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Author Topic: Upgrading my mill  (Read 11360 times)

bogstandard

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Upgrading my mill
« on: October 28, 2009, 04:50:43 PM »
I had a couple of hours out this afternoon, going to visit my old advisary, Gareth, the salesman at Chester UK.
I had phoned him up this morning, so that when I called into the showroom, everything would be ready to try out a new bit of kit for my 836 mill.
They don't produce a horizontal arbor and right angle head specifically for my machine, but I had measured mine up, and just maybe, one designed for the larger Bridgeport clones could be made to fit. So to cut a long story short, one just happened to follow me home.

This is it, fitted to my machine. Still with grease and oil all over it from when I lubed it up.




Another shot from the other side.




So I threw the vice on the mill, I didn't even set it up square, mounted up a 5mm rad cutter and wacked out to a depth of 5mm using the power feed.




This is a piece of Ralph's garage special, and the cutter went thru it as though it wasn't there. You can now see that the vice wasn't square.




There is just one thing to modify to make it a perfect fit for my machine. The dovetail on my machine is 55 degrees, the one on the add on is 50 degs. So all I will do is make up a couple of angle adjusting gib strips and it will be perfect.
That will also bring the sliding bit on the bottom into a more central position.




A very happy bogs now, two machines in the space of one.


Bogs
« Last Edit: October 31, 2009, 04:23:24 PM by bogstandard »
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Offline CrewCab

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Re: Upgrading my mill
« Reply #1 on: October 28, 2009, 05:27:41 PM »
Quote from: bogstandard on October 28, 2009, 04:50:43 PM
one just happened to follow me home.

Ain't life a bitch at times  ::)

Nice one John, if anyone can make this work it's you .............. but looking at the results so far there's no issue's ......... another quality metal butchering tool in your arsenal I see  :thumbup:

Enjoy ........... and please keep us updated.

CC
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Offline Andy

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Re: Upgrading my mill
« Reply #2 on: October 28, 2009, 06:39:48 PM »
Lovely bit of kit. I've just shown this to my other half (she's the owner of a rather big and heavy stationary engine but is not usually that bothered about machine tools) and even she enthused about it.
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bogstandard

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Re: Upgrading my mill
« Reply #3 on: October 28, 2009, 11:27:04 PM »
Thanks gents.

It isn't until you realise that the right angle head can be used on it's own without the horizontal arbor, only then did I find out just how verstile a bit of kit this is going to be for me.

When I did the tailstock DRO mod to my lathe, instead of having to set up the slide in the four jaw to drill the hole in the end, if I had this bit of kit then, I could have just as easily mounted it into the mill vice and drilled it horizontally.

I can see this being used for a lot of those difficult to hold or awkward exercises.


John
« Last Edit: October 28, 2009, 11:37:02 PM by bogstandard »
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Offline sbwhart

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Re: Upgrading my mill
« Reply #4 on: October 29, 2009, 03:25:24 AM »
That looks a nice bit of kit John you have fun using that.

Cheers

Stew
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Offline Stilldrillin

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Re: Upgrading my mill
« Reply #5 on: October 29, 2009, 04:51:47 AM »
Oh! That`s a nice set up John.......

After your usual little bit of tweaking, perfect!  :thumbup:

David D

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Still drilling holes... Sometimes, in the right place!

Still modifying bits of metal... Occasionally, making an improvement!

Offline dsquire

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Re: Upgrading my mill
« Reply #6 on: October 29, 2009, 05:21:36 AM »
John

Nice to see that you got what you wanted and that it fit right up without to much fuss. Now your versatility has stepped up another notch. :ddb: :ddb:

Cheers  :beer:

Don
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Offline Davo J

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Re: Upgrading my mill
« Reply #7 on: November 13, 2009, 01:27:37 AM »
John,
Another mod to think about is a small 3 or 4 jaw chuck mounted on the right angle head as it will make it even more versatile.
I plan on fitting a d1-4 mount to mine then I can use the lathe chucks. This fellow below has done a direct mount one on a machine the same as mine. It turns your mill into a small lathe. (Half way down the page)
http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25895&page=7

I will also be going the CNC route next year when the money situation is a little better; so far I have bought all the ball screws, (the most expensive part).
Dave
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bogstandard

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Re: Upgrading my mill
« Reply #8 on: November 13, 2009, 06:02:20 AM »
Dave,

I couldn't find anything about it on that link.

To me, for what I do, I don't think it would be any advantage to me doing something like that. I can see no real use for it.

Maybe you could show me something that would change my way of thinking.


Bogs


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Offline Davo J

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Re: Upgrading my mill
« Reply #9 on: November 13, 2009, 04:32:03 PM »
On that page from post number 263 onwards you would have to use a chuck with a R8 aurbor to suit your right angle head. The page shows it's versatilaty and there are a few videos further on.
Dave
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bogstandard

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Re: Upgrading my mill
« Reply #10 on: November 13, 2009, 06:12:53 PM »
Dave,

After going nearly 20 pages further than your link, I couldn't find much other than some chap who had mounted a chuck onto the horizontal output of his CNC mill.

It might be something to do with CNC where he could use it as a CNC lathe, but I still couldn't find a use for what I could put it to.

It would just be a less rigid and cobbled together version of my lathe.


Bogs
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Offline Davo J

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Re: Upgrading my mill
« Reply #11 on: November 13, 2009, 11:07:41 PM »
If you don't understand it don't worry about it. As it was just an idea that I thought I'd share.
Dave
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bogstandard

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Re: Upgrading my mill
« Reply #12 on: November 14, 2009, 01:13:43 AM »
Dave,

Don't worry, sometimes I just can't get my head around things, even when it is staring me in the face.

One day, another brain cell might spark back into life, and it will then become clear to me, and I will then rush out and do it.


John
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