1954 Round Ram J Head

[Treetop]

Long story short, I was basically given a round ram J head Bridgeport. I'm a retired machinist/tool and die maker, so I have thousands of hours on different J head, Series I and Series II Bridgeport mills but zero experience on a round ram.

The mill is located about 180 miles from me, so I'm going to have to transport it. My question is: How do you safely rotate the head? I see the usual 4 bolts that you loosen but I don't see a worm gear drive like the vee rams have to control the rotation. Am I just overlooking it or is there some other way of controlling the rotation on he round ram?

I would like to rotate the head 180 degrees for transport purposes. Thanks!

 

[Treetop]

Edit to Add: There are evidently several different styles of round rams re: how they attach to the head. My ram has a flange on the end and the head mounts on the ram directly via 4 bolts. Looking at Google images, I see that one variation has a "knuckle" type of joint between the end of the ram and the head. I guess this is a primitive type of "nod" feature. Mine is NOT like that. Thanks again for reading.

 

[P T Schram]

If rotating turns out to be difficult, place a 4x4 on table and elevate table to secure, then lock knee.

Doesn't lower CoG but secures head and knee

 

[Ed ke6bnl]

I have a maybe 1955 round ram with a J head mount solid 4 bolts to ram. BUT mine has a square shaft on the top of the ram that when you loosen the bolts securing the ram it will turn the head rt. or left

 

[Treetop]

I have a maybe 1955 round ram with a J head mount solid 4 bolts to ram. BUT mine has a square shaft on the top of the ram that when you loosen the bolts securing the ram it will turn the head rt. or left

Ed, is that square shaft located near the back of the turret, on the LH side (as you are facing/operating) the machine? If so, my machine has one. I was looking for some way of rotating just the head but evidently, on the round rams, you rotate the whole ram/head assembly. Is that correct? Thanks for replying! Tt.

 

[Treetop]

If rotating turns out to be difficult, place a 4x4 on table and elevate table to secure, then lock knee.

Doesn't lower CoG but secures head and knee

Thanks, PT. That's an excellent "plan B" idea, if I can't safely rotate the head! Tt

 

[Ed ke6bnl]

Ed, is that square shaft located near the back of the turret, on the LH side (as you are facing/operating) the machine? If so, my machine has one. I was looking for some way of rotating just the head but evidently, on the round rams, you rotate the whole ram/head assembly. Is that correct? Thanks for replying! Tt.

On the left rear there is a big square shaft that is a pinion for moving the ram in and out. I have a smaller square shaft on the top. there is a bump up and a shaft protrudes left and right with a square end that rotates the whole column. That is how it is on mine. The J head is securely mounted to the column with four bolts on mine with no nod. I hope that helps and not making it more confusing. When my friend delivered the mill he did just what you where wanting to do and he had the head rotated upside down.

 

[Treetop]

On the left rear there is a big square shaft that is a pinion for moving the ram in and out. I have a smaller square shaft on the top. there is a bump up and a shaft protrudes left and right with a square end that rotates the whole column. That is how it is on mine. The J head is securely mounted to the column with four bolts on mine with no nod. I hope that helps and not making it more confusing. When my friend delivered the mill he did just what you where wanting to do and he had the head rotated upside down.

OK, now that you have described it, Ed, I remember seeing that smaller square head on the top of mine! Problem solved thanks to you, Ed! I was looking in the wrong location due to my experience on the later model vee way Bridgeports.

The serial # of my mill, located on the front of the Y axis way is 19702 and it's supposedly a 1954 model. Thanks again for your help! I'll try to get pics of it, after I get it safely home, hopefully next week... Tt.