Philabuster's Hobby Shop

[Philabuster]

Good evening Phil,
I recently purchased my first mazak. It’s a 1995 qt15 with the mazatrol t plus controller. Long story short is the machine was sitting for 2 years due to original owner passing away. Is there anything that I can anticipate with it sitting for so long? (Corrupt parameters) also any recommendations on first start up would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.
-mark

For sure, the batteries will be dead and all parameters will be gone. You will need to get a copy of the parameters and replacement batteries. I do not know off hand which batteries your machine will need.

You also need to make sure the transformer is set correctly for the voltage you are going to be feeding the machine and also to have the correct phase wiring. If the phase is backwards, the hydraulic pump will be running backwards and not generate pressure. Switch two of the three legs on the incoming machine wiring to get the pump making pressure. DO NOT switch the wires on the hydraulic pump itself.

I am not an expert in this generation machine. Please repost your question over on the Mazak area so it is more visible to those that can help.

https://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/mazak/

 

[Antarctica]

Somehow I've missed this thread Phil - but I really enjoyed going through it. Cool shop, great machines, neat work! I will hit your you tube vids next. I am just worried that they'll make me want a Mazak!

 

[M3cnc]

Thank you Phil,
Your videos are awesome! Thank you for spreading some of your knowledge with us.
Any chance you’d eventually consider in person training? Im in Ca but would make the drive in a heart beat for the experience. Thank you again.
-mark

 

[mattthemuppet]

fantastic thread and love seeing the pics of all the varied projects you work on

 

[Philabuster]

Thank you Phil,
Your videos are awesome! Thank you for spreading some of your knowledge with us.
Any chance you’d eventually consider in person training? Im in Ca but would make the drive in a heart beat for the experience. Thank you again.
-mark

Thanks for the compliment about the videos!

I have not thought about someone coming here to train before. Truth be told, training is much more valuable on your machines instead of someone else's machine. That way the trainer can work with you on your specific machine and part family. Mazak does offer training at your facility, but it is pricey at $1k a day. The cost is high because it has to cover the tech's hotel, rental car, air fare and labor.

You might consider asking Mazak if they have any classes available in their Gardena, California facility. The price of the classes are much lower there than if they have to travel to you. Those guys there are really knowledgeable. They gave me two days of free Hands On Training (HOT class) when we purchased our new Integrex i-400S back in 2017.

 

[Philabuster]

fantastic thread and love seeing the pics of all the varied projects you work on

Thanks. Not much has been going on lately in regards to cool projects. Just a couple of odd jobs here and there.

 

[kustomizer]

Thanks. Not much has been going on lately in regards to cool projects. Just a couple of odd jobs here and there.

How are we to live vicariously through your life if you are going to do the same boring shit we are already doing?

 

[ernieflash]

Phil Your Videos have helped me awful lot .
I have a Integrex and although different controllers basically I can fiqure out how to do processes that I would normally program in Fusion and Download to machine EIA now I can use mazatrol and do it at machine
Thank You and Keep up the GREAT work
Nice Shop also

 

[Philabuster]

How are we to live vicariously through your life if you are going to do the same boring shit we are already doing?

More boring shit today. I figured I would document this one.

Had to machine some steel bushings to repair a large dirt compactor for an excavator. I went and measured the parts at the contractor's yard, then picked up two 1045 rems on my way home. The guys at Apache Steel hooked me up with a deal.

Rems measure Ø5.5" OD X 6.5" long. The finished parts measure Ø4.890" X Ø3.950" X 3.300" long.

Chucked up the raw bar and ran the bushing complete and just parted them off. Turned them around and finished the length.

These bushings are going to be welded in place so nothing was super critical on them. My big Mazak made this an easy job.

 

[kustomizer]

I thought I was doing it wrong, but I see you do it too, perhaps it is an artist thing, 10% part and 90% landfill

Nice parts sir!

 

[JP Machining]

I thought I was doing it wrong, but I see you do it too, perhaps it is an artist thing, 10% part and 90% landfill

Nice parts sir!

If possible I try to machine 2 back to back and have a smaller or non existent throw away chunk.

Nice looking parts Philabuster!

 

[Philabuster]

If possible I try to machine 2 back to back and have a smaller or non existent throw away chunk.

Nice looking parts Philabuster!

I thought about that, but these rems were a little too short to make that happen.

 

[Philabuster]

Here's a job I forgot to show you guys. My buddy has a 1960s York off road forklift and the steering box got damaged due to water intrusion and was rusted to shit. We found a similar steering gearbox at a forklift junkyard, but the mounting diameter where it clamps on the frame was about .030" too large.

I made up an aluminum faceplate that bolts to my 15" manual chuck in the big Mazak. I am using the chuck to clamp on a short bar as a pilot. After we clamped the gearbox to the plate in the horizontal position, we slide it on the bar and bolt it to the chuck using the T-slots in the face.

I used a KDK tool post as a counterweight. I had to use a VBMT insert tool to clear the casting and clamps.

My buddy modified the steering shaft height to suit this machine and got everything installed. Works good.

 

[JonP]

Phil I just wanted to let you know your youtube mazak videos are great, i had a new operator who couldn't program a toaster but wanted to know more about the Mazak he was running , i was telling him a little at a time and he was catching on, one day I told him to watch Philabuster's videos on youtube, a week later and he can run it better than me !!! Thanks Phil

 

[moonlight machine]

Here's a job I forgot to show you guys. My buddy has a 1960s York off road forklift and the steering box got damaged due to water intrusion and was rusted to shit. We found a similar steering gearbox at a forklift junkyard, but the mounting diameter where it clamps on the frame was about .030" too large.

I made up an aluminum faceplate that bolts to my 15" manual chuck in the big Mazak. I am using the chuck to clamp on a short bar as a pilot. After we clamped the gearbox to the plate in the horizontal position, we slide it on the bar and bolt it to the chuck using the T-slots in the face.

I used a KDK tool post as a counterweight. I had to use a VBMT insert tool to clear the casting and clamps.

My buddy modified the steering shaft height to suit this machine and got everything installed. Works good.

That is the best use I can think of for a KDK tool post.

 

[Philabuster]

Phil I just wanted to let you know your youtube mazak videos are great, i had a new operator who couldn't program a toaster but wanted to know more about the Mazak he was running , i was telling him a little at a time and he was catching on, one day I told him to watch Philabuster's videos on youtube, a week later and he can run it better than me !!! Thanks Phil

Thanks for the kind words, Jon. Glad the videos were helpful.

 

[Philabuster]

Had to machine some steel bushings to repair a large dirt compactor for an excavator.

I dropped off the bushings today and snapped a few pictures to show you guys where these bushings are used.

The outside roller wheels were originally mated to the bearing shaft using a taperlock cast iron bushing. Problem is the taper gets loose due to the abuse these compactor rollers see in the field. Their solution is to just weld the wheels to the shaft solid using a steel bushing. He said they have repaired other compactors using this method and they have been holding up fine.

 

[wheelieking71]

I dropped off the bushings today and snapped a few pictures to show you guys where these bushings are used.

The outside roller wheels were originally mated to the bearing shaft using a taperlock cast iron bushing. Problem is the taper gets loose due to the abuse these compactor rollers see in the field. Their solution is to just weld the wheels to the shaft solid using a steel bushing. He said they have repaired other compactors using this method and they have been holding up fine.

I've replaced bearings in those compactor wheels several times. Always a miserable job. All the ones I did: the outer wheels are always welded to the shaft. SOP was grind weld until you could see the parting line, all the way around. Depending on how many times they had been repaired? Sometimes this could be many, MANY, hours of grinding. Once the parting line was exposed, jack the wheel off with a porta-power betwixt it and the center wheel. Yep, no fun.

 

[Toolmaker51]

That is the best use I can think of for a KDK tool post.

I knew they were good for something.... Hate to go off thread, but;
KDK's an OK holder set up for little machines, but that narrow Vee is a loser in big machines and ridiculously heavy holders. cannot fathom what sort of engineer thinks that Vee is adequate.

 

[Philabuster]

Here's another simple job made from 400 series stainless. It's some sort of seal installation tool. This is a repeat job. I made two of them about a month ago and the customer needed another one.

Ran the first operation in Big Zak. Punched the hole with a 2" insert drill and finished the first end.

Ran the second operation in Junior to cut the overall length and finish the taper and OD.

Part is about 5" OD, 2.75" ID by 2.25" long