Dragged the mill out today

[hoffman]

I finally dragged my gorton 122 out into the light today. It was in a corner with tons of other machines and stuff blocking it in. It's nice to have it out in the open so the work can begin. The servo feed is crapped out and it needs some handles and TLC. I work part time at a used machinery dealer to support the habit and it's finally paid off.
Not a lot of progress but it's something.
(I can't believe I have my own real live milling machine)

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Hoffman in Warner Robins Ga

[ibewgypsie]

Hard to be happy for you without pictures to share.

I got my shop going together the way I envisioned it. If anything my building is too small now for sure.

My metal smelter says in the literature it will melt iron. I only have controls to go to 1400 degrees thou. (type J thermocouple and pid controller w1500 degree max)

I am about two weeks away from my Dreams come true.

What'cha need to make yours work? I may have two of them in my way. I am electrical controls poor.

David

[hoffman]

I'm not sure about the electric end. It has a huge box on one side that got trashed in an accident that's full of relays and stuff. The controls are kinda weird because it has a switch on the box for for/rev/off and a single push button beside the spindle brake that turns the spindle on/off. There is also a coolant switch and power switch on the box as well as one of those safety deals that cut the power when the box is opened. I think I'm gonna lose the big box in exchange for a for/rev drum switch and let it go at that. Less to troubleshoot or crap out on me. Gortons had an electric motor driving the quill feed which mine doesn't have. I'll need to rig up a motor for that and I'll be set. Got an accu-rite dro too...

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Hoffman in Warner Robins Ga

[vinito]

Good news!

There's a few things there to nickel-and-dime you, but your enthusiasm will probably carry until most of the bugs are worked out. Sounds like just a couple things will get it working enough to cut metal.

Does the guy have any extra DRO's? (just kidding... kind of) I' been jonesing for one for a while but my disadvantage is it has to just work, and I haven't been lucky enough to find one cheap so far. Digital troubleshooting is not possible with my brain yet. I can fix a loose wire or clean off dirt OK though.

Maybe progress will happen a little faster now that you can reach the machine. Congrats.

[ibewgypsie]

WEll..

DOn't buy anything till you email me first.
I got plenty of for/rev contactors and smallish drum switches. I think I may have a dozen or so Allen bradley 10hp euro style contactors left. I need to keep a couple for spares here. The overloads are getting in short supply thou. You can salvage some hopefully from your box there. Take pictures of all of it as soon as you can and we'll help as much as possible.
Sounds pretty neat. AS far as the motor for the quill feed goes? can you use a synchronous motor? I got about a dozen of them w/gilmer belt drives. It takes a capacitor and a resistor to give it a phase shift inside the motor but you get a 75 rpm motor that is pretty torquey. Actually just three wires to hook up. INstant speed, reversible. I have been threatening to put one on my knee of my mill. They are really a stepping motor that is wired inside to phaseshift two sets of windings to give the fixed rpm off 60hz line freq. I know I will use one on the antique drill press here. It has a power downfeed.
If I can figure out the tracking ratios for the spindle I can make a power tapper like that. (I have a configurable digital follower for that)

I can't for the life of me figure anything to make with them motors other than six foot tall clocks. first reduction needs to be 1:1.4 then 1:10 each successive reduction. That'd make a clock. As long as the line runs 60hz they would keep time. I thought about taking two swords and making clock hands. Someone would steal it thou, some crackhead or kid. Or worse get caught up in it.

If I didn't already have both the 2hp inverters up on the wall, well .. too late.

David

[hoffman]

There are several DRO boxes around with no scales Vinito. He isn't real hot on the idea of selling them because he says they need them for parts from time to time. Yea Dave, I need to take photos of the inside of the cabinet. The schematics are still in the little pocket inside the door. My quill feed handle already has a gilmer cog mounted behind the hand crank plus some bolts where a motor used to go. Someone had a belt drive feed on there at one time so I'll just build on that. Bunch of contactors and relays in the cabinet so I think I'll just strip the stuff out and grab a smaller box and put the essentials in there. I thought about straightening the box that's on there but it's creased and built like a tank so I probably can't get it looking right. I'm going in to work today so I'll have my first chance to check it out real good. I'll take the camera so I can post some pics this evening.
Here are some pics from the day I found her:
http://motorhead.iwarp.com/mill/mill.html
I didn't want to post them because I got hammered for buying such a trashed machine when I posted them before.

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Hoffman in Warner Robins Ga

[billr]

hello David.

can you tell me more about the motors you have that would work on a knee? my sorry old back don't like to crank it and my kid got a job. i have been trying to figure something out, but i am pretty dumb when it comes to electrical stuff except for plugging it in.

i don't know what a synchronos motor is. duh.

thanks.

peace.
bill

[billr]

hoffman;

that's about what i would expect for a $100.00 mill. lotsa rust, but like you say, maybe it will clean off. most of it anyway.

do you know if this mill runs?

do you know if the servo feed runs? before i tried, i think maybe i would want to make sure the little gears on it were greased and free. check the oil in the gearbox of the mill too before you try to run it. cheap insurance there.

don't listen to them guys that are jealous because you found a $100.00 mill and they didn't. lotsa machines started out looking pretty ugly. it's your mill. if it makes you happy, that is what matters.

i wouldn't know where to tell you to begin with the electric part of it, but maybe you should think about getting some oil on the rust so it don't rust any more.

good luck.

peace.
bill

[Al Messer]

I don't know why anyone would hammer you for buying this machine for 100 bucks. Sheesh! At least you have a firm foundation on which you can build a machine that suits YOU and not everybody else! I'm happy for you and wish you the best of success in fixing itup.

[wierdscience]

I have literaly drug machines out of the weeds with trees growing in them and made good sound usable machines out of them,the buddies who said nah it can't be done all wanted the machines when I finished.

Last one was a Roper 12" bevel shear with a rod cutter,buddy asked me what was I thinking dragging that thing home,now that its fixed and working he uses it more than I do,I think I may have converted him http://bbs.homeshopmachinist.net//biggrin.gif

[ibewgypsie]

Hoffman: This board has went through some changes for sure. You seem to get Hammered for anything, spelling, grammar, not having servos on a homebuilt machine, etc. Somepeople are more anal retentive than me for sure. (I am about certain things more than others) but my grammar sucks, MY spelling sucks more, my intentions are good thou.

Rust? take plain ole steel wool *no soap.. and oil and start rubbing. Pretty soon you have a patina. More oil and the color gets lighter. Dispose of used steel wool. It surprised me how dangerous and "fire causing it is"

Heck, I have bought harleys that were red with rust. Got them home and made stuff from them. (usually money)

Bill. Only thing I worry about with the knee is "if it is powerful enough" by the time you go through about a five to one reduction I am pretty sure it will be. I guess I need to play before I tell everyone they will work for that. A synchronous motor is one that runs a specific RPM with very little slippage. These are like a pulse winding inside. We hooked one up at the Hydro plant and you could not hold it with channel locks.

Other than that, well you take the proper capacitor-resistor (6.5mfd and 150 watt, 50ohm) and put it across the two colored wires coming out, Tie the neutral to white one the 120 hot to either of the colored, isolate the unused and it runs. Immediately up to speed, switch the power to the other color and it switches directions immediately. No damage, no overheating, nada, no brushes inside to wear out. If you can stall it out, no damage, no smoke comes out, it just slips.
If I can find the proper gear pulley I will try one out here first, Okay? My mill knee goes up and down like slick butter thou (quill feed is nothing like it). I gotta pretty full plate right now thou in my shop, email me and remind me to check on it. I got a school bus full of junk that did not sell on ebay for some reason or another.

I do have partners in most of it. My room inside the bus has ran out and I started stacking things in the parts car for the last auctions. Out of the two dozen things I last posted I actually sold three, so the car is still full too. If I can get the "cost" back out of things I am happy. Things Like a running a/c vacuum pump that sold for $35.. etc. Ductwork tools, meters, you name it.

David

[aboard_epsilon]

Well I didnt hammer you ...I encouraged you.
and got hammered myself by someone for doing so...if I remember rightly.
I still say that you have a good machine, and it's not as worse as it looks to some people here......remember my grinder .....
Post your pics as you get on with it ......
it's great to see something being brought back to life .....in a step by step sort of way.
all the best......and the best of luck
mark

[wierdscience]

I bought a 20" chopsaw at a local auction,cost me $100.It is all over rusty,it was covered with aluminum chips because thats what they cut with it for 30 years.

I got it cheap because it was so ugly.But you know what,I got it home,wired it up,hit the switch and cut with it.I have already cut 50 pieces of 5x5x3/8 angle with it,it has paid for its self already.

Simply put,never judge a machine by its appearence,you might be looking at a diamond in the rough.
I have also seen folks who have shops and machines that look like mueseums,mainly because they never use them.

[rumutt]

I can not say anything, my 1-22 is just as much an ugly duckling as yours. I just think how that story turned out. A good cleaning some paint and she'll turn into the swan.

Bruce

[andy_b]

Hoffman,

that looks like a decent machine. believe me, i've dragged home worse. post some pics after cleaning it up.

andy b.

[ibewgypsie]

The old shaper I got, He gave it to me and I paid him for delivery. The ratchet Feeds got broken off on loading. All had been brazed, repaired a few times.

It took a block of hardwood and a sledge hammer, turn the table feed till the slack was out, hit it with the hammer, turn the feed, hit it with a hammer.. pour more wd40, transmission fluid in ways everytime I'd lose my breath from beating. (this was after loosening up the way clamps)

Carrot and stick, just like training a stubborn donkey. I appreciate the good things by enduring the harsh. The shaper will stroke now, but, will not sadly yet move the table under it's own feed. It is shuffled back and other cards pulled up to the priority list.

I do have a rigid 700 port-a-power to put on the handles if I really had a emergency to use it. NOW that rascal can turn it. I had air motors on that worked, but learned a cruel lesson in "why" somethings works like they do. when you work on something you really didn't think out.. yep you make mistakes. I, for sure am not perfect.

Same for your electrical box, I'd figure out what is there now, then replace what it takes to make it work. Somethings are simple, some not so apparently so. Did you say the machine has servos? or had?

David

[hoffman]

It has a servo feed on the table. I'm foolin' with my generators this weekend...

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Hoffman in Warner Robins Ga

[Thrud]

hoffman:
That is a nice little mill. WIsh I could find one for that price and condition - you got a great deal. Take your time and clean it up good and it will serve you well. Don't worry about any nay sayers - they can bite me. http://bbs.homeshopmachinist.net//tongue.gif http://bbs.homeshopmachinist.net//biggrin.gif