Tell me about the Burke Millrite mill

[Ringo]

My spindle is making noise, and I found the spindle pulley riding low on the head plate, rubbing on a casting boss.
Has anyone else seen this?
This makes me think there would be trust washer in there, but there is none in the parts book.
Any ideas?

[Ringo]

I got this spindle head tore down, washed out all the old grease, replaced the spindle bearing races, put in new ball bearings in the upper head, it is so much smoother now.
I got the pulley drag sorted out also, all is looking good now.
So, I am at the point that I now need either my new VFD or new RPC to power it up very soon.

In doing this work on the head, I noticed something I didnt realize, but this head has micrometer hand wheel downfeed.
the downfeed has a acme leadscrew and graduated dial on the downfeed handle. Boring ops with this should be a piece of cake !!

[chipmaker4130]

. . .Boring ops with this should be a piece of cake !!

For sure. But everything else will be painfully slow! I've heard from a number of folk who've converted to rapid feed and use the knee for precision Z moves.

[paul463]

For sure. But everything else will be painfully slow! I've heard from a number of folk who've converted to rapid feed and use the knee for precision Z moves.

I'm one of them. The micrometer feed is ok, but sucks for drilling. I came across a rapid feed head on Ebay for dirt cheap a few years ago and jumped on it.

[The Metal Butcher]

Very clean looking one F/S in nevada right now on gov deals.

https://www.govdeals.com/index.cfm?fa=Main.Item&itemid=1416&acctid=2938

Also a rockwell 11" lathe. Looks like typical government stuff, hardly ever used.