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Picked Up My New Milling Machine but Got A Problem

Hi All, I finally got the chance to go to Warren Michigan and pick out a milling machine from Wholesale Tool.The guys there were fantastic and put up with my wandering around for 4 hours.I picked out their #WT

3004-0095 6"X26"milling machine.It was just the right size for my needs and the price was just right as well.I had a million questions being a newbie and all.They were very good at answering each and every one.I also got some great deals on tooling for the mill.Even my wife was impressed and that means a lot.I have spent the past week cleaning it all up and was setting the spindlehead up last night.I trammed it as I was told to do in this group but when I got around to tightening the head rotation bolts back up one of the acorn nuts won't stop turning.I'm sure it or the bolt is stripped.Has anyone in the group any experience with this machine or one like it?I would like to run it but am conserned it might get even more damaged.I expected to find a few things not right with the mill as it was made in China and they tend to have a couple of flaws so I'm not upset or anything.I sure hope it isn't too much work to fix.I'm disabled and have trouble just getting it cleaned upThanks for any help.PS I will contact WT on Tuesday but wanted to get running today if possible.Anyone been thru this? Tom Munroe
Reply to
G.Tom
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G.Tom wrote: I

Well, it probably has some form of T bolt there. Try a standard nut, so you can see if the bolt is turning, too. It is possible that the bolt is just in the wrong position, and not in the slot that keeps in from rotating. It may also be that the bolt is aligned with the hole that allows you to remove the T-bolts, and won't grab there. Is it possible to turn the thing the head mounts to? Or will that put the fixture in the wrong alignment? (Most of my experience is Bridgeport, so the head attachment may be totally different.) You may have to take the head off to examine the parts. Then contact WT about replacement parts. Chances are some light machining with 3 bolts won't cause a disaster.

Jon

Reply to
Jon Elson

In message , G.Tom writes

Hi Tom, I have a mill which looks the same as yours though mine does not use acorn nuts to tighten the head. With mine the nuts are plain. I think it is possible for the threads to be stripped especially with acorn nuts which run out of thread. The cure pre-stripping is to use a washer or I would change over to plain nuts. Another possibility is the bolt part will have a square head which may have lost its corners and be rotating in the slot. As to fixing - this can be difficult as there is little room to get at the nut. With this in mind I think the retailer should undertake this for you as the only way I can envisage is for the nut to be split off. It seems that many of these mills suffer from soft metal bolts which can last well but it may pay to replace them with hardened steel at a later date. Good luck.

Reply to
G W Howe

Reply to
larry g

Thanks for the replys Guys. I am going to contact Wholesale Tools now.I was hoping someone knew a better way to do this.I can't even see how the nut can come off without taking the whole spindle head off with it.I can't take the mill back,it's out of the question at this point.Boy I sure wish I could get around better.Well I'll see what they say.Maybe I can do some light work with it in the meantime.I sure would like to try running a mill at least once Tom Munroe

Reply to
G.Tom

Well I did just that and they will send me new "good stuff"In the mean time I found that the acorn nuts were crap and the "T" bolts in the head were kind of soft and smooth.I roughed up the head of the bolt were it should contact the clamping face and got some good nuts.I put it all back together and it seems to be holding now.I'm leery about trying the swivling feature of my mill now due to this problem.Wholesale Tool is sending me a set of English thread bolts and nuts to fit.It was a learning experience but hard to do for me by myself.Glad it went as well as it did.I'm so done in I couldn't even try to cut metal with it.Maybe tomorrow I can make chips Thanks for the help Tom Munroe

Reply to
G.Tom

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