Bridgeport mill FIXED!!!

I also thought that it was a quill lock... Can you re-measure runout again, without the quill lock binding the quill?

i

Iggy,

The run-out is still just under .040 spun by hand. You called it right. I just could not see the locking assembly with the hole for the handle obscured by the case casting. I should have dropped the table all the way down and I would have seen it I bet. Without the pin handle in there it sure looks just like a pin to retain the ram. God, I feel like I should invest in a short-bus... I ordered the parts from Discount Machine today. I have been spending money with them like a crack-head but I can't beat the prices and the stuff is on my door the next morning.

for anyone interested.

Rob

You can invest in a short-bus, but only if you outfit it as a mobile machine shop...

A curious question: Now that you've found the quill lock, have you determined the spindle runout is worse or the same when you takej the drag off the quill.?

The Quill lock on my machine was missing the "quill lock handle" I thought it was a blind pin as I saw no hole on the part I assumed was a pin. I accidentally found a picture of the part while looking on E-Bay for a fine feed wheel. When I got the mill I found the quill lock pin inside of one of the T slots on the table. Not knowing what it was for- but assured myself it was important so I put it aside. I then saw the part on EBay minutes ago and it made sense. Boy, do I feel stupid. Now it works with more ease than my buddy's mill (Which is also missing the quill loch handle) Mine just happened to be on full tension sans the handle and the hole was out of sight and now I'm set!! Thanks to all of you who offered your helpful replies and assistance. I'm still going to replace the timing and drive belt as well as the draw bar since there is that run-out I'm not comfy with. Little things bite me in the ass every time.

Respects,

Rob

Bob, It's the same.

Rob

I replaced the draw-bar today. Thing was as crooked as President Bush. Now the top seated runout is less than .005 bottom at the collett is nil.

Rob

Did this drawbar try to attack you spontaneously Without provocation?

Congrats!

i

On Sat, 27 Oct 2007 11:50:27 -0500, "Rob Fraser"

SNIP

Hey Rob,

Not to put too fine a point on it, but are you sure it was the "drawbar" you replaced?!?! The thing that at the upper end has a 3/4" hex 5" long and a 7/16 shaft about 18" long threaded 7/16-20 for about two inches, and in use drops down through the quill to pull and seat the R-8 collets? I hope you are right for your sake and the troubles you reported, like 40 thou runout, but that seems pretty far out to me.

I'd be more likely to believe that when you were putting in a collet, you didn't get the collet groove lined up with the collet locating pin inside the quill socket. Did you ever check that? That will give you a terrific runout problem, and a problem keeping a tool tightened in the collet, and a hard time to later get the collet out too. I do doubt that doing this "incorrectly" and getting the collet in crooked would cause a permanent dog-leg bend in the drawbar though, but I stand to be corrected on that call.

Now I gotta admit, on about 90% of R-8 quills I've seen that are more than a few years old, those collet locating pins are "gone", either through misuse or by demand. Force of habit, but I ALWAYS run my finger in the quill socket looking for either the pin or the pin hole, before putting in another collet. Besides, working your finger around in there is a good way to check for chips or other unwanteds, and clean it out.

Take care. Hope all is well now.

Brian Lawson, Bothwell, Ontario.

Only because it had TOO MUCH OIL on it!!!! (Ha ha!) And He (Bush) and Halliburton wanted it back! They want a monopoly on crooked oily stuff! It was a WMD if I were to swing it at anyone without cleaning first. Hey Iggy, this did come from Boeing anyhow right?

Rob

Hi Brian, Thanks for the idea on seating the collet. Frankly I just line it up and tighten it up top. The runout was at the top of the bar and it was indeed bent on top 6" or so under the wrench area. Assuming by someone "gorilla-torque" the 7/8" top of the draw bar while there was something wrong or they did not know what they were doing that bent it. For the future I'm using a flexible mirror and flashlight to check and clean out the bore and keep Never-Seize on the drawbar threads. (The bar was $30.00 from a friend NOS) so I lucked out on that. I'm pretty anal on preventative maintenance on my gear and I'm going to take a community college class on machining and try to find some ol' timers who will be willing to share some knowledge. That is a thing we really lack here in the Midwest. People really don't care to help unless they benefit somehow monetary it seems. The under 30 age group is a bunch of smart-ass idiots who are just out for a paycheck and don't know shit but talk a good game.... Trust me, I fired enough of them in the race engine business I own.

Respects,

Rob

========= Given that you generally have to whack the end of the drawbar to get the collet to release from the spindle, a combination wrench and hammer is very handy. On most Bridgeports and clones there are several other 3/4 hex fasteners on the head area where you can park the wrench/hammer. click on

also handy is a quick set stop for the vertical feed. click on Use a rubber band on the quill lock or click on Kit to mount dial/digital indicator for quill travel also helpful and possibly use magnetic back indicators for x/y measurements when the dials aren't close enough or you have lots of slop in the screws. not as nice as a DRO but lots cheaper. Most mill supplys will have, these are just examples.

Unka' George [George McDuffee] ============ Merchants have no country. The mere spot they stand on does not constitute so strong an attachment as that from which they draw their gains.

Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), U.S. president. Letter, 17 March 1814.