My new mill

Discussion on all milling machines vertical & horizontal, including but not limited to Bridgeports, Hardinge, South Bend, Clausing, Van Norman, including imports.

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liveaboard
Posts: 1970
Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2013 1:40 pm
Location: southern Portugal
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Re: My new mill

Post by liveaboard »

I had a friend who lived in an old train depot in the center of Amsterdam; the wiring was all pre-war.
I'm talking WW1. 3-phase wires wrapped in tar soaked black linen disappeared into a hole in the floor.

No one knew where the power even came from, or where it was fused or switched. Or metered.
There were 10 apartments and workshops in the old building.

So one day, someone shorted the line.
BOOM, phis, hiss.
As it heated and burned, the cables came into contact further up. A sort of chain reaction as each time the wires shorted closer to the source, the lower the resistance and the higher the current.

The central train station was a couple of miles away. It turned out to be where the power line came from.
30% of the power there blew out, and no one there knew how it worked or where it was fused either. I guess whoever did had died 50 years before.
It took a week to restore all the power at Amsterdam central railway station. My friend's place never did have their power restored.
Officially anyway.
earlgo
Posts: 1794
Joined: Sat Jan 29, 2011 11:38 am
Location: NE Ohio

Re: My new mill

Post by earlgo »

Likewise, my 240V mill power has 2 110V receptacles tapped into 1 leg, but neither has a fuse. The mill, however is plugged, yes, plugged, into a service connect box with 30A fuses. It is plugged into the box, because there is only 1 220V outlet in the garage and it is also used for the 220V Delta T&C grinder.
The 110V is used for a light and for the table drive motor, and for the shop vacuum and whatever else needs power.
And speaking of machine lights, I found that one of the 1" flexible coolant hoses works perfectly for a flexible light neck.
LocLine lamp
LocLine lamp
Just a suggestion.
--earlgo
Before you do anything, you must do something else first. - Washington's principle.
RSG
Posts: 1541
Joined: Fri Feb 04, 2011 9:59 am
Location: Ontario, Canada

Re: My new mill

Post by RSG »

Handy idea with the flex hose Earlgo!
Vision is not seeing things as they are, but as they will be.
Rwilliams
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Joined: Thu Dec 22, 2005 2:45 pm
Location: Central California

Re: My new mill

Post by Rwilliams »

Always nice to have some new equipment in the home shop as encouragement to move on with projects.

A friend installed a new Bridgeport in his home shop, just like this application in the corner where it looked good and seemed to fit well. Once he began to machine some long parts at extreme travel of the X axis, he had a nice set of holes knocked into the sheetrock to show where he had made a poor decision in his installation years before.

At work we have a big Cincinnati #4 milling machine that is sitting on 6 by 6 inch timbers. Really raises the machine up to where even a tall person is challenged just in operation. It requires the use of a ladder to change tooling in the vertical head. The weight of the big milling machine does not seem to be a problem even if sitting on the timbers.
RSG
Posts: 1541
Joined: Fri Feb 04, 2011 9:59 am
Location: Ontario, Canada

Re: My new mill

Post by RSG »

Rwilliams wrote: Sat Sep 01, 2018 7:00 pm A friend installed a new Bridgeport in his home shop, just like this application in the corner where it looked good and seemed to fit well. Once he began to machine some long parts at extreme travel of the X axis, he had a nice set of holes knocked into the sheetrock to show where he had made a poor decision in his installation years before.
Great advice but I don't think you guys understand just how small my shop is. If I were to set it up the way you guys suggest I'd have to move everything else out of the shop :lol: It's ok though, all I do is small stuff fishing reel related so there won't be any holes in my walls. :D

In fact here I took a pic of it just to prove it....

Image

On another note, I just purchased a new 4 axis DRO for it. Should be ready to make some chips shortly.....
Vision is not seeing things as they are, but as they will be.
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NP317
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Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2014 2:57 pm
Location: Northern Oregon, USA

Re: My new mill

Post by NP317 »

A good definition of compact!
You'll appreciate the mill DRO for your work.
Installing a 4-axis DRO on my mill seriously sped up my work rate.
~RN
JCinStPete
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Dec 27, 2018 3:43 pm

Re: My new mill

Post by JCinStPete »

Just ordered a Top Tech Milling/Drilling Machine - BF20 from Penn Tool. I will be watching for delivery truck like a 3yr old waiting for Santa until it arrives.Took pretty much every $$ we had . Hoping to find someone who has some tooling they no longer need. All I have is a lockdown vise. Any help or advice would greatly be appreciated.
RSG
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Joined: Fri Feb 04, 2011 9:59 am
Location: Ontario, Canada

Re: My new mill

Post by RSG »

Congrats JCinStPete!

You'll have a lot of fun with it! Unfortunately you'll want to start saving again as tooling can outpace the cost of the machine in a hurry. That's were small projects for friends and family can help recover those costs and fund new tooling ;)
Vision is not seeing things as they are, but as they will be.
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