This is just my two cents. The MR1 is an incredible machine. Unfortunately, it is a kit. With that being said, some of the purchasers are way above their heads. My machine works perfectly. It makes parts well within specs. Now, I not making parts for the space program either. I also have only 10 or 12k invested in it. The customer service has exceeded my expectations. Some guys are very clever and can modify this thing to the next level. Some need to leave it the hell alone. Many of these problems are self-induced. Poor assembly, not following directions, etc. I realize I will get some hate mail from this, but you get what you pay for. If these same people bought a $ 40k Haas, they would have the same problems. There I’m done.
I personally have had zero issues with the machine. The only things I modified was the table (I used a 1-piece tooling plate) and the monitor/control mount do to space restrictions. I am even still using the stock drains with no issues. I have purchased the upgraded drivers and limit switches that others are using but have not installed them and have not needed to yet. With just the few jobs I have done, the machine has paid for itself.
They took our {everybodys} input and adjusted production to include a center drain on the latest version.
And I’m sure the new coolant, Fusion 2240 will be rolled out soon. From what I understand, they even have an updated limit switch in the works. They are listening.
We do a lot of square stuff - how to you get it to find the outside of the work - say we have a 6" finished part, and the stock is going to be 6.0625± .06 - want to start with it cutting both sides equally, without having to go re-model stuff
Firstly, I fully agree. Most problems people have are lack of understanding, or a failure to realize the lack of understanding.
There are some quality things like twist in the gantry and things like that, which for the tolerances most users would need is still probably fine. I modified mine to get it as square as I wanted or needed it to be for the parts I will make on it. Aside from the drains it has done well when I’m not pushing it a little harder than I should . I’ve learned its limitations and try to stay within those parameters now.
I would like to see web probing come in though. Finding center in only X or Y is currently a manual or at least slightly convoluted process currently. Just one of those limitations I’ve learned to work around in my setups.
I usally us my bridgeport and square up the edges prior to putting in the MR1 vise.
Just tell it the right parameters to move and it will find the center. It doesn’t care if its square or a rectangle. I realize this is not going to work in every instance.
Yeah, but the only thing we have is a tiny desktop Grizzly. At home, I have a knee mill (Burke Millrite). We usually want to clamp on the “as delivered” mill edges of say a 4" wide (or 6" wide) block, and along the X axis, they are saw cut. Want to be able to clamp and go. Right now it is “Cut a bit over, measure, go model it in F360 with the actual size stock. Do the job” (or do manual center finding by measuring both sizes, moving to middle, hitting zero)
If you are making more than one part just model the stock as the largest size, if the stock ends up smaller then it will just air cut on one side. Which is still faster than squaring up stock on any machine. But for clamping purposes it may be best to have a square edge to clamp to. but your saw cut should be 6.06+.060 - 0. if you end up the -.060 on your cut you only have 2.5 thou for clean up which is a little too close. if you are going to square it up saw cut to 6.06+.060 or more and then make a program to cut a 6.025 block with the stock offset from your zero corner .015 then again program for largest size stock and deal with a little air cutting or a slow cut to take it in one pass.
Ran a boss probe on a 4x7 piece of stock and set the est. diameter to 7 and it found the center perfectly. It just travels a couple inches more than it needs to in the narrow direction.
. I’ve learned its limitations and try to stay within those parameters now.