Author Topic: Drilling holes in Bridgeport / Warco mill  (Read 6792 times)

Offline Spurry

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Drilling holes in Bridgeport / Warco mill
« on: March 19, 2016, 02:09:14 PM »
This machine was delivered earlier this week. I have now come the stage of fitting the air operated draw bar. Here's a picture (as I know you like them). The machine is a Warco WM40. It appears very much Bridgeport like, but without the price tag.  :bugeye:


The bracket for the buttons looks like it should fit on the left hand side of the head assembly. Before I actually drill the casting, I would like to know what is inside. Is any damage likely to be caused?

All being well this is where my bracket to hold the bracket should fit.
Thanks for any advice
Pete

Apologies for picture mix up

Offline John Stevenson

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Re: Drilling holes in Bridgeport / Warco mill
« Reply #1 on: March 19, 2016, 02:55:52 PM »
Yup,
Got the same machine but now got a few extras.
Power feed on Y, 4" raising block, slotting head on the back and 3 axis DRO with one on the knee and a Chinese scale on the quill.

One thing to note, these are the next size up from a Bridgy, ram is far heavier and a standard slotting head wont fit. I used a Beaver one which is heavier and had to machine 3/4" out of the yoke. The beaver yoke will stand it, the Bridgy one won't

Not got power drawbar yet, that's on the list but I'm going with electric because I don't want to have to run a big hydrovane just to swap a tool.

Lidl are having some mains impact wrenches for sale on the 28th of this month for £30, Well cheap enough to hack and slash one about.
John Stevenson

Offline philf

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Re: Drilling holes in Bridgeport / Warco mill
« Reply #2 on: March 19, 2016, 04:43:41 PM »

Lidl are having some mains impact wrenches for sale on the 28th of this month for £30, Well cheap enough to hack and slash one about.

John,

I can only see Lidl offers up to 24th March - how do you get to see what's on offer on the 28th?

Phil.
Phil Fern
Location: Marple, Cheshire

Offline John Stevenson

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Re: Drilling holes in Bridgeport / Warco mill
« Reply #3 on: March 19, 2016, 05:40:19 PM »
Friends in low places !!  :poke:

Hard to find but they do some on-line leaflets.

Try sensational deals, then online leaflets and this in in the one to the 28th of March
Not sure if the direct link works ?

http://leaflet.lidl.co.uk/793d35cc-aa43-4b8c-bbb9-ebc53b27cb13/?ar=7#/32
John Stevenson

Offline philf

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Re: Drilling holes in Bridgeport / Warco mill
« Reply #4 on: March 19, 2016, 05:59:36 PM »
Thanks John - Phil
Phil Fern
Location: Marple, Cheshire

Offline Spurry

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Re: Drilling holes in Bridgeport / Warco mill
« Reply #5 on: March 19, 2016, 07:19:06 PM »
Yup,
Got the same machine but now got a few extras.

It was because of a little chat with John S at one of the shows that I actually bought this machine. Having previously bought one of their VMC mills, I thought I would never go near that company again. Hopefully this machine will be somewhat better than the last one.  :bang:

I will leave the big Hydrovane in the barn, and just use the little one for the mill. :-)

So thanks again to JS.

Pete

Offline Spurry

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Re: Drilling holes in Bridgeport / Warco mill
« Reply #6 on: March 28, 2016, 09:44:41 AM »
I am still prevaricating about drilling the holes in the casting shown in pic 2 above.

During my googling I have found pictures of older Bridgeports with the on/off switch mounted in the same postion.
Would anyone happen to know what size bolts they used?

In the meantime, I thought I would have a go at fitting the air-driven unit to the head. I had been told it just bolts on.

Containing a 62x35x14 bearing to support the top of the spindle is circular plate
with 6 radially spaced holes. Three are m8 and the others are counterbored M6 ish.
(The latter hold the plate to the head casting. The others are to jack-off the plate from head casting.)
None of them fit the base of the air unit.

Decided to make a new top plate. The air unit is nicely made with plain 6.50mm holes on a PCD of 110.
The Warco ones do not seem to be to any particular PCD, but somewhere about 114mm.

The plate did not fit centrally in the recess in the top of the mill head, so offset the centre
hole of my plate by 1.00mm and increased in overall diameter by 2mm.

I set up the new plate to drill the three 5.00 holes to secure the air unit, on the new mill.

A mandrel had been made to mount in the drill chuck to centralise the plate on the bed.
Moved the Y to check that my calculations had been correct, then revered the Y to re-centralise.
The DRO display read 0.00, but the mandrel was NOT over the hole. It was about 0.80mm out.

Thinking my eyes must be deceiving me, tried it again, but this time error was about 0.50mm.

Gave up at this point, and drilled the holes on my old Bridgeport.

I am at a loss to comprehend how a DRO could do such a thing. Would anyone have any ideas, or had a similar experience?

The motor was not running at all. The machine is fed from a rotary inverter to generate the required voltage.