Tramming a hobby mill

[Dr Stan]

Great replies and videos from the list. 'photomankc' puts it well into perspective and I shall work at finding the best process to square up my mill. Realize nothing is perfect and a small degree of error is anticipated. Simply a matter of trial and error to find what is acceptable and what is not. Thanks guys!

Bill

Bill,

You raised a good point as that is why there are allowances and clearances included in the design of equipment.

You could also perfectly tram in a mill, even the world class Deckel, one day come back the next and find it out. This would be due to temperature differentials from one day to the next unless you have a perfectly controlled environment like they have in a controlled environment inspection room.

As a tool maker I was so ingrained with the "it must be within a hair of a gnats behind" I wanted everything that way, somethings need to be, but not every thing.

Good luck on tramming the mill. Let us know how it comes out.

[WilliamG]

Bill,

You raised a good point as that is why there are allowances and clearances included in the design of equipment.

You could also perfectly tram in a mill, even the world class Deckel, one day come back the next and find it out. This would be due to temperature differentials from one day to the next unless you have a perfectly controlled environment like they have in a controlled environment inspection room.

As a tool maker I was so ingrained with the "it must be within a hair of a gnats behind" I wanted everything that way, somethings need to be, but not every thing.

Good luck on tramming the mill. Let us know how it comes out.

Every intention on letting the list hear how I made out although it won't be before next week. Too much on my plate with fall chores that require my attention. Perhaps I can include a few photo's of my shop/garage. Stay tuned folks...!!

Bill

[AllThumbz]

I watched the videos of tramming a Bridgeport and another vertical mill.

My question is this- for a duplex mill with an adjustable head, such as the VN #12 I am working to restore, how much different is the sweeping procedure?

Thanks in advance.

[Rosco-P]

A machine with a head like the VN #6/12/16 is dead easy. You tram the same way, indicator mounted on an arm in the spindle. Since the head only moves in one axis (unless you got the universal head bolted to it) and there's no quill, it's even quicker.
Did you ever get your overarm unstuck from the mill? Seems like the last time you posted over at Chaski, it was stuck, mushroomed on the ends and you had about given up. Then you up and disappeared.

[AllThumbz]

Roscoe:

I don't want to hijack this thread, so I will apologize in advance that what I am going to say to answer your question is off-topic.

Jim B (aka eeengineer) came up from NJ, picked up the ram assembly, soaked it in Kroil, ground down all the scars I made trying to use a pipe wrench on it with an angle grinder, welded a long nut to it and used a puller setup to get the overarm bar (2-3/8") our of the ram casting, and then dropped it off. The overarm bar is wrecked- I had shortened it to remove the mushroomed ends. Jim is a great guy, who took pity on my pathetic newbie situation, and helped me. The mill still sits outside in my yard awaiting more cleaning and painting. What I went through depressed me a lot and I pretty much gave up on it- at least for a while.


I didn't just disappear from Chaski- I was quietly and summarily banned one day by Harold Vordos and Marty Escarega for disagreeing in private messages with the way Harold Vordos runs things there, etc. 'Nuff said. If you want more info, please PM me. I have been a member here since 2008, and opened my own little forum for home shop guys to try to learn and get our acts together....LOL...

I would like to replace the overarm with some round steel stock 2-3/8", but it must be ground and that is an impasse for me because it is prohibitively expensive to get a piece of stressproof ground I am told. I hope to get back to the #12 because I like the machine and want to get it up and running and into my basement before winter hits here. Part of that would be to tram the moveable cutting head, which is why I asked.

Thanks for asking about the #12, etc.