# 'Nuther question about my mill.



## toolman (Mar 19, 2014)

I got the new bearings in my mill and found that someone had previously installed the bottom thrust plate upside down, so no matter how much you torqued the nut, you could never take up the end play (the whole reason for the bearing replacement). Anyway, the mill is now very quiet and tight, but 
i have a problem that is driving me crazy-the quill is pretty tight at the top of it's travel, but when it gets past about the 1 1/2" mark, it travels just fine. There seems to be plenty of oil on the quill and there are no signs of it dragging that I can see, but it's just freaking tight. I didn't force it either in or out, the gear is loose and not binding, and the return spring is actually not even installed right now because one end was cracked at the eye that goes over the stud, so I just left it out for the moment. 
Any ideas other than just wrecking it back apart and coating it in Dykem to see where the problem lies?


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## smallfly (Mar 19, 2014)

*Re: 'Nuther question about my mill.  THE LONG  ANSWER*

TOOLMAN---i had this very same problem on my b.p. mill when i rebuilt same a few yrs. ago. the quill was sticking but only slightly and i spent two days finding and resolving this problem. the manual ''downfeed'' handle is approx 14 inch. long.  you can apply enough force with this handle downward on the quill to actually distort the gear that is ground on the o.d.  of the quill. if you distort the gear and change it's shape, and then continue to move the quill up and down --the gear becomes a ''cutting tool'' and will cut grooves in the inner  body of the tube which guides the quill as it goes up and down. this will raise metal in this tube and cause the quill to ''stick'' as it is raised and lowered. if the i.d. of this guiding body or tube is scored - the entire quill mechanism will have to be removed in order to wittness any of these scores or ''raised'' areas. when i finally discovered that the gear on the quill was distorted i used hand lapping stones to reshape and ''lower'' the raised areas to their  original shape.  these raised areas are really really really  hard to see --takes lots of patience to stone them and inspect closely. then reassemble and see if everything is freed up. i used sandpaper to remove any  raised grooves in the i.d. of the tube. ya-- this is not fun -and i really do not like working with dykem ink, but what else u gonna do? note-- the power down feed for a b.p. mill was designed for a maximum  drill size of 3/8 inch.--if more pressure is needed the clutch will disengage and stop cutting. now---next time u  see someone  with a 1 inch drill in a b.p. trying to drill a hole in steel and pulling down as hard as they can  on the manual feed --u will stop and think.  could they be over loading the machine???  are the gears on the o.d. of the quill changing shape?? sorry for the loooog thread .  i know how annoying   it can be when things are ''sticking '' and we want everything to be smooooth.  sure hope this helps u and others to smooth things out.  let us all know what u find or how u solved  your problem. thanks for lisin.  re  steve in mt.


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## toolman (Mar 20, 2014)

Thanks Steve. I've got a project that I need to finish up first, and then I'll drop the quill again and paint it with Dykem. It's just frustrating that it worked fine before I took it apart, and then it came apart and went back together very smoothly, but now it wants to act all stupid. :angry:


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## smallfly (Mar 20, 2014)

*Re: 'Nuther question about my mill.  ANOTHER LOOOOOOONG ANSWER*

TOOLMAN-- to answer your first ques.here is something to check ''before you wreck it apart'' and it is very ez to do- first  lower the spindle approx.  1 inch. --at bottom of spindle there is a large nut which holds the spindle up  in place--now look around outside of this nut and you will find a setscrew which keeps nut from unscrewing-it locks the nut in place-- NOW EITHER LOOSEN or remove this setscrew --then raise the quill assem. approx.  1 inch upwards untill it stops. soooooo  does the quill assem still stick when it is at the top of it's travel???  i can tell you for sure that my b.p. mill sure does -if the setscrew is too tight it will distort the quill assem.  the person who wrote this book really really knows his ''stuff''.

see attachment --check it out paragraph  # 146 --and i  sure hope you are talking about a bridgeport mill. sure hope this helps you and others to ''smooth things out'' . re  steve in  mt. ps--let us all know how this turns out.


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## toolman (Mar 20, 2014)

Thanks Steve, I'll check that when I get back to the shop this afternoon! The mill is a B-Port clone made by an obscure company called Profitmaster. I've seen a few of their lathes, but this is the only mill that I've ever seen under that name. Many of the parts are directly interchangeable with a B-Port and the quill is very close to the same.


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## jmarkwolf (Apr 1, 2014)

*Re: 'Nuther question about my mill.  ANOTHER LOOOOOOONG ANSWER*



smallfly said:


> the person who wrote this book really really knows his ''stuff''.
> 
> see attachment --check it out paragraph  # 146 --and i  sure hope you are talking about a bridgeport mill. sure hope this helps you and others to ''smooth things out'' . re  steve in  mt. ps--let us all know how this turns out.



Can you provide details on this book, so that one can purchase it?


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## smallfly (Apr 1, 2014)

WOLF--- the name of the book is '' a guide to renovating the bridgeport ''2j'' variable speed milling machine'' published by ILION industrial services llc. they also have printed books for other model b.p. mills.  can't say enough gooooood things about this book--it just lead me thru the ''forest of ques. ''  step by step .  i just followed the instructions and excellent photo's  and trust me i had to read and reread some passages many times before it got thru to my brain. sure hope this answers your ques.--and the book is not hard to find on the internet.  enjoy--re  steve  in  mt.


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## RandyM (Apr 1, 2014)

smallfly said:


> WOLF--- the name of the book is '' a guide to renovating the bridgeport ''2j'' variable speed milling machine'' published by ILION industrial services llc. they also have printed books for other model b.p. mills.  can't say enough gooooood things about this book--it just lead me thru the ''forest of ques. ''  step by step .  i just followed the instructions and excellent photo's  and trust me i had to read and reread some passages many times before it got thru to my brain. sure hope this answers your ques.--and the book is not hard to find on the internet.  enjoy--re  steve  in  mt.



SF is correct, this is an excellent book. Here is where I bought mine and I see they are on sale right now. Make sure you get the right book, they have both the "J" and the "2J". Here is the link:

Rebuild Book


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## jmarkwolf (Apr 2, 2014)

Oh yes. I already have this book for the J head, and it is excellent.


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## chuckorlando (Apr 2, 2014)

x10 on the book.


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