countryguy,
I think I am correct in the size(8d). I was able to buy an operators manual direct from Gorton company about 1990 and I believe that is what the sales person told me. I gave him the serial number off the mill and he told me everything about the mill-where it was sold originally and the company that bought it (Revere Copper and Aluminum). I am pleased with the mill although it's not what I went to buy originally. I looked at a Bridgeport and went back to get it the next day only to find a person had already bought it and was loading it when I drove up so I bought the Gorton since they didn't have another Bridgeport. What I didn't know at the time was it had the collet system that you have in the photo. I thought it could use an R8 collet but learned differently. The mill is a good heavy duty mill and I've done a lot of projects with it. The collet in your photo fits in an adapter in the spindle. I looked at the collet adapter for sometime not really knowing if it was an adapter or the spindle. After I received the manual I could see that the adapter could be removed so I had to make a different draw bar to remove it. After it's removed you can use a #9 Brown & Sharpe collet (
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.X#9+brown+&+sharpe+collets&_nkw=#9+brown+&+sharpe+collets&_sacat=0)which you can still find, pricey but they can still be purchased. I changed the drive motor out when I got the mill because it was wired 3 phase 440 and I couldn't use a phase converter with 440volt. I have information on this mill if you need it. There is suppose to be a way to send a PM but I'm sure how but let me know if you can use the information and I will get it to you. Sorry about the long message.
