The Steamboating Forum

barts wrote:

I would love to pick up a milling machine but just can't do it right now.

I've never been able to pick up a real one; those things are heavy!

Seriously, nice score on the surface plate. Now for a dial height gage...

- Bart

Like this?? This belongs to the company I work for. I have worked there 21 years and it has never been used while I worked there. They used it one time to set up a profile grinder used to grind the O.D. of carbide tipped molder heads like those used for making log home logs. I told the owner it was going to live at my house.
Its a Chinese import but it seems to be of decent quality.


Frank

Exactly... I bought one of those, started using it and then scored a dual beam dial Mitutoyo w/ a broken reset button surplus from a local company for a price so low I won't admit it. Good layout tools and a magnifying glass can save an amazing amount of time in the shop.

Nice combo... so next is a big angle plate . The fun never ends .

- Bart

That Vernier height gage looks like a Kanon. If it is that's good stuff even though it's imported. If I remember correctly, those are Taiwanese. Their level of manufacturing quality is now on par with Japan.

I like digital stuff now, and for calipers, I only buy Mitutoyo. Ive had Starrett, Browne and Sharpe, Fowlers and several other digital calipers over the years, Mititoyo's are hands down the best ones. Starrett jumping in to the digital world was like Kodak jumping in to digital cameras, it was an area they knew nothing about and their products reflect that. My best calipers are a set of dial Etalon's that I use when it matters and not critical enough for mic's. I have a dual beam digital Fowler height gage and it works real well. But a height gage and Calipers see two totally different levels of service in a machine shop. Everyone treats a height gage like its the crown jewels and the calipers get abused. Mitutoyo's will put up with it and maintain accuracy.

Just a note on the surface granite and surface plates in general. It's good practice to support them on three points only. Two corners on one end and then in the middle of the far side. That keeps them from being in any sort of strain from the surface the lay upon.

-Ron

barts wrote:

I would love to pick up a milling machine but just can't do it right now.

I've never been able to pick up a real one; those things are heavy!

Seriously, nice score on the surface plate. Now for a dial height gage...

- Bart

I agree about picking up a mill, so we used a forklift and put it on a trailer then once I got home we rolled it off the trailer on pipe rollers, pushing it along with a crowbar. I was not planning on this purchase but I felt I could not pass it up. I need to do some cleaning and get a 3 phase converter.

Nice machine - looks exactly like mine. I used a FM100 VFD from dealers' electric, but they don't make
those any more. I found the 5 hp VFD for my lathe here:

http://www.wolfautomation.com/ProductLi ... oryID=5103

Have fun w/ that!

- Bart

That is a nice looking mill. Ways and table surface are in good shape, apparently not used a great deal - good find. I see in the pic another lot of sirens in the works.

-Ron

Well its been several months since I have done any work on the M. I am drilling the cylinder mounting holes in the standard and bottom head.
The standard was squared with the front of the mill table and clamped.
I used an Indicol and test indicator to center the standard with the spindle and zeroed my dials.
clamped the bottom head to the standard so I can "kill two birds with one stone" . It should work pretty well.





Untill next time

Frank

Holes drilled in the first standard/bottom head combo. Going back to all holes and doing a back-spot facing .


I REALLY like having my own mill.

Frank

Frank,

Nice work, and it looks like you have yourself a nice set up there.

-Ron

Set up tonight and drilled and tapped the bottom of both cylinders.
I zeroed the angle plate so I didn't have to zero both cylinders, I'll leave it there until I do the holes for the top head.
Jig bored all the holes and they matched up perfectly with the bottom head and the standard.




Until next time

Frank