Machining the Bed on the Flex CNC

In this video we take the final steps of the Flex CNC mill installation. Typically this is is done by @FlexMachineTools prior to shipping out to the customer but I asked if we could do this in the shop to help getting a little more training and seat time on the machine. Everything turned out great and the machine is now ready for some work and projects. #abom79 #flexcnc #flexmachinetools #cnc #cncmachine #longbedmill

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[hubbsllc]

In all the time I’ve watched this channel, I’ve come to understand that Adam is always learning and growing. He says he’s intimidated by the FlexCNC but that’s only temporary; just you watch. Great role model for workers of all kinds.

[DriverS]

A wash hose pumping coolant works well for washing chips down.

[lcjnsb]

Flex and MItronics x 2 and other new machines, I give Adam full respect, I would be way over my head. But I'm 73 years old, I'm sure his younger mind can grasp all of this new technology. More power to you Adam... Love the videos.

[angelramos-]

Pleased to see that thing are working well for you.Thank you for sharing.

[jimdean]

Adam, thanks to you and Flex for providing this content, which is both educational and entertaining. Looking forward to the unique projects ahead for this machine.

[toast]

Like you I bit the bullet last year and got a CNC Mill for my home shop. I knew nothing of it. I'm a excavator operator for a real job lol. I gotta say less than a year in and I love my CNC. I live in the shed now. I don't don't use my manual mill for anything now. I can design and program in Fusion the smallest of jobs about as fast as I can walk over to the manual mill and do a set out and dial in the DRO. You know far more than me, you will kill it in no time. Its dead easy to do. Fusion is a basic program to learn. I'm teaching my 12 year old to use it now. I want him out there building his own projects.

[TroyWuelfing]

Keep at it Adam, the discomfort / being intimidated is growth. You will get up to speed in no time. It’s great for us to see you have the same challenges we have diving into this stuff!

[johnrathbun]

Adam I'm an old school machinist, that can't really spell that great. I guess I'm hooked on phonics. But anyways I worked in a shop where they were all new school. I started on mills and lathes. Than I moved up to screw machines. Loved those machines. Can't really say they loved me. But this new CNC stuff I'm impressed with it but it's not to my liking. If you make a mistake on CNC it will cost you alot and you might even have to fix the machine. I like machines that if I make a mistake it's only a tool that has to be sharpened or replaced. I feel it takes away the abilities of the machinist and puts it into the programer. Your making us obsolete. What ever happened to a little blood sweet and tears.

[ismetarslan]

The joy in your face when you have a new machine or tool..

[bluea]

I liked the old you much better. I will never have a cnc machine. I prefer watching you making parts on your manual machines.

[TandaMadison]

I've enjoyed seeing the process and your journey into CNC. I really like that you are upfront about it all being new to you, just taking your time to do things right, and picking it up at your own pace. This is much more valuable to me, and likely your sponsors, to see it from the start. I find this niche interesting and Flex seems to have a good entry price and a recognition that we need to keep this heavy infrastructure work here in the states. I've had large weldments machined where my choices went from literally many hundreds of shops in a 200 mile radius to 2. And... judging by what I paid, they knew that. You've got this!

[Hey_Its_That_Guy]

That Flex CNC is going to open up a whole new world to you, Adam. Thanks for taking us along for the ride!

[cncit]

Very interesting! From my own experience of this type of tool changer, sometimes the tool can get stuck in the spindle and not release which causes a lot of damage. Should be fine on a new set up but pays to regularly clean the spindle taper and tool tapers.

[stuartschaffner]

I've never been a machinist, but I designed and built software for most of my adult life. About the only advice I can give is to take your time and program for safety. Learn how from the beginning to add in extra tests and sanity checks. Yes, that will take extra time, but so does fixing broken machines and making parts over again. As you get more experienced, you can slowly remove the extra tests and training wheels.

I can't wait to see what kind of new work you get for this amazing machine.

[TheWidgetWorks]

Awesome video, keep up the learning and in no time you'll need a hopper dumper and a fork to keep up with the piles of chip pouring off that thing! Easy way to wash down the machine is just use the coolant and write a simple program that just moves the spindle around all those tee slots and runs the coolant over the bed and wash it's self off. Will take a little bit of tweeting/experimentation to get it to do exactly what you want but once you have it you can just load it and push go anytime you need/want to wash it down. Doing this regularly is a good idea anyway on a big machine like that as it get some fresh coolant on all the surfaces and crevasses that coolant can go stagnate in and rot/rust your machine.

[paulm]

Great machine Adam, you're going to have some fun with that! As for a quick way to clean the table, write a simple program to use the machines coolant nozzle. Set it to run down the T slot of each rail to flush out the chips, then run slowly down each side of the table to flush everything down into the bed auger. Looking forward to the first project on it! 🙂

[erichoff]

You have a great shop and it is a tribute to your upbringing and skill. Your dad and grandpa would be proud!

[DIGGER]

Colin furze from the uk gave you a big shout out in his shop build video the other day he has millions of subs. He picked his new lathe from your recomendation (because it was what you had). If you have seen a subcriber jump or view jump the last few days thats why. I was pretty stoked when he said abom79. Your new shop is awesome.

[kamper]

Our haas mills always had a coolant wash down hose. Wash the chips right into the conveyor. Cool machine be awesome to see that baby make some chips on a project.

[Grizz]

A wash down run is a great idea. You can also set up a wash down hose off your coolant pump system. For those areas that the mill head can’t reach.