# Will I need an arbor press for my bridgeport top end rebuild?



## expressline99 (Feb 5, 2017)

So I'm inches away from tearing down my top end on as it needs a rebuild. I built a quick and dirty table mount the remove the head today(thanks mrpete for the video). Every video I have watched shows someone using an arbor press on the various bearings. I don't think I will be doing the spindle bearings anytime soon. But it is possible later on. ...

I don't own any type of press at this point. Everything I've done I've managed awkwardly with a large bench vise. But from what I've seen if I'm going to bother getting one it should be a 3 ton ratcheting type. Dake, famco, greenard, palmgren...or Jet. Basically in that order of my desire.

Broaching wise it seems less than 3 ton won't do. Any opinions on that?  Plenty of projects I will need to do this on. But when is in question. Right now I'm just wanting to rebuild the top end. What did you guys use on your mill rebuild?

Thanks,

Paul


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## Rick_B (Feb 6, 2017)

Hey Paul - I can't help but am watching closely as a head rebuild is likely in my future as well.  Hopefully you wil be documenting your processas you proceed

Rick


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## seanb (Feb 6, 2017)

An arbor press big enough to do bearing in the head is going to be $$$$$
My vote is for a shop press U can by one at harbor freight for $150 if u find a 20% coupon


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## expressline99 (Feb 6, 2017)

Rick_B said:


> Hey Paul - I can't help but am watching closely as a head rebuild is likely in my future as well.  Hopefully you wil be documenting your processas you proceed
> 
> Rick



Hey Rick, Well I will appreciate any good thoughts. lol I'll probably take quite a few pictures. My wife bought me a go pro for Christmas so I should probably get that out and play with it.  Probably at least record the nice head noise before I take it apart. Plus there is a relatively horrible amount of backlash. Bad enough I might have to change the screws....and the oiler is clogged. I've got enough to do for the next 6 months I think!  

Paul


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## expressline99 (Feb 6, 2017)

seanb said:


> An arbor press big enough to do bearing in the head is going to be $$$$$
> My vote is for a shop press U can by one at harbor freight for $150 if u find a 20% coupon



Thanks Sean. I'm trying hard to do  "lifetime" tool purchases if possible. Aside from harbor freight... new prices are really high. A new Dake is over $1000 so that isn't going to happen. Looks like I could get a Jet 3 ton new and shipped for $300 . Not terrible.  Or $150 roughly for HF model. I guess I'm on the fence. 

Anyone use the Jet models?


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## seanb (Feb 8, 2017)

Jets stuff is made in China, Honestly the Harbor freight shop press is pretty well built and not alot of precision needs to go into a press. 

You can keep an eye out for a used american made press on craigs list. That's what I was going to do but the guy never emailed me back so i bought the HF one.


http://www.harborfreight.com/20-ton-h-frame-industrial-heavy-duty-floor-shop-press-60603.html


I understand not wanting low quality import stuff.


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## expressline99 (Feb 8, 2017)

That is really tempting.  Craigslist is terrible for getting people to respond. That happens almost every time I try by email. Sometimes I have them respond once...then never again...yet the ad stays up. Very odd.


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## Quattroclick (Feb 8, 2017)

Waiting can be good.  I made a deal to get a 3 ton Jet with a stand for $150, but the deal fell through because the press was stolen before I could get it.  A few weeks later, a clean Northern Tool (I think) popped up on Craigslist for $25, and I got it.  6 months later, a Greenerd (needing minor work) became mine at a flea market for $5.  I had to carry it a half mile to my car, which really took the edge off of any potential gloating.


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## expressline99 (Feb 11, 2017)

Quattroclick said:


> Waiting can be good.  I made a deal to get a 3 ton Jet with a stand for $150, but the deal fell through because the press was stolen before I could get it.  A few weeks later, a clean Northern Tool (I think) popped up on Craigslist for $25, and I got it.  6 months later, a Greenerd (needing minor work) became mine at a flea market for $5.  I had to carry it a half mile to my car, which really took the edge off of any potential gloating.



$5.00 what a deal. The carrying it part... totally what would happen to also. Seems like you got several deals. Did you end up keeping the first one? Or just the Greenerd? 
I may just fight my way through it without. Since there aren't any deals on CL for anything big enough.  Even the shop presses are high on there.

I did however get a card for my gopro today. So I'll try to figure that out over the weekend. Since I hacked together a table mounted stand...kinda like mrpete it's just waiting for the t slot clamps to show up tomorrow. (I hope) I'll have to start another thread on that. Hopefully the sound will be clear enough on the camera to pick out where I'm almost certain it is.,   Apparently I need the motor pully off to tell which rebuild kit I need. So at a minimum I should get that done.

Paul


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## Quattroclick (Feb 11, 2017)

I still have both presses.  I built a stand for the Northern.  Sometime after I get a few projects under control, I will get the Greenerd in shape.  I've only had it for 6 months or so, and it still needs some work.  Before the arbor press, I got by with a 12 ton hydraulic bench press I made from scrap box tubing and channel.  It's an A frame type press with an old pickup truck axle for the ram.  I still use the hydraulic more often than the arbor FWIW.....

Good luck on the mill.


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## expressline99 (Feb 16, 2017)

seanb said:


> Jets stuff is made in China, Honestly the Harbor freight shop press is pretty well built and not alot of precision needs to go into a press.
> 
> You can keep an eye out for a used american made press on craigs list. That's what I was going to do but the guy never emailed me back so i bought the HF one.
> 
> ...



I went to HF today and looked at this. It's not bad at all for the price. Probably will end up going with this. After watching more videos of people pressing everything out on this rebuild I don't think I want to try to hack through it with a bench vise. We get those 20% off coupons pretty often as soon as I find one I'll go down and pick this up.

The plan is to take off the head tomorrow so I can see the bushings in the motor pulley...to buy the rebuild kit. I'll start another thread for that. If nothing else for my future reference.


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## MrDan (Feb 16, 2017)

seanb said:


> Honestly the Harbor freight shop press is pretty well built and not alot of precision needs to go into a press.



My experience may be due to a lemon, but I have a 20T HF press. It works reasonably well, that is, until I tried to use it to broach a keyway. It was cutting such that the keyway was twice as deep on the exit end than the end where the broach started in. Turns out that under tension the ram is not square to the table. By quite a lot. I ended up temporarily shimming between the bottom of the jack and the plate it sits on by 0.150" (on the front edge) to tip the ram and get everything straight. Never had any issues pressing bearings though. YMMV.


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## expressline99 (Feb 16, 2017)

MrDan said:


> My experience may be due to a lemon, but I have a 20T HF press. It works reasonably well, that is, until I tried to use it to broach a keyway. It was cutting such that the keyway was twice as deep on the exit end than the end where the broach started in. Turns out that under tension the ram is not square to the table. By quite a lot. I ended up temporarily shimming between the bottom of the jack and the plate it sits on by 0.150" (on the front edge) to tip the ram and get everything straight. Never had any issues pressing bearings though. YMMV.



I guess if I go into it not expecting to do broaching it should be fine. Plus at this price I can always use it until I find a deal on an USA built arbor press.


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## expressline99 (Feb 17, 2017)

Well I got a coupon and bought the 20t press from HF. I was actually surprised at the weight of the thing. Notably it's still in the truck due to the snow/rain. I'll drag it out of there tomorrow perhaps and try to figure out where it's going to fit!


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## Dabbler (Feb 21, 2017)

Speaking of top end rebuilds on BP machines...

Last night I took the top end of my BP clone apart, because the back gear in/out lever wasn't moving between the two detents properly...  The only thing that took time was removing the large timing belt pulley from its keyed shaft.  Didn't need a press, though, just some patience to work it off the shaft.  

Someone loaded the whole thing in grease... even though there's an oiler for it.  Not having seen one apart before, I'm assuming the grease needs to go and it needs a good oiling again?  Could someone who has more experience let me know?


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## expressline99 (Feb 23, 2017)

Dabbler said:


> Speaking of top end rebuilds on BP machines...
> 
> Last night I took the top end of my BP clone apart, because the back gear in/out lever wasn't moving between the two detents properly...  The only thing that took time was removing the large timing belt pulley from its keyed shaft.  Didn't need a press, though, just some patience to work it off the shaft.
> 
> Someone loaded the whole thing in grease... even though there's an oiler for it.  Not having seen one apart before, I'm assuming the grease needs to go and it needs a good oiling again?  Could someone who has more experience let me know?




Hi Dabbler, the entire back gear area should be completely full of grease. As well as the back gear pinion gear area.  I've disassembled my top end entirely now. I'll be starting a post for all that and the pictures of the damage I found. 

I did use that HBF press I bought several times taking things apart and gear pullers. Made things much easier I think.

Paul


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## Dabbler (Feb 24, 2017)

thanks for the info!

I managed my upper disassembly without a press, even though I have a hydraulic one...


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