Minor Mill Issues

Just an FYI for mill users to look out for two things: first, the z-axis lock handle got stripped and we removed it. We’ll get a new knob on soon; for now you’ll just have to twist the rod itself (a bit awkward but doable). Second, the power switch setup is changed. There is temporarily no reverse (and I wonder if there is truly need to restore it), and right now the on-off switch for the mill is a single on-off toggle, located on the side of the mill a little below the VFD (where the old switch was). Be careful, this is temporary and literally attached with tape right now. There will be a new switch soon, probably something larger with a proper emergency stop.

Thank you Ethan!

I haven’t yet had a need, but wouldn’t the use case for reversing the motor be reversing out a tap?

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Someone else pointed out that use case to me the other day also. Most of us hadn’t thought of it, as the mill isn’t really set up to do powered tapping.

The mill reverse switch is accessible again, though it is literally hanging from its wires below the VFD, so use care. That will of course be fixed as soon as I can.

I’ve made a new handle for the z-lock on the manual mill. It’s actually a modest improvement in function over the original handle; the asymmetry of the original gave it a tendency to self-tighten, which caused various problems. This symmetric design is balanced.


So does this design still fall within the Functionalist design philosophy or have I pushed beyond that into the Brutalist school? :smiley_cat: It ain’t pretty but it works.

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