious piece of machinery, cannot wait to see it in action.

[@GoughCustom]

Martin Stancek Thanks! Will definitely be posting video of it in action soon!

[@BrettGreenwell]

Awesome! Really interesting to see a VMC rebuilt like that, hope it really helps you out!

[@GoughCustom]

Brett Greenwell Thanks mate! I'm sure it will!

[@juantomasen1601]

Que capo Don Gough, una eminencia! Siga así señor. Mucha suerte Mr Gough, you are Great! Keep up the good work! Love your vids, greetings from Argentina

[@GoughCustom]

Thanks very much mate!!

[@Mongrel85]

Big step up from a hand filing jig - nice work!

[@thecrookedanvil]

Awesome. I just got a hand drill all fixed up, then I thought of this video and came to watch it again for inspiration haha

[@GoughCustom]

akagi333701550221k Nice work mate! Any tool restoration is a good one!

[@thecrookedanvil]

Gough Custom Thanks!

[@tinkeringaround6241]

Magnificent!!!!! Gotta post a video of it making a knife or something. That thing is so cool

[@GoughCustom]

christopher caldwell Thanks Chris! Will definitely be posting videos of the machine at work!

[@white_truck3820]

Really incredible. Well done. What a massive amount of work. The results are incredible. I hope you have fun with it.

[@GoughCustom]

whitechevtruck Thanks mate, I will!

[@endiyani]

congratulations on your new cnc...i mean old, mmm...well its look like new now. cant wait to see what next to come. youve done a grrreat job Aaron. Atb..

[@GoughCustom]

Thanks mate! Really pleased with how it came out!

[@MrSakoTRG]

That is magic! You are one talented bloke mate! Love your work.

[@GoughCustom]

Thanks very much mate!

[@tuva600]

That was incredibly satisfying to watch.

[@GoughCustom]

I'm very glad! It was a lot of fun!

[@Babbyclubber]

That looks beautiful!! The time you put into it and are going to put into it was and is well worth it! Phenomenal job

[@GoughCustom]

Thanks very much! I'm really pleased with how it came out.

[@wesco123]

Beautifully revived! Great job man.

[@GoughCustom]

+Wes Sugg Thanks Wes! She's been ticking over nicely, doing great work, ever since!

[@pjhalchemy]

Wow Aaron that's what I call an Alchemical Transformation with a lot of elbow grease! Have really enjoyed watching this process and your tidiness is something to strive for. Have you leveled & trammed it yet? Think that would be something a lot of your viewers (me too) would get a lot from. Thanks for sharing all your work/passion and what you bring to us, it's award winning in my book! ~PJ

[@GoughCustom]

Thanks PJ! I still have yet to level the machine, I don't own a precision level right now so I'm waiting on my tax return to come in before I get one! Thanks for watching mate! Always glad to be able to share my exploits with folks like yourself! -Aaron

[@TheLimalha]

FANTASTIC JOB YOU DID !!!!!!!!!!!!

[@GoughCustom]

Thanks very much mate!

[@maikeydii]

Nice to see an old machine get a second life! Although seeing the condition of linear rails I would probably have had replaced them.

[@GoughCustom]

+mikey_d Thanks mate! So far I haven't seen any sign of issues coming from the rails, they seem to be running surprisingly well... I chatted to a few people on the PracticalMachinist forum that said they'd dealt with machines with rails in similar condition that still seemed to take a cut and hold tolerance ok, which surprised me! The ballscrews are another matter though. They're still running fairly quietly and so on, but I am getting quadrant marks because of the backlash in them. Someone has also done something nasty to the spindle in this machine, it has about 0.0008" of runout, so I need to replace that as well. Even with the cost of those replacement parts the machine is still a great deal! Cheaper than most of the other second-hand machines available here and hopefully it should run like new!

[@drubradley8821]

GREAT JOB!!!!. Now I don't feel so alone... me being a broke joke would love to simply buy a brand new unit, but those cost are just way out of my available cash flow, so, buying used units (tools) and putting a bit of time in does get me where I want and need to be, not to mention, it really lets me get to know the tool, before I put it in service... loved watching the fast clip, took all the blood sweat and pain away..lol

[@xurxinhoo]

Plain and simply outstanding! This kind of footage is better than Discovery footage How do they do it. I am eager to watch more about you, your new self-restored CNC machine and your works of art! After knowing about you I have a new addition to my wishes/dreams list: a knife from you.

[@GoughCustom]

Thanks very much Jorge, hopefully one day I can fulfill that wish!

[@JackDodgers]

Hey man, been quite a while since I started to follow your advices and learn from your videos. I'm very happy that your workshop is improving as such! Congratulations, and keep up with the videos! Cheers!

[@GoughCustom]

Osvaldo Silveira e Silva Hey Osvaldo! Thanks for following along mate!

[@JohanM942]

This is the most satisfying thing I have watched in a long time! Thank you so much for taking the time to video it all! Keep up the good work :)

[@GoughCustom]

Johan Møller No worries Johan, thanks for watching!

[@wyattlacey1]

Can't wait to see what you do with it! Amazing restoration!

[@GoughCustom]

Wyatt Lacey Thanks Wyatt! Videos of it doing work definitely coming soon!

[@williamcharbonneau.6804]

Wow you really did a good job on it! It looks brand new! :)

[@GoughCustom]

Thanks William!

[@jamesm3268]

Awesome work mate good to see another aussie knifemaker killing it.

[@GoughCustom]

Thanks very much James!

[@pedroassis6999]

Hello Aron, i want to congratulate you for your amazing work that you have been devoloping since the beginning. I am from Portugal and i work on as industry with a Fadal VMC 4060 and i dont know why but thinking that I am working on a machine that is "the same" as yours, makes my day. as again, congratulations for your work :D :D Best greetings from Pedro :D

[@GoughCustom]

+Pedro Assis Hey Pedro! That's a nice machine, would love to get one of those! Thanks for your kind comment! -Aaron

[@ganicwil]

Great job, looks brand new, best of luck with it, I have to say, you are a patient man, if I was asked to clean something like that up I'd start crying:-D

[@GoughCustom]

Thanks Gareth! There were definitely times when it seemed a bit much, having a checklist really helps me there, just keep checking things off!

[@rickreece59]

Wow! I wish I could work that fast! Great job. 1812 overture or William Tell would be good also for the classical buffs,

[@GoughCustom]

Rick Reece Thanks Rick!

[@mannycalavera121]

Nice. The more i read the more i'm leaning toward refurbishing an old CNC vs converting a manual mill. So much more bang for your buck.

[@GoughCustom]

Hey Manny! Yeah I would say if you've got the space then refurbish an old CNC for sure. There are lots of them out there going for sometimes little more than scrap prices, particularly if you're willing to retrofit a control onto a machine with a dead control... A machine like this is seriously capable even when they're a bit worn out like my one is!

[@johnkinnane547]

G'day greetings from Tassie you did a a really fantastic job, it probably runs better now thank you for sharing the vid regards John

[@GoughCustom]

+John Kinnane Thanks John! The machine has definitely been running well, which is great!

[@finlaylooney3346]

Awesome work a proper job no stone left unturned just how i like to work but i hate half jobs and half measures well done.

[@fordkack9314]

Excellent work and a beautiful monster machine

[@GoughCustom]

Thanks very much mate!

[@MatthewHartsuch]

That's Awesome! Looks beautiful, although I'm not sure I would have put that much effort into it myself, your really going to be able to make stuff now

[@arnljotseem8794]

Cool machine. Awesome job restoring it.

[@GoughCustom]

+Arnljot Seem Thanks mate!

[@greenjebadiah]

Thanks for posting this Aaron, amazing work as usual and fun to watch!

[@GoughCustom]

Josh Rider Thanks very much Josh!

[@TheSkyskipper]

Great job! I've been following you for a few months now and have enjoyed every video you've made. This one really takes the cake though!

[@GoughCustom]

Thanks mate, appreciate it!

[@chennemeyer]

Wow great work neat to see it apart, nice beefy machine too

[@GoughCustom]

Thanks mate! I have a new video coming soon that shows more of the internals as I rebuild all 3 axes and replace the spindle.

[@Sharpbevel]

Congratulations! Very impressive! You're quite handy sir.

[@GoughCustom]

***** Thanks dude!

[@davey5728]

You are my instant hero now

[@mikeyb66]

You should totally put your logo on the front :D

[@GoughCustom]

Not a bad idea! Might do that once I'm done with the enclosure!

[@FKnivesCustomBladesAndHandles]

Oh wow, good job Mate. Excellent makeover!

[@GoughCustom]

GreeenApplez Thanks very much!

[@seabears_hate_circles]

Man that thing was rough, great restoration.

[@GoughCustom]

LoadedMod94 Thanks mate!

[@AdditiveAvery]

KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK. Do you think you could add in the description a list of tools, paints, sand papers, etc you used? I'm going down this path very soon.

[@captaindinesh]

awesome video Gough Customs. I really love it. the time and effort you spend to take this video is huge i think. Big hats off to you. people make video to make money. But you take video to educate people for free. And big thanks to you tube too, because I can see the work of the awesome person from other part of the world.

[@GoughCustom]

Thanks very much mate, there will be another video coming about this machine soon!

[@captaindinesh]

I will be waiting to see that video too.

[@mariosahli4834]

Nice job Aaron! i work on machines like this everyday, but i don't think i could restore one that well.

[@GoughCustom]

Mario Sahli Thanks Mario! I'm pretty pleased with how it came out!

[@KonigsTiger581]

Absolutely amazing. Very jealous of your new toy. However I am not jealous of your electric bill lol. Can't wait to see some new content with this cool machine.

[@GoughCustom]

Brave Ace Thanks mate! Definitely videos of the machine in action coming soon!

[@ROD90265]

Fantastic rebuild Great Job!! That CNC is as good as new no Longer a 1994 but a 2015.

[@GoughCustom]

+ROD90265 Thanks mate! It's been very gratifying to get the machine running and actually use it for real work! Since the video was done I had to replace the thrust bearings on the X and Y axis because they were rusted out, but apart from that it's been pretty much perfect! I'll probably put new ballscrews in at some point, but apart from that she's been going very well!

[@ROD90265]

All that work you did you should have wired in a Bijur way luber automatic, and eliminate the grease fittings. Fadalcnc dot com pretty much has all the parts you need. Fadal probably only did those gease fittings for a year or so and then got rid of it because it was a pain. Although the VMC 10 was easier to access the ports

[@GoughCustom]

+ROD90265 I was actually considering getting rid of the grease manifolds completely and just putting zerks on the bearing trucks, as the manifolds/tubing are a point of failure... However to do so would have required taking the rails off the machine so I left it as is... As you said, pretty easy to get to them all without the enclosure!

[@robbin52018]

Wow, totally impressed. Job well done.

[@GoughCustom]

robbin520 Thanks mate!

[@atomedgesharpening]

Fantastic work! Looks good as new.

[@GoughCustom]

Thanks Maxwell! The machine will be getting more TLC soon with some new replacement parts!

[@kriswarren4626]

Really great video Aaron, top work hope all goes well.

[@GoughCustom]

Kris Warren Thanks mate!

[@joeygonzo]

AWSOME JOB. That's labor of love right there.

[@GoughCustom]

Joey Gonza Thanks mate!

[@Will-Xaru]

What a beast! I know nothing about machining but I reckon that would have been quite an expensive machine brand new huh? You can do some really professional grade stuff now all on your own. Awesome. Love how professional your videos are, you're awesome. :D

[@GoughCustom]

Roll Fizzlebeef A brand new equivalent to this machine would have been around $60,000 or even more up here in Canada. I got this machine for less than $7k including sales tax, so I'm very pleased!

[@supremecy2007]

Great work mate, looks new! can't wait to see new video's from you!

[@GoughCustom]

Thanks very much!

[@3DFOXCALLSUK]

Great restoration!, like brand new. Can't wait for upcoming videos. :)

[@GoughCustom]

Thanks very much mate!

[@periocarlos]

Very cool piece of work! Congratulatios for the job well done!

[@GoughCustom]

Thanks Carlos!

[@brunoelpiston]

Your a good exemple of grafmanchip . Doing all from a to z of the creation of your knives, i hope one day iĺl Will acheive this...thanks for all your vidéos, realy Bruno !

[@GoughCustom]

+brunoelpiston thanks very much Bruno!

[@sinkhole40]

Very nice restoration!

[@GoughCustom]

+sinkhole40 Thanks mate! It's been running very nicely so far!

[@mwvanwyk]

Really speechless. Amazing work.

[@GoughCustom]

mwvanwyk Thanks mate!

[@asgharrezaei0138]

great , man you did really hard work to repair mistreatment .

[@GoughCustom]

+asghar rezaei thanks mate! Yes it was a lot of work, but I think it has been worth it!

[@asgharrezaei0138]

You have saved minimum of at least 6000$, good luck

[@ronnewton606]

amazing, you made it look like a new machine

[@GoughCustom]

+ron newton Thanks Ron! The machine is still running strong and doing great work for me!

[@SuperYellowsubmarin]

Very cool rebuild. Wish we had that kind of Fadal in Europe, they look like a very nice candidate for a control retrofit (or not ?!). The closest thing we have is early CNC knee mills with 2500 rpm spindles.

[@GoughCustom]

Bummer! Yeah not much need for a control retrofit on these machines honestly, they can keep up with modern 3D contouring pretty well! Only way to make it better would be full refit with new servos and everything!