- Joined
- May 16, 2016
- Messages
- 194
As shown in the "what did you buy today" thread, I picked up this '30s-'40s benchtop mill. Made by the estimable Pratt and Whitney, famed for their precision tooling, I was lucky in being the first to answer an ad for one not too far away, and not too high a price. Ad said to bring cash, and as I had just sold my Craftsman 6" lathe, I was flush. The deal was done, and today I finally got it out of the back of my truck and into my garage/dumping ground.
It is basically complete, with the exception of the knee crank handle (I am using a square socket on a breaker bar right now), but didn't come with much in the way of accessories, something else these mills were famous for. There is most of a dividing head along with the indexing quill. Sadly, no tailstock for the later, no vise and definitely no collets, let alone the vertical head. So I have my work cut out for me tracking all of that down. But, at the price I paid I am not too surprised. I forgot to take pictures of those things that came with it, tomorrow I will put one up.
Under a layer of bad green pain, along with rust on all of the bare metal surfaces, this machine is in great shape! All screws work, everything is free, albeit stiff, and the quality is as good as everyone says. Things are pinned and screwed, mating surfaces are tight, everything is well thought out. I would guess that it originally ran off of a line shaft, or, over on Lathes.UK, there is shown a pully arrangement that looks rather complicated. In any case, I am going to keep my eyes open for an Atlas or SB counter shaft arrangement to power it, probably off of a 1/2hp motor. But first I need to disassemble it to get it down to the basement shop, after I clean up (i.e. get rid of) that green paint, and change it to '30s machinery grey. But, a question for any others who have one, or its newer cousin the 3C: is arbor removal done in a normal way, and I mainly need to block up the spindle and free the collet bar? Or is there some special trick?
Second question: does anyone know of a good source of flat belt step pulleys? Every picture I have seen of one is set up that way, and I would, if possible, like to go back to that. I could machine some out of billet, but that might be pricey, and I want to know what is out there.
I was getting ready to put a Barker Mill in my shop, which would be converted to dial feeds, but this is superior in every way, and it was a fluke that I was able to get it. so I am going to run with it, but I am still not sure what I will do with the Barker. The collets that came with it, along with the 3/4hp instant reverse motor, more than cover what I spent, so I am not out of pocket, in my head at least, and I have done all the Tetras that I need to stuff this in my little shop, so I guess I am half way there already.
Thanks in advance!
It is basically complete, with the exception of the knee crank handle (I am using a square socket on a breaker bar right now), but didn't come with much in the way of accessories, something else these mills were famous for. There is most of a dividing head along with the indexing quill. Sadly, no tailstock for the later, no vise and definitely no collets, let alone the vertical head. So I have my work cut out for me tracking all of that down. But, at the price I paid I am not too surprised. I forgot to take pictures of those things that came with it, tomorrow I will put one up.
Under a layer of bad green pain, along with rust on all of the bare metal surfaces, this machine is in great shape! All screws work, everything is free, albeit stiff, and the quality is as good as everyone says. Things are pinned and screwed, mating surfaces are tight, everything is well thought out. I would guess that it originally ran off of a line shaft, or, over on Lathes.UK, there is shown a pully arrangement that looks rather complicated. In any case, I am going to keep my eyes open for an Atlas or SB counter shaft arrangement to power it, probably off of a 1/2hp motor. But first I need to disassemble it to get it down to the basement shop, after I clean up (i.e. get rid of) that green paint, and change it to '30s machinery grey. But, a question for any others who have one, or its newer cousin the 3C: is arbor removal done in a normal way, and I mainly need to block up the spindle and free the collet bar? Or is there some special trick?
Second question: does anyone know of a good source of flat belt step pulleys? Every picture I have seen of one is set up that way, and I would, if possible, like to go back to that. I could machine some out of billet, but that might be pricey, and I want to know what is out there.
I was getting ready to put a Barker Mill in my shop, which would be converted to dial feeds, but this is superior in every way, and it was a fluke that I was able to get it. so I am going to run with it, but I am still not sure what I will do with the Barker. The collets that came with it, along with the 3/4hp instant reverse motor, more than cover what I spent, so I am not out of pocket, in my head at least, and I have done all the Tetras that I need to stuff this in my little shop, so I guess I am half way there already.
Thanks in advance!
