Member postings for Gavlar

I had a similar experience with a MT2 reducer stuck fast in the MT3 socket of a Chester 626 mill. (I posted a thread on it a couple of years back). I couldn't knock it out as the internal bore meant anything I passed through the spindle just passed through the reducer. I tried heating it, freezing it, vibrating it etc to no avail. In the end I had to remove the entire spindle and take it to a local engineering firm who tig welded the end of the reducer so it could be knocked out from the rear. It came out easily, quite possibly because of the extreme heat of the welding process. A bit extreme, no doubt, but no damage caused and the mill still working fine to this day.

Ebay tends to reach the widest audience. If you have easy access and the ability to load, you'll get a better price than if it is in a basement and needs four weightlifters to manhandle it out.

Whereabouts are the machines located?

Edited By Gavlar on 03/03/2023 08:03:20

One of the many things I find incredible watching some of these videos, is how many machine operators seem to use a pair of ancient calipers and a ruler for 'precision' work, where you or I would use a micrometer or at least a vernier.

I also find it astounding that they seem to have a complete and functioning set of arms, legs, fingers, toes and eyes given the total disregard for any form of PPE, baggy clothing and flip flops being the norm.

Wouldn't a transformer for your low voltgage lamp use only one phase of a three phase supply? It would therefore be 240v to 50v

Well I think I'll give it a miss. Interesting that no-one recognises it!

Thanks for all the responses.

I'm keeping an eye out for a mill for a friend. He doesn't want a mini mill nor a Bridgeport size, just a a capable hobby machine. I've seen this one on ebay, incorrectly described as a horizontal milling machine, item number 185765805948, not too far away, not too big, and thus far, not too expensive. Seller doesn't know the make or model. I've spent an hour going through pictures of mills on lathes.co.uk and barely got through a quarter of those he has descriptions of but am yet to find this one

Can anyone identify it please?

Edited By Gavlar on 09/02/2023 00:32:26

I have no experience of DT collets. So at the risk of embarressing myself, could your collet set possibly be 3c? The standard Boxford collet holder and drawbar are for 3c collets

If you are lifting it with an engine hoist, without taking it apart, a well known Boxford dealer showed me his method. A strop around the web between the ways immediately in front of the chuck and lift the whole thing as a single unit. Later Boxfords had a threaded hole in the web to take a lifting eye. It will still be heavier at the headstock end but if you remove the chuck and slide the carraige as far right as it will go, it will be nearly balenced.

Even 'thermalite' blocks can take a lot of weight with the correct fixings. They are also available in different densitys. If it is a cavity wall with insulation in the cavity, the building inspector won't (in my experience)  specify the block used and you can simply use concrete blocks.

Edited By Gavlar on 03/02/2023 19:41:36

Pete, I have a 280 and yes, I still have it. If I can help you with anything, message me so we don't derail this thread.

I can't offer any advice on your specific issue, I'm not familier with your machine. That being said, If you suspect your spindle is bent or damaged, you could do worse than speak to 'Spindle Services' in Coventry. I managed to bend the spindle on my Boxford X10 lathe, (by lifting it with a strop through the spindle, insert 'idiot emogee' here) then compounded the problem by trying to fix it myself. I nearly ended up breaking the lathe for parts as a replacement part was simply not available. They are, or at least were, a family run business. I spoke to a receptionist who I believe was the daughter of the MD and explained my problem. She promised to get the boss to ring me, which he promptly did. I expained the issue and he gave me a price to repair the spindle, which included replacing missing metal. He even gave me a little discount once he knew I was a private individual and not a company. The spindle was returned in double quick time and once replaced had no discernable runout whatsoever. It wasn't cheap, £300 if I remember correctly, but a lot cheaper than scrapping an otherwise near perfect lathe.

A miiling slide?

Edited By Gavlar on 06/12/2022 21:45:36

Edited By Gavlar on 06/12/2022 21:46:21

A bit late to the party but here's my tuppence worth.

The Boxford lathe is not particularly noisy and you should not get much in the way of vibration. Noise can only come from a limited number of places, assuming the motor is itself vibration free, The linked belt, even if worn, is unlikely to be the source. The other two drive belts can get hard, split and/or brittle. These are cheap and easy to replace.

Lubing and correctly setting up of the headstock drivechain as well as ensuring the tumble reverse assembly is fully located may help. If the mesh between the gears of the drive train is too tight, it will cause a rumble.

Worn countershaft bearings will cause a low piched rumble, they are sealed for life but after 50 or 60 years may also lack lubrication.

They are noisier with the backgear engaged. If the backgear is used, it must be lubricated. (Don't lubricate it if you don't use it, it just puts excess oil inside the headstock which will eventualy manifest itself by causing the linked belt to slip)

I would guess that incorrect preload on spindle bearings might also cause low piched noise but I've not had experience of this.

I had the exact same problem with a 3-2MT reducer stuck in the quill of a Chester 626 mill. There is a thread on here somewhere but to summerise, I couldn't knock it out from above as there was no shoulder, it wasn't threaded so I couldn't use the drawbar. I couldn't vibrate or twist it out. Gentle heat had no effect and I used a can of freeze spray which also had no effect.

I ended up removing the quill and taking it to a small local engineering company. They tig welded the protruding part of the reducer to facilitate knocking it out from above. Whilst still warm from the welding it came out with a gentle tap.

The mill has been in use ever since and has not suffered any ill effects.

Evri does use paypal.

I've used them twice in the last fortnight, paid for 'next (working) day' delivery and one one of the parcls was deivered on a Sunday, so better than next day.

No idea what your particular machines are worth but research on sold items on ebay might put you in the ball park.

A photo isn't enough to price anything up. Price is effected massively by condition (both your lathe and mill appear in good condition) and accesories. Price is also effected by accessability, location, ease of loading (do you have a forklift or other means to load onto a truck or traier). Willingness and ability to palletise for delivery will also bump the price up. If access and removal are complicated, you may have to settle for dealer prices which could be a fraction of their true value.

I think the PDM 20 has been sold under various guises over the years by Naerok, Alpine, Axminster, Clarke, Warco and others.

I think (though you would need to confirm) Axminster sold it as the ZX25, manual and parts list here:

axminstertools.com/media/downloads/700093_manual.pdf

(If that doesn't work, just search Axminster ZX25)

Axminster have been very helpfull to me in the past when trying to source parts for older machines, there was a long lead time and parts were not cheap though!

A search for 'Step Pulley' may come up with something suitable for the spindle drive.

I've got two reilangs. I bought them because everything else forced itself apart under the hydraulic pressure they encountered when used on the numerouse ball oilers dotted around my machines. They haven't forced themselves apart, which is something but they leak as much as the next can and the pumps constantly jam, needing to be jiggled about (I think that is the correct technical term) to get them to function. Not worth the money I paid for them, in my humble opinion.

63/80 is the one. Chap on ebay (no connection) sells them in delrin.

You may need to check that before splashing out on a compound gear. If I recall correctly, there is insufficient room for the 127/100 gear in a VSL and it instead uses 64/50 (or something similar) to get a close approximation.

I haven't owned a VSL for some years so appologies if I'm getting confused with something else.