# My Model 55 s/n 3878 (Made 1951, same as me)



## comstock-friend (Aug 4, 2013)

OK, this is my first post (here and Chaski). My Index 55 mill project started back in 2001  when I dragged it home from work (the boss gave it to me, it was left  over from a batch of press brakes and shears he bought from a closed  business). Got going hot and heavy then stopped (sidetracked) after it got painted. I  had reassembled most of it, but wanted to do something with the  extremely ugly table. Reading these machine forums convinced me not to further  mess with it, so I removed the rust and grime and put it back on the  saddle last week, holes and all. This is the first time in about a dozen years the table and column are back together. The table moves very well with pretty much equal effort from side to  side, especially after I got the way oil in the 10 zerk fittings today.

My next effort is to wire it up and assemble my rotary  phase converter. I had the electric shop at work do the controls to my  design, forward and reverse starters high and low speed windings on the  main spindle motor, forward and reverse on the table feed motor.  Controls are in the box on the left side of the column. (I was going to go VFD the last year (we use a lot of them at work), but hey, I have the RPC already in the garage, and a (hopefully) good two speed motor, so why not let it spin.) My boss said look at those old motors, twice the weight of new motors, so maybe expect more flywheel effect during milling with the same horsepower, giving a smoother cut...

Current  problem is that there is no nameplate for the table feed gear box, so I  don't know which lever does what on the box, also, no instructions on  the box. Can you shift while running??? (It's almost impossible to shift  with the input shaft NOT spinning by hand.) Anyone have the lever  functions and instructions??? (Rick Robison of Wells-Index hasn't  answered me yet on this query. Wells-Index did the R8 regrind on the  B&S #9 spindle, it will now hold BOTH, but you need different  drawbars.)


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## icore3user (Aug 4, 2013)

Wow,

that looks better than mine! Mine did not have the plate for the 3 "paddle" shifters, I do not shift them at speed, I hand turn the drive shaft and then turn the levers, it took me a while to figure out what combos does what.

- al


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## jmhoying (Aug 14, 2013)

My Super 55 (serial number 7171) was made in 1956 (same as me).   Yours is sure prettier than mine, but I'm getting some good use out of mine and enjoying it a lot.   Do you still need a photo of the feed speed lever info plate?  I can easily get that for you.  I've been meaning to take a photo and print it out larger, as it's almost impossible to read in the position it's in.

Jack


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## ezduzit (Aug 14, 2013)

I'm interested in that plate and in discovering a link to serial number/year data. My Super 55 is s/n 55-7508.


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## comstock-friend (Aug 14, 2013)

jmhoying said:


> My Super 55 (serial number 7171) was made in 1956 (same as me).   Yours is sure prettier than mine, but I'm getting some good use out of mine and enjoying it a lot.   Do you still need a photo of the feed speed lever info plate?  I can easily get that for you.  I've been meaning to take a photo and print it out larger, as it's almost impossible to read in the position it's in.
> 
> Jack



Thanks Jack, I could sure use that feed lever info.

John


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## jmhoying (Aug 14, 2013)

ezduzit said:


> I'm interested in that plate and in discovering a link to serial number/year data. My Super 55 is s/n 55-7508.



I called Wells-Index for a drive belt and the helpful guy on the phone asked for my serial number and pulled the build card.  Said it was built in November of 1956 and sold to a company in Toledo, Ohio for $2550.00.

Jack


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## jmhoying (Aug 14, 2013)

Here is the Table Feed Rate Setting plaque (From my Super 55). I left it as a large file in case you want to print it (or maybe send it to a sign shop and have it printed on vinyl)




Not sure why it is marked 1988.  I guess they could of added the feed later?  Or maybe it doesn't have anything to do with the year?

Jack
Fort Loramie, Ohio


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## ezduzit (Aug 15, 2013)

jmhoying said:


> Here is the Table Feed Rate Setting plaque (From my Super 55). I left it as a large file in case you want to print it (or maybe send it to a sign shop and have it printed on vinyl)
> 
> View attachment 58930
> 
> ...




Thanks for posting that. Perhaps the plate was a retrofit after 1988?

Where is that plate located? Thinking mine might be hidden/removed behind the static phase converter.


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## ScrapMetal (Aug 15, 2013)

There are a number of pics of the 55 on http://www.lathes.co.uk/index/  that you guys might find useful.   The 55 info starts about a third of the way down the page and goes to the bottom.

Hope that helps,

-Ron


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## ezduzit (Aug 15, 2013)

Sure enough. This photo from that link shows the table feed nameplate being located precisely under my phase converter.


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## comstock-friend (Aug 15, 2013)

Jack,

Of course the graphic is upside down, my 'A' lever (and everyone else) is top, not bottom. I wonder if 'B' and 'C' levers are switched left to right. Guess I'll have to play with it when I get the RPC running in a week or two.

John


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## jmhoying (Aug 15, 2013)

comstock-friend said:


> Jack,
> 
> Of course the graphic is upside down, my 'A' lever (and everyone else) is top, not bottom. I wonder if 'B' and 'C' levers are switched left to right. Guess I'll have to play with it when I get the RPC running in a week or two.
> 
> John



I have mine right in front of me and it's still difficult to figure out.  I played with it tonight some.  You have to put one of the gears in "neutral" for each speed setting.  There is a lockout knob of some sort between my B & C knobs that keeps them from going into certain positions unless the other knob is just right.  It's amazing how slow you can get to table to run.  I tried it a bit tonight on some aluminum and the finish was amazing.

Jack


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