Author Topic: Scored on a mill tonight! (Read 5004 times)

scottly · « **on:** July 10, 2010, 10:43:24 PM »

Got a call from a friend asking if I knew someone that wanted to buy a small vertical mill, with a rotary table and angle plate. Yeah, me!! Perfect for those small jobs, like modding/fabbing brake caliper brackets, etc.

KeithTurk · « **Reply #1 on:** July 10, 2010, 10:47:02 PM »

Pictures? When I got my Bridgeport I hung out on the practical machinest forum quite a bit.... ( till they got into Politic's... (just kidding ... ))

I didn't get a rotary table and still haven't acquired one... it's the Cat's but for making Nice corners....

Have you got a Lathe yet?

( I got a cheap one and can't believe I got by with out it )

scottly · « **Reply #2 on:** July 10, 2010, 10:59:37 PM »

Yeah, bought a brand-new Jet lathe about 15 years ago, to compliment my Bridgeport CNC series 1 mill. I was involved with making electric conversion kits at the time. The guy that contracted the work turned out to be a total flake. I still have an ADC 9" motor laying around that supposedly got burned up at B-ville, while attempting to exceed 200MPH. From what I understand, they eventually were successful.

KeithTurk · « **Reply #3 on:** July 10, 2010, 11:19:17 PM »

My lathe is small.... 36" bed and 8" throw ( I think ).... but I use the poop out of it...

Who was the guy with the electric motor.... ( I know a couple of those guys ).... there was one at Maxton years ago.... ran like crap and snuck up on folks.... funny how quiet it was....

K

scottly · « **Reply #4 on:** July 10, 2010, 11:26:35 PM »

I would rather not name the "flake" I got the motor from. I will try to find the name of the guy that earned his 200 club with an electric tomorrow; what I have about it is at my shop.

KeithTurk · « **Reply #5 on:** July 10, 2010, 11:40:05 PM »

L. Healey went 112mph with us.... but I think he's a 2 club member at Bville....

As I recall he simply couldn't get it going....

K

754 · « **Reply #6 on:** July 11, 2010, 09:10:28 AM »

Congrats on the mill, Scottly.
Now the bad part, the accessories. not sure what you got.. rotary table is a good start.. .. I found that its pretty easy to end up with 2- 4K of mill tooling, if you want to be able to do a wide range of work..

But if you are creative you can find deals.. auctions, etc.. I made a nice score riding my bicycle thru an alley by a demo site. On the rubble there was a Kennedy long machinist top box, too bad it was beat up bad. They were loading a truck so I went for coffee, came back 1/2 hr later, I asked if I could check out the box, they said sure..

Only a few drawers opened the rest we pried and hammered open.. a few goodies inside

Ended up with new 1/2in & 3/4 endmills, 1/4 in reamer in nice shape, center drills drill bits, around 15 fresh carbide inserts, and a few more bits. Then started turning the box and banging on the concrete and a few more bits came out!.. like a Starret Acme guage in the package.. pretty nice score for taking my lunch break! Tried to slip him a fin for coffee money but he declined..
It was an old car dealership, I got an oil company sign pole and lights from the building before, and a very beat up barber pole..

Keep you eyes open, never know what you will fins in all the wrong places..

Jinxracing · « **Reply #7 on:** July 11, 2010, 11:43:47 AM »

Congrats Scottly, sounds like a hell of a find!

Are you interested in converting it to CNC? I've got a new-in-box Xylotex CNC conversion kit that I'm thinking about selling. Steppers, board, ballscrews, power supply, the whole shebang. I bought it for my benchtop mill, but never got around to converting it. Funds are low these days, so it's gotta go. PM if interested and I can give you more details.

scottly · « **Reply #8 on:** July 11, 2010, 09:10:29 PM »

I picked up the "small" mill today. It must weigh 600 pounds!!!! Had a heck of a time loading it in the truck; I brought my knock-down cherry-picker, but it wouldn't go high enough to lift the mill off the stand. Damage report: one slightly mashed finger (mine, Dave survived uninjured), a bashed in tailgate (hopefully not visible on the outside), and 2 very hot, sweaty guys, as it was 100 degrees, and 90% humidity.
Other bad news: no tooling, and the rotary table is missing most of it's parts, like the crank and associated parts that make it turn. Not a deal breaker, as I already have a table, but it may be too big for this machine.
Good news: it came with a 4-jaw lathe chuck, and a device for turning both sides of a brake disk at the same time. Also, a 4 inch tilting vise, and Dave threw in a small bore cylinder ridge-reamer after I told what it was used for. Overall, it appears to be in good shape; the scrape marks on the y ways look unworn.

scottly · « **Reply #9 on:** July 12, 2010, 07:25:16 PM »

Quote from: scottly on July 10, 2010, 11:26:35 PM

I will try to find the name of the guy that earned his 200 club with an electric tomorrow; what I have about it is at my shop.

"Well, it's been quite a year. The 200 MPH barrier fell to EVs on the Bonneville Salt Flats not once, but several times.............. On the down side, we lost..... EV pioneer Ed Rannberg.... And Lloyd Healey, another Bonneville campaigner, also passed away."

This is from '98; I do not know if either of these gentleman were successful in their assault-on-the-salt.

scottly · « **Reply #10 on:** July 12, 2010, 07:28:09 PM »

Quote from: Jinxracing on July 11, 2010, 11:43:47 AM

Congrats Scottly, sounds like a hell of a find!

Are you interested in converting it to CNC?

Thanks, Jinx, but I think I'll keep it a hand cranker for now. Need to buy some tooling first!

Jinxracing · « **Reply #11 on:** July 13, 2010, 02:12:13 AM »

Quote from: scottly on July 12, 2010, 07:28:09 PM

Quote from: Jinxracing on July 11, 2010, 11:43:47 AM
Congrats Scottly, sounds like a hell of a find!

Are you interested in converting it to CNC?
Thanks, Jinx, but I think I'll keep it a hand cranker for now. Need to buy some tooling first!

After reading your description after you picked it up, I'm sure the parts I have wouldn't be heavy-duty enough anyway.

I can hear those Enco catalog pages rustling now...

754 · « **Reply #12 on:** July 13, 2010, 09:12:50 AM »

Scottly, what size are the rotary tables? I use a 10 in and just picked up a new 8 in for a buddy with dividing plates! You can probably make the parts that are missing. They are just such a handy accessory and so mich fun to use..

If you need a R-8 collet set, I have one that is as new for a much lower price than a new one. Do you have R-8 in the spindle?

scottly · « **Reply #13 on:** July 13, 2010, 08:41:32 PM »

Hey Frank, it is indeed an r-8 spindle. It came with a 1/2" collet. Also, the v-belt on the motor is almost broken, so I'll have to get a new one.
The rotary table is maybe 8", maybe less, but is missing all the gears and drive mechanism. The top is different from my 10" in that it doesn't have T-slots. Too bad it's not all there, as it appears to be a quality piece. It has a cast brass tag that reads Erickson. If you want it, it's yours!!!
The mill is labeled United, by Newcorp, model 993, year 1982, made in Taiwan.

754 · « **Reply #14 on:** July 13, 2010, 09:29:13 PM »

As far as I know the Rotary table should have a wormwheel inside, then the worm, mounted to the handle in an eccentric holder usually swings in to mesh and then gets locked to setup work on table, you swing it out so table freewheels.
If no T-slots what is on the face..

.. if there is only a thread for a chuck or mount holes it may be a quick index. Quick index uses mask plates that slide in to give you the desired divisions.. more for fast repetitive work.
They are heavy shipping is killer..the 8 inch here is around 64lbs, my 10 inch, is a lot more!

The collet set from around 1/8 inch to an inch has I think 15 or so collets. King brand..will PM a price.

scottly · « **Reply #15 on:** July 13, 2010, 09:47:06 PM »

I'll take a pic tomorrow of the table, or indexer, or whatever it is. I'm curious by nature. Yes, shipping would be killer. Don't you have a friend in Phoenix?

754 · « **Reply #16 on:** July 13, 2010, 09:57:52 PM »

I have a buddy that should be back by now..

I think he picked up a Vtwin chopper project, a Sporty, a 45mm Weber carb still in the box, maybe more stuff.. I told him to ask around for SOHC speed goodies..

scottly · « **Reply #17 on:** July 13, 2010, 10:05:25 PM »

I'll post pics, and if you are interested, I'll gladly hand it off to your buddy...

754 · « **Reply #18 on:** July 13, 2010, 10:08:51 PM »

Pretty sure he is back across the border, but post pics anyway..

KeithTurk · « **Reply #19 on:** July 14, 2010, 04:01:08 AM »

Taiwan units are generally thought of pretty well.... they have fairly good technolgy and have had for some time....

Obviously your mileage may vary.... but that tag would have added to the unit's value in my world.... Vs China which would have subtracted...

scottly · « **Reply #20 on:** July 14, 2010, 06:54:40 PM »

Here are pics of the mill, the rotary table, and a quiz. Near as we can figure, the table was meant to have a chuck fitted on top? Frank, you probably know what the tool in the quiz is, but lets see if anyone else knows.

KeithTurk · « **Reply #21 on:** July 14, 2010, 07:19:46 PM »

Nice ,,,, is it a Starret?

FrankenFrankenstuff · « **Reply #22 on:** July 14, 2010, 07:22:47 PM »

If I wasnt married, the milling machine would be in the living room.

scottly · « **Reply #23 on:** July 14, 2010, 07:29:32 PM »

Quote from: KeithTurk on July 14, 2010, 07:19:46 PM

Nice ,,,, is it a Starret?

Yes

scottly · « **Reply #24 on:** July 14, 2010, 07:32:03 PM »

Quote from: frankenbike on July 14, 2010, 07:22:47 PM

If I wasnt married, the milling machine would be in the living room.

If the mill was in your living room, you probably wouldn't be married for very long!

News:

Author Topic: Scored on a mill tonight! (Read 5004 times)