Replacing the locating pin on a Bridgeport

[bogstandard]

The other day, I fitted a new piece of Vertex tooling up into the R8 spindle, and to cut a long story short the register pin has been badly damaged by it, and is causing me some problems fitting tooling.

Unlike some people, I would prefer to have the register pin in there.

My machine isn't an actual Bridgy, but a smaller clone, but things are basically the same. Unfortunately, the manual I have doesn't show the item well enough to see how it can be accessed for replacement.

I suspect the bottom plate is taken off the quill using a peg spanner, but I don't want to try it until I have some sort of definite confirmation.

Can anyone explain if this is a rather simple job or a pig to do.

Any help gratefully received.


Bogs

[andyf]

Bogs, this isn't a reply to your question - I wouldn't know where to start on a Bridgeport clone - but it may throw some light on what has happened.

Quote from Ketan at Arc Euro on a group devoted to Sieg milling machines:

"We phoned and checked with various U.K. suppliers of R8 collets, and we also
checked with some of our customers. The depth of the groove in the R8 collets
are variable - as a standard/non-standard - over decades, and as far as I am
concerned, it will always be variable. We have re-sent new R8 collets to SIEG,
as being "current" point of reference for what is in the Internatinal market
place. Grizzly have done something similar. So, with reference to the location
pin/key, it is not a spindle issue."

Andy

[bogstandard]

This was my problem Andy, everyone else's R8 fittings went in perfectly, and I have many dozens of them. The Vertex one must have been too tight, as the pin jammed in the groove, and of course the pin was badly deformed by the time I managed to get the fitting out.

Now when I try to put in another fitting, the pin is at such a height that it just jumps out of the fitting slot, and when the fitting tries to turn, it jams against the tiny bit protruding. A real PITA.

Without the pin, I have great difficulty changing fittings.


John