I know nothing about CNC, so I bought a 25 year old Milling Machine

Hey! Been a while! I bought an old milling machine. I also bought an old bandsaw. I work on both and kind of make a part on a CNC machine, as well as talk about metal 3d Printing. I'm learning.
And as always, My social media:
Instagram: / wesleykagan
Website: www.wesleykaga...
Metal 3D Printing: Changed things around, Please reach out on my personal website linked above.
If you'd like to support the channel, You can do it here. Times are weird, Please don't feel obligated. I hopefully have merch coming soon. wesleykagan.co...

[@WesleyKagan]

Thanks for watching! A few things I wanted to mention: I am more active over on Instagram @wesleykagan, believe it or not I don't just awake from a deep slumber and upload a video (although that sounds nice.) Also! I'm putting together an intake/M120 parts kit that I'll have up soon. For right now, I have the M120 V12 exhaust flanges for sale linked in this comment. Think of it like merch that you can weld on? Not sure. Racecar video soon! Exhaust flanges: www.wk-printing.com/shop/p/mercedes-m120-exhaust-flanges Edit: Oh yeah, sorry about mid-roll ads. I might pull them, but I’m trying them out here. I personally hate them, but.

[@noobFab]

" believe it or not I don't just awake from a deep slumber and upload a video"... I'm immediately reminded of those videos of dogs running in their sleep who wake up, and continue running... straight into a wall 😅 "Wesley Dreams of Fabrication?" Awesome to see you back here, I'm excited to see your instagram teasers converted into video form here!!

[@kw2519]

Soooo if you want someone to bounce ideas off and ask questions too, I’d be willing to offer my 15+ years of 5axis cnc prototyping experience. I’ve done inspection and CMM work as well as manual and cnc lathe, including live tooling. If you’re interested, I can give you my Google voice number.

[@Basement_CNC]

id love to see a video of you upgreading this to a masso g3 touch cnc controller, i hate these old controllers on 90' machines and this would lauch the cnc into the 21. century i dint know if you would need that , but it would be really 😎

[@Giftedmike359]

The ads are good because i learnt something.

[@kw2519]

@@Basement_CNC Honeslty though, those old fadal controls are kinda fine. But I get what you mean, you could have so much more storage and be able to have a conversational mode.

[@HuMaNiTaRiAn1]

don't force yourself to upload on a schedule, I'd rather have infrequent uploads with good quality and progression.

[@WesleyKagan]

That’s where I’m at- I’d like 1 video a month, but I’m at the point I’m only going to post stuff that I’m happy with.

[@cconnon1912]

You owe us nothing. Work at a sustainable peace. 😇

[@martinultimatevw3779]

Exactly this ❤

[@Basement_CNC]

yeah, id rather have it random, than get some wack video once a week

[@Maattttheww]

All my favorite channels don’t upload on a schedule, just upload stuff when it’s ready. Doesn’t matter if it’s a minute or an hour

[@tdp2612]

Old industrial kit like this is great because they're often just cobbled together from off-the-shelf computers inside, meaning parts are still available, although any custom software won't be.

[@WesleyKagan]

I can order 90% of this machine from McMaster Carr, it’s really nice.

[@bennyb.1742]

And a lot of homebrew software is around for modding old gear too.

[@joeofloath]

Our hackspace recently acquired a 1980s Bridgeport Interact 2, all the power systems are your typical industrial fare, but the control system is utterly bizarre. There's a big Heidenhain HMI with a beautiful orange CRT and horrible UI that communicates with a black box semi-custom PLC which controls three weird, esoteric DC servo drives via a 0-10V analogue control scheme that no other drive seems to support, and naturally one blew up. I keep joking we should replace the whole lot with an Arduino Uno running GRBL...

[@DUIofPhysics]

@@joeofloath Literally do it (though use some Linux CNC Mesa Boards) I'm going to be doing that to my Bridgeport Series 1 Interact :P

[@sansbury95]

Fadal is kind of unique in this respect actually. They were a parts bin machine to begin with, and there were so many of them sold that it created a strong aftermarket for parts. Ten years ago you could still easily order pretty much anything likely to need replacing, not sure if that's still true now. If you blow a drive or control board on Matsuura or something, salvage spares can cost $$$ if you can find them and if not you're stuck trying to repair yours. Doing a LinuxCNC conversion is an option but is a pretty complex and time-intensive operation on a VMC with ATC versus a CNC knee mill.

[@jamesalexander7540]

As someone with decades being in factories and from Michigan, I am glad to see an old Kalamazoo saw restored and used.

[@WesleyKagan]

I’ll take some heavy built American tooling any day.

[@Baaashful_Sheep]

Yeah its fun seeing the town you live in in a video like this

[@kippie80]

That hand bandsaw was for the birds. Floor band saw is where it is at.

[@carvedfromlife8949]

My first real job as a kid was in a machine shop, and i swear this might be the exact machine the CNC guys had lol. Brings back memories, we would make all kinds of parts.... i would help debur parts until 12 oclock then take off in the work van and delivery parts the rest of the day. Roll up a few joints put on the rock station and hit the road lol, man time really does fly.

[@sew0in0tents]

As a fan of Project Binky, I'm quite used to gaps in between uploads. With the quality of content you provide, its totally worth the wait!

[@jhalkoski]

if you follow enough channels that post sporadically, youll eventually have a new video every day from at least someone 😄

[@kw2519]

Dude he would take months between uploads at times lol I followed it for years and eventually gave up

[@fredio54]

There are fans of project blinky? Wonders never cease. Drawing comparison from those clowns to this guy is insulting to this guy.

[@irishwristwatch2487]

​@@fredio54what's your issue with BOM? Theyre great guys and a wealth of knowledge

[@kw2519]

@@fredio54 what are you talking about? The guys in blinky are insanely talented fabricators. Man, really showing your ignorance with that comment

[@steveindorset]

Mate I was a machinist for years and I was really impressed with what you machined up, having never used a CNC before. 10 out of 10 my man. Good rule of thumb is Turning: Big cuts slow feed. (0.004” per rev) Milling: small cuts fast feed. (0.004”-0.008” per tooth) though be careful with smaller cutters. When finishing up the speed by 25% and slow the feed by 50%. Again this is only a rule of thumb…suck it and see. 😉👍🏻 Great job on the band saw too. Looking forward to seeing the next video. Subscribed 👍🏻 …Oh and at last a Yank that uses the proper term “Thou” as opposed to “Thousandths” I’m impressed..😁 Blessings from England. 😎👍🏻

[@rvarsigfusson6163]

Thanks for this Rule of Thumb....... really nice one to have in mind

[@Dillybar777]

This guys full of shit

[@leflavius_nl5370]

Small tip for accurate bolted fixtures: use 2 pins for positioning, along with the bolts for keeping it in place. It's probably not needed for 90% of the jobs, but very handy on those few that need the positional accuracy.

[@WesleyKagan]

Good point- could’ve used alignment dowels instead. I’m kinda curious now on if the misalignment would come from the hole being twist drilled and not reamed, or the bolt itself. Either way, on a critical part, I completely agree.

[@rocketplane]

@@WesleyKagan Most of the misalignment will come from the loose fit of the bolt in the hole and the non-precision of a threaded surface. Never rely on a thread for accurate positioning.

[@kw2519]

Expanding arbor pins are good too. You can align and hold the part in many cases

[@davidmassengill5290]

@@WesleyKagan the misalignment comes from the play in the bolts.. they dont slip through bolt holes snug so there is positional play in your x.y axis... you can rotate the part slightly even with all the bolts in place..the dowels into reamed holes on fixtues eliminates that play

[@NGC1433]

It is so pleasing to see a young lad restoring old machinery! Thank you for the great vid!!!

[@WesleyKagan]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@Thejakegee]

I met one of the Fadal brothers. Rich beyond belief, still running a mill in his home in north Scottsdale. Cutting oil all over the pavers. Interesting fellow..

[@tink2805]

Tooling/CNC applications guy here.. Couple tips, When drilling you can eliminate pecking when you are drilling less than 3-4 times the diameter, this will give you better tool life and help eliminate drilling oversize. Second, depending on the drill tip geometry you can take out center drilling first, at the very least make sure the angle of the drill tip is less than or equal to that of the center. Most HSS drills are 118 degrees, so use a 120 degree center if you have to center.

[@ivoadf]

Hell yeah nice to see you back making videos. Btw great job on the weight loss, looking great!

[@WesleyKagan]

Thanks! Yeah 60 less pounds is nice!

[@daleolson3506]

I found his weight it’s not fair take it back

[@JerGol]

​@@WesleyKaganWay to go, buddy! I was thinking you looked a lot leaner!

[@panher]

Looks like Wesley lost quite some weight! Good on you!

[@skullfracture2]

I noticed that also👍

[@MechatronCNC-HVM]

Best thing I did:Make yourself a checklist. Mine is: 1)Is the correct program loaded? 2)is the correct cutter installed and tight? 3)is the workpiece ridgid and clamped tight? 4)is the part touched off XYZ? 5)do we need spoil board, check depths 6) does the machining op fit within the travel & not hit clamps. I use the machine preview screen to manually jog and check this. 7)check XYZ datum is correct RUN PROGRAM

[@rocketplane]

Definitely pick up an old used copy of Machinery's Handbook. Takes much of the guesswork out of setting up machine tools. Also, if you're going to re-register parts like that, you should have some alignment dowels in the corners of your stock. Grab a package of 1/4" dowel pins and a 1/4" over/under reamer set for just that purpose. Ream your fixture undersize, press the pins in, and ream your stock oversized for a close sliding fit. Obviously for this part it was primarily cosmetic, but if you need precision between setups, this is the way to go.

[@WesleyKagan]

Noted- thanks for the tip! Alignment dowels seem to be the way to go. Honestly trying to hold onto these thin parts is half the battle, excited to make an actual part! Will do on the machinery handbook. Thanks!

[@kw2519]

Holding thin parts is made easier by using a Venturi system to hold the part down. It only works if you have a low weight to surface area. It works by removing the air from under the part and in turn allows the atmospheric pressure to hold the part down. So if you calculated your surface area of the part, then multiply it by 1bar, you’ll find out your hold down force.

[@Edward55221]

I regularly work on, repair, and maintain these Fadals through my job if you need any tips. @@WesleyKagan

[@PiefacePete46]

@@WesleyKagan : I have a copy of Machinery's Handbook here... there's not much CNC info in it. 1948 edition! 😜

[@PiefacePete46]

@@WesleyKagan : What I don't understand is how you found the courage to hit "Start"! 😰

[@kolby4078]

I would recommend getting a cat40 tool standard/probe calibrator. This will allow you to use positive numbers for your tool offsets and be more versatile with changing setups and offline tool setting. if you do want to keep using negative offsets for your tool at least set off the table so you only need to change your work offset and not re touch your tools for every part.

Those are two spectacular additions to the shop. Congratulations on making them run as good as they do! The display on the CNC machine made an impressive difference :D

[@WesleyKagan]

Thank you!

[@minskmade]

totally agree....never new you could even do that slick replacement....now to find a used Fadal :P

[@mattw7949]

Ha! Luxury! My cnc turned 40 this year... at least the iron. It had a punch tape reader when I got it. I've done 2 controls retrofits on it and it runs off a laptop now. Rock solid machine. I could talk all day about it...

[@miscbits6399]

A lot of old CNCs fitted with hard drives or floppy drives are starting to go toes-up. PATA hdd interfaces can be daunting and from experience I would NOT bother with a PATA ssd as they're spectacularly unreliable (particularly if left powered on for prolonged periods - at least one of the "industrial" ones I purchased would fail at 39.5 days and then if left powered off for several days would recover - which is sloppy programming) Just get a PATA-SATA-MSATA 2.5 inch adaptor and a suitable MSATA card, the whole thing will fit in the old laptop drive form factor that most of them tend to use (instead of 3.5 inch). There are a number of floppy-SDcard adaptors out there for the other case The screen change is a brilliant move and if LED backed (most of them are these days) should essentially last forever (older LCDs with ccfl tubes go pinkish over time. The lamps are changeable but for the price of the screen, don't bother) The Fadal should be able to have the entire control head replaced with something more "modern" in the back if one was determined enough

[@someoftheyouse]

The chatter is the plate being very thin more than anything, for a face mill finish pass I would recommend about .008" depth axially and about 0.004" to 0.002" feed per tooth if you're shooting for a very low surface roughness. If you up the spindle speed without the feed rate you also reduce the chip load per tooth which reduced the cutting force. Sometimes though parts actually need you to lean on them a bit to take the flex out of the system. In this case however I would aim for a light cut and try to avoid a spindle speed that has a harmonic in the setup/machine.

[@joepie221]

I'm impressed. You did really well for your first time on that Fadal. I have a 4020A in my shop and a series of videos on my channel about it that may be helpful for you getting started. I try to answer comments and questions too if you ever get stuck. I'm double impressed with the new life you breathed into that bandsaw. Cleaning them is a real task.

[@rbessuges]

Wesley, your videos are smart, educative, and fun. keep it up

[@WesleyKagan]

Thanks, will do!

[@philvale5724]

Hi 👋, great job. Great to see old machinery coming back to life., I am now retired in my 70s years young, I still have quite a lot of my tools and machinery, I’m a specialist joiner cabinet maker by trade my own business back in the UK, over the years, I have brought and rebuilt a old planer made by dominion, I had to get some components re-machined for it to work accurately, in some respect, it is a lot better than what you can get nowadays as it is a solid cast-iron machine, I have a Wadkin RS8 wood lathe, that I have rebuilt, with a VFD driver, single phase to 3 phase inverter, And I have a Wadkin EKA Tenoner machine , both of which date back to the late 40s, early 50s, to buy anything, equivalent, strength and reliability, nowadays, would cost you an absolute fortune, I look forward to seeing some more of your work, And I’m a great fan of Steve Morris, engineering, I think just recently he had a new machine secondhand machine fitted multi axis milling machine,

[@danieldimitri6133]

It's a pretty good one for a beginner. Not the fastest machine but the controls allow cool things like a top down search of the program for modals (commands that set machine modes that can influence the interpretation of the following commands.) If you try to restart mid program after you've moved the machine or cleared the memory on a CNC you can be in for a lot of hurt. Knowing about the search modal feature on a fadal can save you a lot of hurt. Technically a good fanuc operator can know what modals might be wrong (missing tool length being the most common) and use mdi mode to reset them but it's not automatic and crash recovery modes on some machines require specific steps not out of order and can be impossible if someone cleared memory before the steps are started. The search modal and start from line feature on the fadal is just better than what's offered on many industry standard machines. I think it's a good machine for prototype and it's great for high runtime programs where a broken tool can really set you back.

[@aserta]

You're not actually limited in the 3D metal printer, you just have to weld the bits, which implies you need to design them to slot into one another. There's a group out there that 3D printed an entire car front frame.

[@amandahugankiss4110]

the car they made killed twelve of their team though.

[@gregistopal]

@@amandahugankiss4110what

[@MichaelAmster]

That machine brings back memories. My dad owned a Fadal for his aerospace machining company. It was a fantastic unit. Good luck on using it well.

[@WesleyKagan]

Thanks! So far it’s much better at its job than I am.

[@MichaelAmster]

Just to share my Dad retired at 80 in 2003. I spent many a Summer helping supervise the Fadal, typing programs on paper punch tape and such. My Dad was a world class machinist getting thin walled aluminum wave guides into a generation of satellites like Telstra. He used a lot of tricks, built jigs a lot and employed a dead blow hammer to solve some of the things you alluded to in the video. You will figure it out and thanks again for the trip down memory lane

[@EngineeringNibbles]

Very nice, thanks for sharing!

[@devinmoodley4061]

I've never tried it, but I heard ZEP oven cleaner works super well for cleaning up these old machines

[@danieldimitri6133]

It should work okay. Soluble oil creates a weird film that can be hard to remove over large areas. It may seem easy enough to clean at first but then you see how big the machine is vs the 1sqare yard you spent an hour on. Weirdly, or perhaps just logically this film comes off pretty easy with... More soluble oil. Newer machine coolants are less prone to separating and leaving waxy films. They also often smell minty fresh and don't have problems growing nasty stuff in the coolant tanks. No more chlorine tablets or oxygenating bubbly things for machines that stagnate. An active machine will oxygenate the coolant as it runs but for shops that only use these things a couple times a year the new coolants are a game changer over plane old soluble oil.

[@miscbits6399]

I've had Simple Green recommended multiple times (Flash professional concentrate for those of us in Europe), which looking at the hazard sheet seems to be almost the same thing and likely to be easier to obtain

[@jeffreybackes4664]

Thanks for giving old equipment a new life. As someone who is old equipment it makes me feel a little less worthless. Cheers!

[@jeffschneider9516]

So glad to see another upload from you! I've been wondering what happened to this channel lately

[@WesleyKagan]

I’m back! I’m around, I just have a lot of half finished projects haha

[@dmitriyteslenko5836]

I like people who admit they don't know something, but try and experiment. Thanks for the video, I think these machines are really lucky to be in your hands!

[@andrewilliams3406]

Please post more

[@WesleyKagan]

Trying to, I’m going to get better. One video a month is the goal right now!

[@noncog1]

​@WesleyKagan nah, post whenever works. I'm here bcs of how good the content is. People like you and Micheal Reeves have a following based on quality, not quantity.

[@noncog1]

​@@WesleyKagan.

[@andrewilliams3406]

One a month, I’ll take it 🤝

[@brianl2607]

dang your analysis of the power phases on rotating that lathe was crazy smart, whether true or not. i wish i could have a brain that thinks like that

[@deanbarton4441]

Set the tool heights from the bed, then just use the distance from that (top of the tool gauge) to the work piece as your work offset (G54 z value). This will mean you don't have to reset all your tool length every job. Keep going! Very jealous.

[@WesleyKagan]

Yeah, I tried that starting out- The issue I ran into is that my post processor likes to send the machine to E1 + T1 tool offset, which then trips my z axis up. Still working on how to feed it Gcode that it likes.

[@deanbarton4441]

@@WesleyKagan Oh Z's inachine coordinates are weird, all negatives. keep going, I've spent way too much time talking to an LCD panel (well crt to begin with, I could smell the inside of that panel when you opened it) questioning it's actions😁 An old CAD teacher once said "if you do a job, got paid and the customer was happy. You did it right". If you are your own customer, win all round👍

[@markurakawa9898]

STILL MUST MEASURE DO THE OFFSET BECAUSE THE HEIGHTS OF EACH TOOL STICKS OUT OF THE TOOL HOLDER AT DIFFERING LENGTHS ALL AND ALL NOT MUCH DIFFERENCE

[@MachiningandMicrowaves]

@@WesleyKagan I also just bought a new CNC mill despite never having used one before! There isn't a mill-turn postprocessor for it, so I just hacked up the Fusion postprocessor code to make a fully-functional post to do lathe-style operations with the workpiece in the spindle. It's just simple Javascript, very easy to modify it to send the right G/M codes and parameters and suppress irrelevant stuff that the mill can't understand. Now I can just turn a spigot and shoulder on the stock, slam a few stock parts into ER40 collet chucks in the autochanger, load a set of tools in a gang plate in the vice and I'm making parts with precise parabolic and hyperbolic curved faces. Huge fun.

[@greysinclaire]

Been watching you for years now man and one thing I've gotta say... HUGE congrats on the weight loss man! I know many others haven't mentioned it but the fact that you stuck with it is such an accomplishment in it's own. As for the videos, like others have said, do you man. We are here for the ride along, it's the quality that we are here for, not quantity.

[@samjohnson7325]

Good to see you back in the saddle. That’s a nice mill. Aluminum loves surface footage. Especially with good carbide tools. I don’t know what that spindle goes up to but I would bet you could run that at max rpm with just about every tool you’re using except that face mill. Most tools want over 1000sfm in typical wrought Al which on anything under 1/2 inch is likely to be over your max spindle speed. What does that thing max out at for linear speeds?

[@WesleyKagan]

Yeah I'm running carbide on everything, It came with all the end mills and tooling you see- luckily most of it is kennemetal or American-made carbide tooling. It's a 7500 RPM spindle, and in learning I'm erroring on the slow side which I think is problematic. I need to trust my tooling more, and my accidental rapid plunge into the corner shows that I can push all of those tools a lot harder and faster, probably to the benefit of tool life. She will do 400ipm.

[@samjohnson7325]

@@WesleyKagan erring on the slow side is the better of the two tbh, but you would be amazed at what carbide can handle. Especially with the flood coolant. Depending on coating chip welding can be a pain but the coolant goes a long way to controlling that I run my haas at 8-12k and with some variance to optimize finish on everything except my face mill I run at 6k. My main roughing tool is a 12mm carbide no name I get from McMaster and I run that thing at 8k with an .06 radial, .75 axial at 220ipm (.007ipt) it munches through aluminum and it could go faster Harvey tool has a great calculator to get you in the ballpark for speeds and feeds Fusion also loves to default to G1 rapids with a hidden parameter that clips your max speeds. It looks like yours may be doing that unless the clips you showed were on rapid override. Faster rapids are one of those things that seems arbitrary but will make a huge difference. There is an option in a bunch of tool paths in the linking tab to set a no engagement feed rate and If you have a machine template setup I think you can change it there, and there may also be an option in your post. Just be careful if you switch it back to G0 rapids, a lot of older machines will dogleg on multi axis rapid moves (that aren’t a perfect 45* angle) and you have to be careful because it wont move where you think it will, or where fusion shows it moving. Only an issue if you like to run your clearance heights on the dangerous side or you have complicated part holding or fixturing that extends above the clearance plane

[@samjohnson7325]

@@WesleyKagan also can’t wait for more m120 content. Mine is chilling on a pallet waiting for the motivation to come back 😂

[@vlada.5643]

I loved " .. it is different flavor of electrons..." explanation. Marvelous.

[@akumabito2008]

Dude! It's that dude that does those things! Joking... good to see you uploading again, my dude!

[@WesleyKagan]

I do some things! Thanks! Good to be back!

[@kahlinkoertner5241]

Hey man! Stoked you got a mill! When fighting chatter its important to try to visualize your chip formation during cutting. Harder materials like much slower SFM. Aluminum likes much Higher SFM. If you are getting chatter its essentially because your tool is skipping across your work piece. There are a number of things to try. My personal order is first lower RPM. If that doesn't work, increase the feed. Next is to increase your step over and incremental depth. Solid carbide is meant to feed the crap out of. The point is that all of these solutions mean higher material removal rates and better chip formation. When you aren't cutting fresh material, you're just work hardening the surface of your material. That work hardened surface beats the crap out of your tools. Again Congrats!!! Have fun cutting!

[@girrrrrrr2]

I was wondering where you went after you didn't post for 24 hours.

[@WesleyKagan]

I know, and the 24 hours after that I’m sure was a real nail biter

[@girrrrrrr2]

​@@WesleyKaganI don't have any nails left at this point. Had to run down to true value to get some more

[@draggonhedd]

Oh a new episode of Hand Tool Rescue! Both of these came out great, i can't wait to see what you create with your new cnc machine and that bandsaw looks fantastic

[@NitroAdventure]

My wife and I had a baby since you last posted

[@WesleyKagan]

Congratulations!

[@andrewgloverthiel5218]

Thanks for sharing the journey. Your dry sense of humor keeps me coming back - even after 9 months. Looking forward to the next one.

[@12345.......]

Looking slim Wesley

[@Decayrate-of-Ravn-Rike]

Yup.

[@hh-ew3hc]

This is a guy I can relate to. Thank You so much Mr. Kagan. I am tilting at windmills in my shop as well, but many have been vanquished just as you have.

[@markmanning2921]

how much did it cost?

[@FerociousPancake888]

Many.

[@Chris-oj7ro]

More than one probably.

[@icebrew]

At least 2.

[@YRR_J]

Wow! What a video. So happy to see old equipment brought back to life. The band saw was a really nice extra that came as a total surprise. Good luck with upcoming projects! I'm eager to see what you'll come up with.

[@theheadone]

Curious if you're a community fan and if that 80's end scene was a reference to the "Hard Drive and Wing Man" bit. I love your videos, if I had the money and the space I'd be doing pretty much everything you are :)

[@WesleyKagan]

This comment is streets ahead.

[@jameswarren1831]

I opted for the VFD and it's nice because you can set a torque limit to cut power if the band jams

[@drmonster6357]

I was a machinist for 23 years programming, setting up and running 3 and 5 axis mills. I love this stuff glad to see people want to learn it still.

[@Putersdcat]

The good news is you can use some fine aluminum shavings from the cnc plus the rust already on that band saw to burn it down and start fresh.

[@WesleyKagan]

This is really funny and my backup plan.

[@radtap]

I have a similar older bandsaw at work we keep as backup when the bigger bandsaw goes down and it dims the lights in the entire shop whenever it kicks on and we're running all kinds of 220 and 480 equipment that doesn't do that. Those old motors are nuts when they hold up.

[@qs138v3]

Westley, Westley, Westley… I love your whole “old and probably fixable is more fun than new and working”-dynamic

[@paulsalchow]

Kalamazoo and Do-All built everything, great job rebuilding yours.

[@OmnieStar]

I love that I got to see 2 really old machines get worked on in one video! without it even being in the title!

[@juku]

I have four Fadals. They are really quirky machines -- but are so incredibly reliable. Even being a 25 year old mill, you will be so glad you got a box way over linear bearing.

[@janhugo]

I just love your videos! Just don`t stop and keep them comming! Love from Norway!

[@WesleyKagan]

Thanks! I appreciate it!

[@colinwolters8863]

phase converters are fairly cheap and easy to set up and you can run them for mutilple machines (maybe not all at the same time) but a good option if you wanted too.

[@WesleyKagan]

Very true, but I’m in a fairly enclosed space and didn’t really want to listen to it, mostly!

[@ebewarrior]

One of the best engineering channels on KZbin

[@elijahgreenberg2634]

Chatter in the middle there is definitely due to lack of rigidity. Clamping a thin piece like that will definitely lead to a lot of vibrations.

[@Rickgyver001]

Like has been commented already alot of the chatter is the thin plate clamped like that. One thing I have found that helps besides adjusting feeds and speeds is machining a block to act as a parallel under the center of the part or placing additional parallels under the plate in the center so it does not flex down in the center as the tool passes over it. I am in Mesa and have a couple Fadels so if you have questions PM me.

[@stutterpunk9573]

i have so much to say about how alike we think and how i get all the little references you throw in, all while being extremely interested in your projects and the subjects they involve, all while wrapped up in flawless presentation

[@paristo]

If that monitor could be refreshed to original brightness, it would be so cool to have a CRT monitor.... IMHO.... Not that it isn't already admirable and respectful that people are doing so much effort to fix these old machines!

[@kennygarcia6939]

Ive been machining for 18 years. Machined all sorts of steels, some exotic metals, brass, stainless plastics, and even .999 silver. Ive programed and ran fadals, hass, hurco, yama siekies, mazaks, samsungs, deckal maho, kia, vipers, johnfords, the list goes on. I still love it every day. Its still amazes me turning a piece of metal into pretty much anything you want. Being able to somtimes make 10,000 20,000 dollar parts is crazy.

[@jannieduiwel3130]

I MISSED YOU!!! Thanks for uploading again. Love your content quality and how informative it is and your sense of humor. I'll be waiting very patiently for future videos.

[@WesleyKagan]

Thanks for the kind words!

[@trumanbuckley8526]

Glad you're back and stoked to see the video on the racecar!

[@WesleyKagan]

Thanks! Looking forward to it myself too!

[@circa9097]

Very cool to see the progression. I run a machine shop with Fadal's and they are very handy to work on compared to most CNC's. Even 25 years old with proper maintenance they will last another 25 easily. Good thing you're handy with electrical and what not. I'm not so into the mechanical side just machining. So I'm at the mercy of my technician. But your video inspired me to be more engaged with the things I use in my shop. To not be afraid to take something apart and not be worried about how it goes back together. Having a video setup would probably help alleviate some of my worries. But, I've done it in the past where I take something apart and cannot figure out how it goes back together then just ends up in the trash. Keep up the good work!

[@TylerBrigham]

We still have 3 15xts in our shop. Running next to modern millturns. They are simple and sturdy machines that can be maintained to this day pretty easily. Good choice for a used intro milling machine

[@darth_dan8886]

The way you just restored a piece of what I would have considered rusted junk into a fully functional bandsaw was the most impressive part of the video for me, even if it wasn't the main topic.

[@Tacomaguy458]

I popped my machining cherry running a fadal 15xt very similar to this one 20 years ago. They have a goofy controller but overall, they are great learner machines and they drill like no other machine I have ever ran. A little pro tip about a fadal, they side doors that can be removed to clean the machine out also make for a huge machining envelope if you position the machine correctly. I have ran some steel tubing that was about 15 feet long hanging it out the side of the machine if you have the room. The doors are wide enough, it would take an act of god to crash a piece of material into them.

[@snyderhaus]

One of my favourite things is giving new life to old machines; glad this worked out and loved to see the progress of it.

[@justin_704]

you have the knowledge and the workmanship that most people your age lack. good on you!

[@dwightbrown2808]

I very much like the respect you gave that old band saw. The men who built it would be very pleased. That part of the world from Kalamazoo down to South Bend used to make lots of fine machines, tools, and Musical Instruments. I grew up not far from there. Well done!

[@WesleyKagan]

Your part of the world made a mighty fine machine. I like solidly built tooling. Thanks!

[@iamalittlepepper]

Thanks for giving life to old beat up machines! I love the paint job!

[@TeHo672]

I just discovered you 2 days ago Wesley. Very good videos well worth watching. Thank you from the UK

[@talljake]

Hi Wesley, great to see you again, fantastic videos, don't worry about the schedule

[@griptopia]

Great work all round , I have been through trials with a bandsaw and a CNC and my 3d printer! Loving the videos cannot wait to see more on the V12 , thank you for getting a video out, ❤

[@newagetemplar6100]

There’s something very rewarding about bringing a scrap piece of machinery back to life , very nice job on the bandsaw. 😃. Cnc machining center is spot on , there’s nothing wrong with old stuff like this and let’s face it , it’s better owning one than having it on finance. My experience with stuff like this is it’s maybe better to retro fit a PC based operating system and maybe drives too . Just setting up the parameters is a bit tricky. If your lucky it will switch on and start up every time ok . More than likely a component will go down on a board ( that’s probably obsolete) . A service engineer will become your best friend 😂. Finding one that’s not going to give helpful information for free is maybe harder. Had a couple of old machines like this , a Bridgeport that constantly kept blowing diodes and a Beaver NC5 that had a mind of its own regarding the tool change and a memory fault so programs had to be manually installed line by line in G code . Nice content and much appreciated 🇬🇧👍😃

[@jaimeduncan6167]

I am so used to multiaxis CNC machines, that looking at ta machine so limited was shocking. Nice video.

[@DJ-yp4kc]

welcome to the Fadal Community, mines an '88 still making parts in my garage.

[@ptz0n]

Thanks for sharing. Love your optimistic comments. Keep it up! PS. Maybe add a spring to the clamping mechanism to help retract the holder when turning the wheel to release?

[@Eluderatnight]

FADALs are great. They have a ton of support. FYI to properly level a mill remove the way cover and measure off the ways. These machines can twist and wear funny over time.

[@WesleyKagan]

Yeah, I just didn’t have a precision level on hand at that moment, but I pulled the way covers to clean anyway.

[@MB89XX]

Duuuuude! 9 months, i was seriously becoming worried about your well being! Glad to see you back on my feed ❤!

[@dsergison]

I also bought a Fadal VMC-15 with basically zero experience. It's been a good 9 years of making stuff and it has been a wonderful reliable mill. I now have a business making knife handles with my son, enough to pay for about 1/2 of his college tuition.

[@cjhuberty]

Learning and laughing at the same time. Thank you.

[@volksbugly]

Awesome! Congrats on getting the mill up and running and making successful parts!

[@chriss2295]

I can't tell you how many Fadals I've seen in my lifetime of prototyping/product design. Good choice

[@SamCyanide]

I did the exact same thing 6 months ago. I knew nothing about machining in general actually. Taught myself how to use it even though there's no documentation online except I found an old manual for the acramatic 2100 controller and now im making parts!

[@dajulster]

Just a quick tip! Take your tool offsets from top of the vise or from your table (a fixed, precise location). Then take the difference btw that and part top for your Z offset. This way if you need to add or change a tool midway through a part, you can. And you can reuse all the tool offsets for different workpieces. Great video! Curious what you paid for the mill?

[@NateDsCustoms]

I love how this turns into an entirely different project halfway through, way too relatable

[@chopiesthechook]

Wesley is certainly not scared to jump right into the deep end. And we love it!

[@WesleyKagan]

Much to the dismay of my bank account, but yes haha. Thanks!

[@dichoseadepaso]

i might be a little late, but i work at CNC repair service and i've seen a lot of old Fadal machines. If you need anything im happy to help! i would really recommend to use DNC communication for long programs and do a Parameter backup.

[@jbdawinna]

9:47 knew it was about to get wild with this dope music

[@strawmanhat]

Nice man. Very impressive bringing that many things together at once.

[@XoVoX]

I honestly don't care how often you produce content. I love every moment and rewatch episodes all the time. I wish I had your knowledge and skillset or lived close enough that I could come give you a hand and learn on the way.

[@Clayton02]

One thing you can do for helping with chatter or a bad finish on thin material is taking all the inserts out and leaving one in. It’ll act as a fly cutter. Leaves a really nice finish. I run between 20 - 30 ipm at 8100 rpm

[@chrisw8357]

I have a much smaller bandsaw to restore. Thanks for the tips.

[@patrickstover8766]

We appreciate quality over frequency. Good work.

[@IamHamdan]

i dont know anything about anything u said in the video, yet 8 mins in and i cant stop watching ... u a legend

[@mikeiver]

For the band saw, in fact for any larger motor on a tool like that I would source a 3 ph motor instead and buy one of the cheap single phase to 3 phase inverters from fleabay or amazon to drive it. While a little more expensive and more involved to wire it allows you to soft start and ramp to speed as well as control the coast to stop. You can even add in an E Stop that will use DC injection breaking to bring the spinning pieces to a rapid stop in an emergency. You can set the drive for constant torque or HP. Another plus is you get the ability to set speed if the shaft saving you the need if moving the belt. In fact you could have likely eliminated the multi tiered pully wheel entirely if you upped the HP of the motor. Best of all it eliminates the start capacitor, centrifical start switch, and the ridiculous start currents. Oh, your cable feeding the CNC mill is woefully undersized!

[@ZombiePanda1776]

To be honest, this video autoplayed after something else I was watching. But due to your sense of humor and witty/snarky remarks, I just went ahead and subscribed. :D

[@wastedblues2]

Nice! I'm told Fadals are still supported by the original manufacturer (under a different name) even though they no longer produce them. We just got ours serviced for leaks into the x-axis servo.

[@jamiemacdonald436]

You put a lot of work into that Kalamazoo saw, but at the end of the day you have an absolute beast of a band saw. Pretty sure you will be able to keep that the rest of your life if you wanted.