#7B&S Tooling

[Dickivy]

I recently purchased an old Bridgeport Milling Machine that uses #7B&S tooling. I have been able to find most everthing I want except drill chuck arbors. Does anyone know where I can find #7B&S arbors for 33JT Chucks (or for that matter any JT)?

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Dick

[SGW]

Your best bet may be to get a 1/2" straight shank drill chuck arbor and hold it in a 1/2" collet.

[Dickivy]

That's what I'm doing now. Since I have been successful in finding a set of e-mill holders, a shell mill arbor, a few drills, a few e-mills, and boring head arbors, I figure that somewhere there must be someone with some drill chuck arbors. Thanks anyway.

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Dick

[SGW]

I'm not sure getting a B&S arbor would buy you anything. I've found that for a boring head, or anything else with a side load, having a proper arbor DOES make a difference. I get better holes with my boring head now that I've got a proper arbor, vs. when I was using it with a straight shank arbor in a collet.

For a drill chuck though, there is no side load, it's all axial. I've got a straight shank on my drill chuck and never noticed any kind of problem.

But if you just want one, anyway, you might try calling MSC or Travers and seeing if they could get you one, even if it's not in their catalogs. I've also found that Grand Tool sometimes has weird stuff like that.

[Dickivy]

You are correct in your observation that drilling with a straight shank and a collet set-up produces excellent results. The problem is that many engineers (myself included) tend to be anal retentive about wanting the right tool for the job. While it is a personality quirk, I still want the B&S drill chuck arbor.

This is almost turning into a quest. I have tried MSC, Enco, J&L Industrial, Victor, and a whole lot more. I did find one supplier that could get them for $25 each except that I had to order 200. That was 198 more than I wanted. I am hoping some kind soul either has or specifically knows where I might order them. The BBS is just one more effort in my quest.

The way it looks, as soon as I get my new (old) Logan lathe put back together, one of my first projects will be to make the arbors.

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Dick

[SGW]

Well, here's an idea for you: make your own.

It gets a bit tricky to make something with a taper on each end, but if your lathe headstock is #3 Morse or lager, you could cut the #7 B&S taper first, then get a #3 Morse to #7 B&S adapter sleeve, put the partially completed arbor in that, and cut the Jacobs taper.

Or you could do it between centers and set your compound to cut each taper in turn.

[Dickivy]

Naturally the lathe that I am restoring has a #2MT which is almost identical to the #7B&S. That road is a few months off and maybe I can find a chuck arbor before then. Thans for the suggestion.

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Dick