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All things Beaver Mill

An open thread for anyone owning or working on. a Beaver Mill

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SillyOldDuffer15/07/2018 12:51:44
10668 forum posts
2415 photos
Posted by Peter_H on 14/07/2018 22:31:25:

So what is the grid?. Is it a 1mm grid or a 10mm grid?. If I want to snap the cursor to a specific grid multiple, I want it to be defined by me. The whole idea of a grid that changes is an anathema to me. If I want to snap to a 1mm grid, I want exactly that, I don't want it to change to 10mm or 0.1mm depending on zoom level. I cannot see how there is any application for that. The only thing that comes to mind is that maybe you see the grid as some sort of visual aid, where the normal in my experience is that it is something to magnetically snap the cursor to.

The snap settings don't seem to be very stable either. I have twice lost application grid settings between program runs, and whether the grid icon and the auto icons, under the snap menu, are on or off at any particular time seems completely random. However many times I turn Auto off and click Grid on under that menu, they just revert at what feels like random intervals. Either there are some big bugs around this area, or, more likely, I'm missing some setting.

Other than that quirk, it's the best 33EU I ever spent. Excellent piece of software, I'd use it for 2D work by preference.

 

That's interesting. I thought it was possible to lock the grid to work as you describe, but the application settings sort of but don't quite work as I expected. It may be worth raising on the qcad forum.

Could be an example of horses for courses - you use the tool differently to me! I'd not spotted before how the grid behaves because I rarely use the grid as my main snap guide. I use it to establish the base point and it's convenient for drawing lines that happen to fit the grid. But quite often my lines don't snap to the grid.

My typical mode of working often requires a construction layer, maybe several. They contain the lines, circles, intersections and dimensions that establish snap points to suit the object I'm drawing. And, the more complex the drawing, the more likely it is that lines must be referenced from drawing features rather than a fixed grid.

Try drawing this object with the grid:

qcadgrid3.jpg

While qcad's approach to scaling the grid happens to suit me, it's not good for what you're doing. It may help to keep an eye on the grid scale at bottom right:

qcadgrid4.jpg

10 < 100 means the dots are 10mm apart and the tiny dotted lines 100mm.

Dave

 

Edited By SillyOldDuffer on 15/07/2018 12:54:54

Mark Rand15/07/2018 13:55:00
1505 forum posts
56 photos
Posted by Peter_H on 15/07/2018 09:42:30:

Mark - I've found up the old bearings I exchanged when I partially renovated the Beaver. The lower pair were the original Hoffmann 130ACDEP's and even had the Beaver specification number N1093a engraved on them. I couldn't find any other old angular contact bearings butI did find a 6206, so it looks likely this mill had a deep groove radial bearing as well.

Yep, Those are what was used on the Mk1 VBRP, at least. On the Mk 1, the angular contact bearings on the left hand side of the X feedscrew are imperial. They can be a bit hard to find...

Peter_H17/07/2018 22:49:08
42 forum posts
20 photos

I think we'll have to agree to disagree Dave . The good thing is that it seems to cater for either way of working.

I've done some more tracing of the Beaver MK2 head section, I'm actually rather enjoying it, though had tremor doesn't help much. That could be why snap to grid is important to me. I havent got the hang of the 'album' on here yet. The pictures I've posted are coming out very dull and very small, even when clicked on.

beaver mk2 vs head v8.jpg

Edited By Peter_H on 17/07/2018 22:50:54

Alf Scotting18/09/2018 00:41:12
2 forum posts

Hi guys,

Can anyone tell me how to remove the Y axis motor and gearbox - I have removed the 4 bolts and 2 dowels but though loose will not come away - the manual I have shows the motor going off at a horizontal plane whereas mine is vertical - I would like a more comprehensive manual but can't afford at this time the one offered on the web for 65 GBP - all switches are stuck in the ON position so I will need to remove them and spray with contactor cleaner - I think Beaver mills would be thin on the ground here in Australia so I am looking forward to corresponding with members from there place of origin

Mark Rand18/09/2018 22:24:56
1505 forum posts
56 photos

I'm not certain, since my one is the earlier version, but I suspect that the shaft that operates the left-right clutch fork needs to be removed. Removing the table will help to see what is happening. If you remove the handles and endplates etc. and losen the gibs, you can slide the table off, with the aid of a hoist. It's about 150-200kg...

Alan Waddington 218/09/2018 22:32:15
537 forum posts
88 photos
Posted by Alf Scotting on 18/09/2018 00:41:12:

Hi guys,

Can anyone tell me how to remove the Y axis motor and gearbox - I have removed the 4 bolts and 2 dowels but though loose will not come away - the manual I have shows the motor going off at a horizontal plane whereas mine is vertical - I would like a more comprehensive manual but can't afford at this time the one offered on the web for 65 GBP - all switches are stuck in the ON position so I will need to remove them and spray with contactor cleaner - I think Beaver mills would be thin on the ground here in Australia so I am looking forward to corresponding with members from there place of origin

There is a PDF manual floating about, think it was Russ B that sent me a copy. It’s on my hard drive somewhere, Will have a look for it and come back to you .

Alan Waddington 219/09/2018 19:18:07
537 forum posts
88 photos

Alf, have sent you a PM regarding manuals.

Phillip Hancock08/11/2018 10:17:36
4 forum posts

Sorry to be asking for something on a first post but this Beaver manual that’s about does it cover a Mk1 as we have a Mk2 manual but the machine is a mk1 and we have a problem with the quill power traverse in that it seems like something has sheared or stripped internally between the handwheel and the spindle as engaging the drive from the spindle does not stop the handwheel turning by hand with the spindle stationary. A copy of the mk1 manual would be rather helpful if possible.

Alan Waddington 211/03/2019 21:25:13
537 forum posts
88 photos

Have had my Beaver for a good while, but up to now never had cause to remove the drawbar. Until today that is..........Tried to fit an INT 40 boring head, only to find it has a 5/8 imperial thread rather than the M16 of the majority of my tooling.

No problem, just remove the the M16 drawbar and make a new imperial one, easy peasy.......except unlike every other mill i’ve owned, the drawbar won’t come out, it withdraws around 150mm and then hits a hard stop.

Manual offers no clues, on the drawings the drawbar is just a long bolt through the quill, which is what i expected ?

Any ideas ?

Edited By Alan Waddington 2 on 11/03/2019 21:45:11

Mark Rand11/03/2019 21:51:13
1505 forum posts
56 photos

Don't know about removal, other than removing the nut from the top of the drawbar and taking it out downwards. The reason is almost certainly that the splined part Beaver spindle isn't really big enough for a 5/8" drawbar. So it's probably 1/2" (same as the NMTB30 spindles) with a larger extension at the lower end where there's more meat on the spindle,

Edited By Mark Rand on 11/03/2019 21:54:04

Alan Waddington 211/03/2019 22:10:57
537 forum posts
88 photos
Posted by Mark Rand on 11/03/2019 21:51:13:

Don't know about removal, other than removing the nut from the top of the drawbar and taking it out downwards. The reason is almost certainly that the splined part Beaver spindle isn't really big enough for a 5/8" drawbar. So it's probably 1/2" (same as the NMTB30 spindles) with a larger extension at the lower end where there's more meat on the spindle,

Edited By Mark Rand on 11/03/2019 21:54:04

Yeah i did consider the downward route Mark, top nut is welded on though, so it would be grinder time.......will have to be done. Been considering adapting to a power drawbar anyway, so now might be the the time.

Thanks for the advice yes

Peter_H20/08/2019 13:40:25
42 forum posts
20 photos

Here is an uncompleted QCAD drawing/tracing of the expoloded view of the VBRP II table (X) gearbox. On later MkII's a modified version of this gearbox was used on the (Y) carriage. It's an exported boitmap but anybody with registered QCAD is welcome to the DXF for their own use. The table drive version is shown being stripped down in the VBRP MkII restoration thread.

Yes, I know the perspective of the caphead screws is wrong, nothing looks right however I do them!

Peter

beaver_mill_carriage_gbox.jpg

SillyOldDuffer20/08/2019 14:38:21
10668 forum posts
2415 photos
Posted by Peter_H on 20/08/2019 13:40:25:

Here is an uncompleted QCAD drawing/tracing ...

Yes, I know the perspective of the caphead screws is wrong, nothing looks right however I do them!

Peter

beaver_mill_carriage_gbox.jpg

Now that is impressive! Despite being a committed Qcad fanboy I've never attempted any that complicated. Just shows what can be done.

Dave

Lex Davis24/09/2019 12:53:31
31 forum posts
10 photos

Thanks to Robert for starting this thread and to all who contributed. I am a new member on this forum with a VBRP - 2 in Australia and have been searching the internet for detailed information on these machines, without much luck.

The information that I need most at the moment are details of the Y axis Gib Strip, a sketch with dimensions would be great, if anyone has ever had to make one.

Regards,

Lex.

Peter_H25/09/2019 12:58:59
42 forum posts
20 photos

I'm assuming you mean axis moving toward and away from you.

There was a thread about this around here where I measured one and described it thus :

The gib has a single simple taper. It is rectangular with parallel sides 0.745ins (18.923mm) apart. The tapered sides are 0.496ins (12.598mm) at the narrow end and 0.658ins (16.713mm) at the wide end. The two parallel side are machined and the two tapered faces are ground and scraped. Hardened steel again IMO. There is a small groove about 30 thou wide and 30 thou deep across the top parallel face at the wide end, about 0.15ins in from the end. The gib is 241mm long overal

...

And later replied to Martin :

 

Given that the original part was probably Imperial, and allowing for wear, my guess of original dimensions are :

length = 9.5ins = 241.3mm

parallel height = 0.75ins = 19.05mm

narrow part of taper = 0.5ins = 12.7mm

wide part is 0.5 + (9.5*sin(1)) = 0.66579ins

which is consistent with 1 degree taper

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited By Peter_H on 25/09/2019 13:00:02

Edited By Peter_H on 25/09/2019 13:02:24

Lex Davis26/09/2019 09:47:49
31 forum posts
10 photos

Yes. that is the one Peter.

What is the groove on the Gib for?

Peter_H26/09/2019 12:38:48
42 forum posts
20 photos

I honestly don't know Lex. Could possibly be a channel for lubricant. The exploded diagram shows almost nothing of that area, and it doesn't really show up in any of the photos posted by rebuilders.

Thinking about it, it probably engages with the gib adjusting screw at the front. I believe that screw has a flange on it and that flange could engage in the gib key slot.

 

 

Edited By Peter_H on 26/09/2019 12:55:20

Lex Davis26/09/2019 23:33:00
31 forum posts
10 photos

Hi Peter, If the groove is for the adjusting screw it would have to be bigger than .030" x .030" (30 thou) , did you mean .300"?

Peter_H27/09/2019 11:38:15
42 forum posts
20 photos

You're right. I had a look yesterday and was reminded that there is (obviously) another screw the other end of the apron, so the gib is adjusted between the two screws. The slot remains a mystery. It is small, less than a millimeter I would say, unlike the X axis gibs which both have a much wider and deeper slot for adjustment.

vbrp_apron_gib_01.jpgvbrp_apron_gib_05.jpgvbrp_apron_gib_07.jpg

Lex Davis28/09/2019 00:39:05
31 forum posts
10 photos

Thanks for the pictures Peter, do you think that is the original or a re-manufacture gib strip? Would you mind snapping a shot of it from each side when you put it back together?

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