Member postings for MARK RIGG

Hello Michael .

I have had a `new ` milling machine delivered - an OPTIMUM BF 46 mill / drill with an all up weight of about 700 kg .

I bought this machine from a company in North Yorkshire who actually split the machine from its fabricated base and mounted both halves on two normal size pallets and well wrapped in black HD clingfilm .

The machine arrived within a couple of days of despatch on a lorry with tail lift and an electric pallet lift truck .

I was amazed at how easily the driver manoeuvred the two pallets from the deck of the lorry on to the tail lift , lowered the lot to the ground and then wheeled each pallet across the road and dropped them where I wanted in my drive way - made it look all so easy.

From now on its down to me to get the two halves down a narrow side passage - across a short lawned area to my workshop . I do have a a good engine crane and set of roller machinery skates which do make moving quite substantial machines a fairly easy task I have used some short pieces of rectangular 80 x 40 hollow section and through bolted the skates to the under side of the machine parts. I can move this lot single handed . I also have some sheets of old ply- wood that I can use to traverse the lawn - saves any grief from the `lady of the house ` complaining about the messed - up lawn !

I will use this set up to move my other new acquisition - a CVA lathe weighing about 1500 kg ! - although I will probably strip as much off the lathe to lighten it as much as I can for the move .

This will be followed by a Harrison horizontal mill - another 5- 600 kg lump !

Oh well - these antics keep an 80 + year old out of mischief .

MARK.

Hello again . First of all , how do you determine if the 10 M is a metric machine ? I can`t find any serial number on my machine , nor any manufacturers plate with a serial number .

Also , I have looked at both the cross slide screw and the vertical screw shaft and both dials have 50 graduations .

The cross slide screw is 11/ 16 `` diameter and 5 tpi . So , if both graduation dials are the same , can we assume that the vertical feed shaft is also 11 / 16 `` diameter and 5 tpi .? The vertical feed nut ( cut inside the skew gear ) will not screw onto the cross slide screw as I think it is a different hand thread ( L H ? ) . The cross slide screw looks to be a square thread, not an ACME as I first thought .

If anyone can run a rule over their vertical shaft and give me some lengths overall and the length threaded portion . The lower portion is plain . That would be very helpful.

I would be interested in any further information and comments .

Thanks again for your interest .......................

MARK RIGG

Hello .

HELP WANTED !

I am reassembling my 10 M shaper and I have lost the vertical feed screw for the cross slide / table.

It now looks like that I will have to make a replacement - Does anyone have one of these machines in bits for restoration that could give me a few measurements .

The thread looks like 3/4`` dia. x 5 tpi LEFT HAND `ACME` . It should also be possible to determine the basic dimensions of the screw in situe .

Any help here would be much appreciated

MARK RIGG

BRIDGNORTH - SHROPSHIRE

Hello fellow Eagle grinder folk .

I have just completed the reassembly of my Eagle surface grinder , and this included changing the motor to a I hp single phase unit .

I have weighed the individual ` lumps ` and the total weight of the complete machine with the mag. chuck fitted comes out at 330 Kilos . The base unit ( without the motor or mounting plate ) is the heaviest part at 127 kilos .

Whilst the machine has been in pieces I have made some additions to the lubrication of the slides . This has involved drilling additional oilways, machining new oil grooves in the removable gibs and fitting several oil nipples to feed the oil in . I would appear that the original manufacturers did bother to much about the lubrication !

Anyway , I have pumped in plenty of oil and all feels OK - just need a DOL starter to complete the electrics and I can see how the machine performs !

Then on to the next project - the reassembly of the Elliott 10 M Shaper - not a lot to do to this apart from mounting it on casters and fitting a VFD to the original motor And then there`s the CVA LATHE to sort .

Can`t buy anything else - got nowhere to put it in the workshop now !! Oh , just forgot about the nice Pollard pillar drill that needs a repaint , reassembly , a new spindle to up grade from 1 to 2 MT or possibly 3 MT , a larger 3 phase motor and a VFD to run it and lower the speed . Where will it go ?? It will up grade the Meddings and the I can sell it - problem solved !

Hello All .

I have some parts of a DENFORD `VICEROY ` twist drill sharpening machine model type TDS 29.

I would like to try to reconstruct this machine into something useable , but I am minus some parts .

The Denford Viceroy website is very helpful and quite a lot of drawings for various older Denford machines have been posted on their site, including a number for the drill sharpener .

Unfortunately, a few of the drawings I need have been lost . So my question is : does anyone know of or has one of these machines that I could have a look at and possibly make some sketches for the missing parts ?? .

This machine has a capacity of 1/16 `` to 1`` drills and would appear to be a pretty useful bit of kit for the smaller workshop . I don`t know how many were made , so it maybe a bit of rare beast !

Any further information to move this project forward would be much appreciated .

MARK RIGG

BRIDGNORTH

Edited By MARK RIGG on 24/03/2021 01:13:59

Hello . I am progressing with the cleaning and re assembly of my Eagle grinder . Previous posts mentioned lubrication of the cross and table slides .

Looking at these slideways , it does seem to me that the original manufacturer didn`t make much effort to ensure proper lubrication of these slideways - long oil grooves machined in the table slides on the cross slide casting but no actual means of getting oil to the grooves . Likewise the ways between the cross slide casting and the knee bracket are without oilways or any means of positive oiling . I am now in the process of drilling and taping for additional oil nipples and machining oil grooves where possible between various existing bolt holes and way covers .

I would also like to fit a simple piped oil supply to the cross - feed screw and the pair of bevels actuating the rise and fall screw. It would appear neither of these items can be oiled once the machine is assembled and the slideway covers in place.

I would be interested to hear if any other users had done anything similar.

MARK

BRIDGNORTH

Edited By MARK RIGG on 24/03/2021 01:12:19

I am thinking of buying a CVA LATHE - the later Series 3 machine .

I have a brochure and user `s manual for these machines - they look a nice machine .

Has anyone got any experience of these lathes ?

Any comments appreciated .

MARK

BRIDGNORTH , SHROPSHIRE .

Hello all . At last I have made room in my workshop, got the base , column and knee assembly installed . The general condition is good and the slides are in nice condition except for a small area of galling which is no problem .

I am thinking that the means of lubricating the slides and screws is very minimal which is something I am going to correct and fit more oiling points and some internal pipework . What oil nipples there are, a grease gun has been used which is surely not the best lubricant. What does anyone think ? I`d be interested in any comments .

MARK

BRIDGNORTH

Hello again .

I was wondering about the lubrication of the ram slides - the oiling points look very small . The bearing surfaces on my machine look in very good condition , but if the oiling got missed and the slides ran dry, serious galling could occur and would be a long job to rectify . Has anyone else had a problem here ? I was thinking of installing a pair of sight feed / drip lubricators .

MARK

BRIDGNORTH

Hello all .

I have recently acquired a very nice Elliot M10 Shaper . I have not yet installed it in my workshop as I had to largely dismantle it to bring it home ( in an Audi estate ! ) .

Also as I have no 3 phase power and the Elliot has a 1000 rpm 3 phase motor, I need to address this issue . I had sourced a 6 pole 240 volt motor at about £120 . My alternative is to stick with the original 3 phase motor and buy a VFD off e -bay . The package would be cheaper than changing the motor and would have the advantage of further lowering the machine speed at will .

This project is on hold at the moment as I have two other machines in bits that I must get re-assembled and useable now its not so cold !

MARK

BRIDGNORTH

I have a box of parts for a DENFORD TWIST DRILL GRINDER that I would like to reconstruct for my workshop .

I have found a lot of drawings downloaded on the Denford `Viceroy` webside but there are a few drawings which appear to be unavailable.

Does anyone have, or know of, one of these machines that I could have a look at ?

Any further information would be appreciated !

Thanks .

MARK

Hello again . I`ve got a cheap battery operated 300 KG load cell I bought on E bay. Suspend this from my engine crane . I did weigh the base casting the other day but I`ve since lost the piece of paper I wrote the weight down !.

The smaller parts I`ll use the bathroom scales ( when the `boss` is not not looking ! )

MARK

BRIDGNORTH

Hello all fellow Eagle grinder enthusiasts .

I am about to start re- assembling my machine . So far I have made some plate brackets to support the castors I am mounting the machine on . Whilst the machine is all in pieces I was able to invert the base casting and drill 4 holes in the outer flange for the new bolts for the castors using my mag. drill .

Also, I have removed the original 1 hp. 3 phase motor and replaced it with a similar single phase unit . Not a 5 minute job as I found the second hand motor had been full of water at some time in its life - so that had to be stripped and cleaned , the bolt holes in the mounting plate had to be re- positioned to suit the new motor and the pulley bored and a new keyway to suit the motor shaft . When I have assembled the column and the wheel head, assembly I will align the two pulleys with a plumb line, but I expect to have to reposition the motor platform to get the drive belt running in line.

As I re-assemble the rest of the machine, I will weigh the various sub assemblies so that the total machine weight can be determined . Taking note of the previous comments about the slideway lubrication, again it will be an opportunity to have a look at that problem . I won`t dismantle the wheel head bearings at this stage - the previous owner had not reported any problems and I have enough machines in bits at the moment !

MARK

BRIDGNORTH

Edited By MARK RIGG on 31/01/2021 17:22:54

Hello Peter. Thanks for your post and pictures of your ` vintage ` Archdale radial drill .

I have found a picture and specification for what I think is your machine in an old catalogue from about 1916 / 1918 period . It is described as a ` CENTRALIZED CONTROL, SENSITIVE RADIAL DRILLING MACHINE . Interestingly It gives its nett weight about 3500 pounds , so you must have had quite a job to move it, balanced on a pallet truck ! Radial drills are always tricky machines to move due to their height . The height given for this machine is about 8 - 9 feet high .

MARK RIGG

BRIDGNORTH

Hello . I was interested in the posts on the early Archdale Milling machine .

I did my apprenticeship with James Archdale at their works at Blackpole just outside Worcester city centre . I was there from late 1957 through to 1961 . At that time the workforce was about 1200 and a full range of both milling machines and radial and heavy duty drilling machines was in production along with various special purpose machining lines for the motor industry . . The Company was a fairly recent acquisition by the Staveley Machine Tool Group and two of the Archdale brothers - Mr Fred and Mr. Jim - were still in charge. They both made regular trips through the works and never missed a thing !.

Some time after probably during the 1960s The Staveley Group moved all the standard machines - the milling and radial drills etc up to Asquith`s works in Halifax , leaving Archdales in Worcester with the special purpose motor industry machines . The Worcester works finally closed in 1972 . I don`t recall when the original Birmingham works in Ledsham Street closed . The Worcester works was largely of post-war construction and two things that I remember was the line of I think 14 or so Genovoise jig boring machines - this was at a time when a jig borer , especially a Genovise , was something of a rarity on any shop floor, let alone 14 of them !

The other thing I remember was most of the works floor was faced with wood blocks - certainly in the machine and fitting / assembly areas . This was a - easier on the feet of the works personnel and b of course , prevented any damage to any tool or machined component dropped on the floor. Again unusual .

I have a few very old Archdale catalogues, if the original enquirer can post a photograph of his machine I will see what I can find . For many years Archdales fitted a small plate with the serial number and possibly the catalogue number to each machine .

Some years ago I had need for some information or a drawing for a machine part and I eventually traced the drawings to a company called J . H. Shand Ltd. also a member of the Staveley Group , down in Axminster , Devon, only to be told that all the remaining Archdale material had been burnt not long before as being of no further use or interest ! In very recent years even the Worcester works has now been demolished and re- developed - A sad end to what probably was, in its day, one of the finest machine tool manufacturing facilities anywhere.

MARK RIGG

BRIDGNORTH

Hello all .

I have been interested in the comments and the various post regarding the S&B model `L` lathes . Over the past couple of years I have acquired I think, 4 of these machines in a variety of completeness and condition .

I am currently using one which is a mixture from the collection of parts that I now have . Although it is basically a very useful bit of kit , it does have its limitations if you want to do some conventional turning or any screwcutting.

I am planning to buy another machine which does have sliding and surfacing power feeds and screwcutting facility - possibly a model `A` or a model `M `. I will re- assemble a model `L` as a second operation machine with the capstan slide assembly fitted with a Coventry Die Head which I have .

As others have commented , these machines are beautifully made and solid - but the base casing - that is so heavy and moving it is a real problem ! And the other potential problem is deciding what route to go as to converting the machine to single phase drive . The machine I am currently using is mounted on a wooden stand with a separate single phase motor and under- mounted pulley system - all works OK . I did manage to bore a large casting - quite a bit larger than the swing on the machine . I achieved this by carefully grinding out part of the bed - making a gap about 2`` long and able to swing about 10 1/2 `` diameter. I used the worst condition bed casting I had , but I got the job done !

MARK RIGG

BRIDGNORTH

Hello again .

I am just about to start re-assembling my Dronsfield Surface Grinder . I have made a base for attaching the castors so I can move / reposition .

Looking at the spindle bearing assembly , I see my machine is fitted with screw- down grease cups for lubricating the spindle bearings - surely the spindle should be OIL lubricated ?

Can anyone comment on this ?

I have just got my Adcock and Shipley milling machine up and running and I found that all the slides , etc had been lubricated with grease when oil should have been the lubricant . I had to wash out all the components and blowout the oilways to remove the grease before reassembly .

I will be interested in what any other users think . Pity no User Manual seems to have been produced for this machine .

MARK RIGG

BRIDGNORTH

I must admit I have a bit of a soft spot for planning machines, starting with my apprenticeship at a famous machine tool maker - sadly long gone .

During my apprenticeship I worked several smaller machine and then graduated to a Butler with a 24 x 7 or 8 foot table planing the main base castings for large radial drills. Fantastic machine the way the tool just effortlessly tore away the cast iron. The down side was you soon looked like a coalman being exposed to the cast iron dust !

I remember at another company we had a very nice small machine similar size to the one mentioned above. This was a PLANERS OF HUDDERSFIELD and although is wasn`t very old it was all belt driven - it made a series of loud screeches when the belts shifted for the return stroke . Its other little trick was if you were working near its full stroke, the table would sometimes over-run the stops for the reverse motion and the rack on the underside of the table would become disengaged from the bull driving gear - then it would be some heavy pushing and shoving by all and sundry to re-engage the table rack .

Sadly, you don`t see many planers about these days - even less one being used. Probably big milling or plano- milling machines have taken the planers place . The planer, like the shaper has one big advantage over milling and expensive cutters - the planer / shaper`s simple tooling . You hit a hard / chilled spot in a casting and the tool edge goes - the operator can quickly restore his tool on an off- hand grinder , whereas the big milling cutter is a lengthy regrind job on a specialist tool and cutter grinder - that is if the teeth have not been seriously damaged or broken - and it is then beyond repair. Expensive ! .

A planer does take up a lot of space on the shop floor - at least twice the length of its working stroke, which is why so many have been done away with in favour of more compact machines. But great machines to operate - that big table and a load of castings and the noise it makes all working away along side you , you really feel something is happening under your control - you don`t get that with other machines - other than perhaps a large lathe , and even then you don`t get sensation of that big mass - travelling backwards and forwards right by you.

MARK RIGG

BRIDGNORTH

I will certainly post some pics of it when I`ve re- assembled it . I am having to re- arrange my workshop to accommodate it and the other machine I bought recently ! I was interested in the comments about the lubrication problems of the cross slide . I separated the Cross Slide from the Knee bracket to make the assembly more manageable to unload it - whilst it is all dismantled I`ll have a look at the oiling arrangements and see if any modifications can be done to improve things . All the slideways on my machine look in very good condition which is why I don`t think it has done much in its former life / lives.

I will report back what I think .

There doesn`t seem to be any manufacturer`s plate on the machine with a serial number, etc - is this normal ?

The only identification is a plate ` DRONSFIELD ` on the front of the base casting

MARK