Frankenmill: Bridgeport J head onto Victoria U2

[Pete O]

The Frankenmill lives!
   
   
   
   

Still a few things to sort out; a top cover for the motor; enclosure, bracket and arm for the MachTach; a new tilt worm adjuster to replace the broken one; plus I want to make a cover to keep swarf out of the horizontal spindle. And re-do the runaway paint job on the motor cowl    I may or may not end up using a VFD but for now it's just wired parallel with the main machine, runs nice and quietly with the new motor bearings.
I was a bit worried that the nod might be out of tram after re-assembling it, it's just within a thou (.00094) over my tramming ring. Considering there's sag in the knee I'll live with that.

I tried to find a photo online that showed the reference mark for the tilt azimuth scale, if anyone has one that can show me this I'd be interested to see it. Once I got it trammed, I made a tiny hole in the grey finish and filled it with black enamel for a zero reference, just visible here if you open the photo:
   

I used a little moly grease on the overarm dovetails during reassembly, I can now slide it out to full extension without too much difficulty so I don't think gear drives or support wheels are going to be necessary. In the photos above, the quill is centered over the table in the middle of the Y-axis movement.

This has been a fun project and a great learning experience, I'm very happy with the result and grateful for all the help along the way. Looking forward to using it, first project will be the MachTach bracket and enclosure.

[Dr Stan]

Very nice.  

As to the motor cover I'd try using a local sheet metal shop.  You have the old one as an example so it shouldn't be that difficult to fab.

Another idea is to make a pattern from a piece of hardwood and spin one out of aluminum in your lathe.  Search for metal spinning examples on line.

[Highpower]

(05-28-2019, 04:18 AM)Pete O Wrote: .... enclosure, bracket and arm for the MachTach;

I decided to employ the KISS principle on mine.

I bought an alumin(i)um enclosure that was the same height as my DRO arm and screwed it to the front of the arm, just to the left of the DRO display. (Since that is the direction I am always looking anyway.) No need for an additional bracket and arm. However....

I got one of the 'half-height' MachTachs so if you have one of the full size units maybe mount yours to the top or bottom of your DRO arm instead?  
Just suggested options, but you do whatever tickles your fancy Pete.  

[Pete O]

(05-28-2019, 09:35 AM)Dr Stan Wrote: Very nice.  

As to the motor cover I'd try using a local sheet metal shop.  You have the old one as an example so it shouldn't be that difficult to fab.

Another idea is to make a pattern from a piece of hardwood and spin one out of aluminum in your lathe.  Search for metal spinning examples on line.

Unfortunately I don't have the original, I have the tubular bottom section which is what I repaired but I don't have the top cover that goes above it to keep falling debris out of the motor. I thought about making a form and spinning one, I kind of like the idea of a chrome hub cap- I'll see what the local car wreckers and scrap yard have, if I can't find something that looks the goods I'll maybe spin one. Or how about a bowler hat, seeing it's a pommy machine?

(05-28-2019, 02:22 PM)Highpower Wrote:

(05-28-2019, 04:18 AM)Pete O Wrote: .... enclosure, bracket and arm for the MachTach;

I decided to employ the KISS principle on mine.

I bought an alumin(i)um enclosure that was the same height as my DRO arm and screwed it to the front of the arm, just to the left of the DRO display. (Since that is the direction I am always looking anyway.) No need for an additional bracket and arm. However....

I got one of the 'half-height' MachTachs so if you have one of the full size units maybe mount yours to the top or bottom of your DRO arm instead?  
Just suggested options, but you do whatever tickles your fancy Pete.  

That's a great suggestion Wille, I was planning on putting the MachTach and VFD controls in the same enclosure on the left side, but as I'm not going to be running a VFD at least in the short term, mounting the little enclosure on the DRO arm makes sense.

[Dr Stan]

Or how about a bowler hat, seeing it's a pommy machine?

I like that.

[Hawkeye]

Like Willie, I attached the MachTach to the arm below the DRO. On my dual mill-drill/ lathe VFD installation, the MachTach shares space with the VFD remote.

   

[Highpower]

Yes it makes sense to put the tach in the same housing with your VFD controls if you are running one. My mill runs on a rotary phase converter so the DRO arm was just a convenient spot for me to put the MachTach. My lathe on the other hand was a different story. Not in the same housing but close enough.  

   

[TomG]

(05-28-2019, 04:18 AM)Pete O Wrote: I tried to find a photo online that showed the reference mark for the tilt azimuth scale, if anyone has one that can show me this I'd be interested to see it. Once I got it trammed, I made a tiny hole in the grey finish and filled it with black enamel for a zero reference, just visible here if you open the photo:

The Bridgeports just had a small horizontal mark, like what you would expect from a cold chisel. My DoAll was a bit more refined with actual printed zero marks on a plate. Mine has bosses where the plates mount, but you could probably bend up a small plate to mount on the angled surface of yours.

Tom

[Pete O]

Thanks for that info Tom. I'll keep an eye out for a suitably marked piece that is not needed elsewhere, I've been eyeing off the one on the bottom of my mill vice that references against the never-used swivel base, but the little tag is bronze or brass and would look out of place next to the silver scale. I guess my inlaid black dot will serve just as well as a chiseled mark until something suitable appears.

[Highpower]

(05-29-2019, 06:46 PM)Pete O Wrote: I guess my inlaid black dot will serve just as well as a chiseled mark until something suitable appears.

I rather like your inlaid dot myself just the way it is Pete. It looks to be sized perfectly.

Although I likely would have used white paint instead for better visibility. Actually, I probably would have used some of my Glo-On to make it even more visible.