Van Norman #12 - Classified add

[franklynb]

jweaver,

they are easy machine to use, but it is hard to find parts for them, unless you know someone parting one out. that being said, they are stout little buggers. VN have a strong following with helpful owners. they use a proprietary collet (http://jmkasunich.com/vannorman/VN_Spindle.htm#5V).

I would steer to a VN 16 because of the 40 taper, but I wouldnt kick a #12 out of bed for eating crackers, if i had room in my bed...

I'm a VN#12 owner.

Collets <van norman="" 'c'=""> are easy to find:ebay seller 'tools4cheap' sells complete new sets, and has for about 4 years perhaps longer. used 'C' collets
also come up for sale pretty frequently.

A #16 is a similar design with larger spindle. See Kasunich's site for a picture.. There is also a "Van Norman" list
on Yahoo Groups.</van>

 

[Cal Haines]

...
I would steer to a VN 16 because of the 40 taper, but I wouldnt kick a #12 out of bed for eating crackers, if i had room in my bed...

Don't confuse the plain No. 16 machines with the later machines with a 16 prefix. The Van Norman No. 16 is the direct descendant of the No. 12 and also uses the 'C' spindle taper; the actual spindle is essentially the same as the No. 12 spindle and is not big enough to support 40 taper. The next generation of machines were the No. 16L, 16M and 16S. The 16L and 16S still have 'C' spindles. It was only the 16M that had a NMTB 40 spindle and it uses a different cutter-head from the 16L or 16S. I've heard rumors of 16S machines with 40 taper spindles, but nothing that I've been able to confirm. I have yet to see a brochure that lists a 16S with anything but a 'C' spindle.

Here's a photo of my No. 16:

Cal

 

[toag]

thats good to know, i thought they were all 40 taper, thanks Cal.
my reason for wanting that taper is that's the most tooling i have now.

for hobby, job shop they are hard to beat.

 

[Cal Haines]

There were No. 22 millers with 40 taper spindles, but older No. 22 millers had a No. 13 Brown & Sharpe taper; talk about a hard taper to find tooling for, it's near the top of the list! The No. 22 is nice because it has power feeds with rapids on x, y and the knee, but it's a lot bigger than a No. 12. It needs about 6 by 8 feet of floor space and weighs 3400+, depending on the model. The No. 16M needs about 5-1/2 by 6-1/2 feet of floor; I don't have the weight handy.

Cal

 

[bigearl67]

All No. 12 millers have power feed on the table X-axis. The feed motor is mounted on the back of the column and drives the feed gears in the table via a telescoping shaft with U-joints on each end. There are movable and fixed stops in a T-slot on the front of the table that kick the feed mechanism out. Idiots often remove the fixed stop on the right end to try to get a little more travel and blow out the right handwheel support bracket.

Cal

Thanks Cal,
I have a 6 and a 22ul. Did not realize the 12 had power from the back. Earl

 

[ScubaSteve]

Yep...pretty good machines. A lot of bang for your buck in a home shop setting! Bridgeports are often way overpriced. So are their attachments. BUT, BP's have the following and they are worth what people are willing to pay.

VN's are quite a bit more rigid pound for pound. They have a significantly more massive set of gears in the ram and the stock 1.5HP motor is enough to make the mill behave closer to a much burlier machine. The VN12's "kryptonite" is the lack of a quill....but I just use the Z leadscrew...actually a more powerful and rigid driving force than a quill would be anyway. Don't forget that you can attach a BP head to a VN overarm if you absolutely have to have that capability....and if you want to do small stuff, it is possible to rig a high speed spindle up as well.

 

[Cal Haines]

Yep...pretty good machines. A lot of bang for your buck in a home shop setting! Bridgeports are often way overpriced. So are their attachments. BUT, BP's have the following and they are worth what people are willing to pay.

VN's are quite a bit more rigid pound for pound. They have a significantly more massive set of gears in the ram and the stock 1.5HP motor is enough to make the mill behave closer to a much burlier machine.

The ram gearbox in the No. 12 was a very successful design. The only real change over time was to go from a single key to a splined shaft to drive the gears. The same gearbox was used on many of their larger mill. I was surprised to see that the gearbox of a 2RQ, which is a pretty serious machine, uses the same exact gears used in the later No. 12s and the No. 16.

The VN12's "kryptonite" is the lack of a quill....

Hey, it's a MILLING machine, not a overgrown mill-drill...

Cal