Wanted: Brown & Sharpe help

[ARFF79]

I am in a bit of a bind. I need to make some repairs on a few of my old Brownies. These are hand screws, not autos. I have been doing my best with what I know about the autos as they are similar, but I really need to get my hands on the Maint. and Opperations manuals. I have the parts manuals for both the wire series and newer handscrew series machines, but these do not have the important data for teardown and repair. The manuals needed are for a #2 wire War vintage chain & belt drive, and a #11 hand screw, which appears to be a transitional design from wire to hand screw. I tried calling B&S a few years back while they were still really B&S and they could not help. Something about a flood ruining the archives. They were able to tell me that my #11 was 1 of 128 made and was originally sold to a New Jersey power company that no longer exists(probably now part of PSE&G)in 1939, but could be of no further aid.

I know that there is nothing on Tony's UK lathes site, and my searches on the web have come up dry, thus my appeal to you. I really do wish people would include the manuals with the machine when they sell it. Life would be so much easier.

[MikeB]

Have you tried http://www.machinerymanuals.com/.

I ordered a manual for a Brown & Sharpe horizontal mill from them last week, but have not received it yet.

[IOWOLF]

" I really do wish people would include the manuals with the machine when they sell it. Life would be so much easier. "

Now there is a simple solution to that, Don't buy it unless it has a Manual. http://bbs.homeshopmachinist.net//wink.gif

As far as the real problem goes,I know a guy who works on brownies for a living, I will ask him about it.And if it is ok, give him your Email Addy.

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The tame Wolf !

[Rustybolt]

Call around to screw machine shops.

[ARFF79]

Long Post Sorry.

I want to thank those who responded, both through the board and by email. I finally got an answer by a round about way. A call to the current B&S Screw Machine support line (seperate entity from mills) caused someone to actually try to do some old fashioned customer service. She called around the network of old retired B&S hands and got the following reply for me. "The Company did not really have maint and opperators manuals per se for the earlier machines. The machine arrived and a factory rep would come and teach what was needed, and you took notes. Later you would call the local rep or the factory and they would assist you with the problem. This practice evolved into service bulletins which in turn became the current manuals that I am searching for. Thus there are not any true O&M manuals for machines prior to around 1950 for my older machines." BUMMER. She went on to say, that she had asked why and was told that the system of factoy training and area service reps that B&S, among others had at that time, as well as the fact that most machinists where made through the time honored system of apprenticeships (something that barely exsists today) meant that a manual for Joe Average Shop was not thought neccessary before the war ended ( I guess the explosion of small shops burst that idea). You were supposed to know or you really needed to hire someone who did. To me this type of thinking may be part of the reason a lot of these old line machinery makers are gone.
She found out that most of what I will need is in the BLUE BOOK that I already have and faxed a shop bulletin for the spindle, specific to the #2 wire/hand screw that in fact was what I really needed. Now if I can only find acollection of old shop bulletins I will be lucky.

IOWolf: Rare is the auction were the manuals are included with the machines. When GE was closing the Philadelphia plant (mid 80's), The contents of the filing cabinets were dumped into a pile on the floor by the dock, and the cabinets moved to the central sales area. Time is money to the auctioneer or liquidator (ASSET SALES in this case) and trying to match up hundreds to a couple thousand machines (7 floors) with the contents of the cabinets will not happen. Asking employees who are losing their jobs for help doing this is not a reality either. If you are lucky you might find what you need if you are allowed to rummage through what is considered trash. Again time is money and if you can take all day to do this you will be most fortunate.

[Rustybolt]

What's the problem with your hand screw machine?

[IOWOLF]

You came up with 2 problems, I solved one of them for you.
If you don't like buying machines without manuals, then don't buy them.Or quit whineing about it. http://bbs.homeshopmachinist.net//wink.gif

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The tame Wolf !