U.S. Machine Tool Company, Vertical Milling Machine, Model V, rehab help needed

Please remember that the better the fit, the smaller the rust spot needed to mock it up Solid. A few
drops of your favorite penetrating oil each time you walk by,and an electric heat when you're in the
shop to keep an eye on it.........BLJHB
 
Anything with a lightning bolt on it is just fine with me !
 
gkbikers, I just joined and what do I see but another U.S Machine mill like mine. Mine is a model VT . Have it up and running now for a short time, just getting use to it. It has brown& sharpe #9 taper, so tooling has been an adventure. I now have a full set of tool holders and collets. I am now waiting on the new vise to show up from ENCO. I also have the original set up paper work the manual and lub chart.

I also have one. Could I get a copy of the manual & lub Chart Please.
 
bonneblktrk: They are just ebay specials, the tool holders also, I got tired of trying to find them one at a time. B&S #9s are not very plentiful, don't know years span they were popular. These seem to be good quality, haven't used them that much and for home shop use they will be OK. Makes it nice when you can just reach and pick the one you need for the job at hand. NOW I just need more tools to put in them.

Kilroy, did you ever get the overarm loose? I have the same machine I just acquired, I'm also having trouble getting mine to come loose....that is pretty much the only thing I need to do to make the machine perfect again :-( tried PB blaster and it's not working as fast as I'd like lol
 
I think there were some detailed tips and techniques in the Van Norman section about un-sticking a stuck ram- big blocks of wood and plenty of penetrating fluid is the main idea- and lots of patience
mark
 
I am new here. I just purchased a US Machine Tool Company V2. I have yet to set it up. It needs a good cleaning. The ram seems too be free and working. It came from a working machine shop. Any suggestions would be great. First things I am going too do is Build a custom base for it that will allow me too slide my pallet jack under it whenever I need to move. Obviously realizing this isn't its forever place. The Table is very tight. The old grease has hardened and it needs a good cleaning. Planning to give it a good coat of brush on enamel. It still has a Westinghouse 3 phase motor that I am keeping. Setting it up with a VFD. Thanks. Brent

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It depends on how soon you want to use it ..I have a model V as well that I just rescued, it took a few cans of pb blaster and everything moves nice...I haven't taken off the table or saddle yet...but the axis move nice and smooth now....the spindle bearings are a little noisy, but there is no play, unfortunately they can't be oiled or greased or anything...mine has some wear, but I don't care, I paid $400 for it, it's well worth it lol....I doubled the value just with a coat of paint lol.... If you search Steelcrafted on Instagram you can see some pics of it....
 
I am new here. I just purchased a US Machine Tool Company V2. I have yet to set it up. It needs a good cleaning. The ram seems too be free and working. It came from a working machine shop. Any suggestions would be great. First things I am going too do is Build a custom base for it that will allow me too slide my pallet jack under it whenever I need to move. Obviously realizing this isn't its forever place. The Table is very tight. The old grease has hardened and it needs a good cleaning. Planning to give it a good coat of brush on enamel. It still has a Westinghouse 3 phase motor that I am keeping. Setting it up with a VFD. Thanks. Brent
The sliding surfaces are designed to use way oil on them, not grease! Even if there are Zerk fittings, commonly used for grease, they still use oil. Unfortunately, the only real way to clean them up is to take it completely apart, clean everything up, and then put it back to work with way oil. ISO68 way oil would be preferred on a mill like that one. It is a mistake to leave the grease in place, it can damage the machine.
 
I say it was grease. It may be oil but this machine looks like its been sitting for a while. I purchased it last week on an auction for $200. Apparently the person listing the item didn't know of the compartment on the side. Inside were a pile of goodies. Shown in the photo. Once I get it setup and cleaned up and painted it will be used a lot. Time is the only thing keeping it from happening. The table is very solid with no play at all. Everything seems to be moving as needed but seems like the oil has dried out a bit so its very stiff. I am planning to go through the machine thoroughly, lube all of the fittings and check it all out. Clean what I can without doing a major overhaul. Thank Bob for the info on the oil. Any other info would be greatly appreciated. I have been watching the machine shop auctions lately and have noticed that they are going fairly reasonable. Just an FYI. It seems that if the machine is heavy and not very easy to move, folks tend to not bid. With the local rigging companies wanting too charge $300 to $500 to bring a forklift and load it or palatalize it for you it tends too discourage people to bid.

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