PROBLEM WITH MY WARCO ZX15

I left the lateral locking handle undone, and in a milling operation the tool bit in and the head swung sharply left. Impact bent chuck arbor - replaced it. Chuck still had major wobble, replaced the chuck. Now looks like quill and/or spindle displaced off-centre at their top end, and stripdown needed to check. Bottom of spindle running true +/- .0005", but end of cutter or drill describing small circlkes rather than staying vertical. Draw bar now stiff for half each turn - draw bar is straight, suggesting it is locating in off-centre socket and rubbing at one side as it is tightened.

Anybody had the same problem to deal with?

Anybody done a stripdown and can tell me how to dis-assemble?

In hope .......... Rob

Sorry, Ihaven't taken the spindle out of mine so can't help there.

If the bottom of the spindle runs true it is not bent. The top will doubtless run true as well.

I suspect that the most likely cause of the problem is that the drawbar wasn't tight enough and the jam caused the arbour to rotate in the spindle. Turn the head 90 deg. Shine a lamp through the spindle from the top end and have a good look at the taper at the other end. Is there any sign of scoring or of foreign particles?

Russell.

Hi Russell wondering if you can help, not much info on these mill on the net. I get poor finish but think it is operator error, which I am working on, however noticed the nut on top of pullies was lose, I assume it is only to keep them on, but not sure if they do something else

Sorry thought I added photo done now

My guess is that nut is what preloads your spindle bearings, so if loose it could be the cause of your woes.

Check carefully before adjusting, they sometimes have a grub screw for locking and not loosening this will ruin the threads.

Neil

Jim

What do you mean by 'poor finish'?

Do you have any photographic examples?

I don't think that nut is for spindle pre-loading. On my mill it is done up pretty tight. I have just loosened it to check and the spindle doesn't become loose so re-tightened it hard.

I must say that it is not a very rigid machine and I struggled to get a good finish at first. The single phase motor and short belt drive causes a fair bit of vibration. I replaced it with a three phase motor and VFD and get a much better finish. Really sharp endmills also help as do correct speeds and steady feeding.

The VFD also enables me to use low enough speeds for slitting saws.

Russell

Rob, Russels point about any scoring of the spindle socket is worth checking out but it should show in the original chuck arbor if this is the case. If it had spun and picked up in the taper it would show on both items.

I am not familiar with this machine at all and there seems to be no info on the web -- might be worth contacting Warco direct and ask if they have anything, exploded diagram, spares etc.

It would be possible for the spindle to be bent in the middle and because it is supported at both ends still show a concentric reading at top or bottom where the bearings are -- If you have access to a morse taper test bar [assuming the spindle is morse taper] try this in the spindle and clock at the end of the test bar and on the part of the MT thats showing at the end of the spindle. If there is runout at the end of the teat bar and none at the spindle nose it would suggest to me that the spindle is bent. The fact that the draw bar goes tight every 1/2 turn would also suggest this.

John

It was also sold as the Chester Champion Mill Drill. So it might be worth doing a search for that.

Russell