# 1981 Supermax YC-1 1/2VA mill  (BP clone)



## motormech1 (Tuesday at 7:37 AM)

Howdy, submitted for your approval is a 1981 Supermax YC-1 1/2VA (BP S1 clone) mill made by Yeong Chin in Taiwan. A friend needed to make room for a better mill and gave it to me in pieces partially disassembled as he was in the middle of replacing the bearings and a couple small pinion gears. I've had it a couple years waiting to find time to get it up and running and just ordered parts and lube this week so I'll post a thread in projects covering it soon.


----------



## MrWhoopee (Tuesday at 11:01 AM)

Good machines! The once or twice we bought a new machine, it was a Supermax. I was surprised to hear they're gone.


----------



## motormech1 (Tuesday at 11:15 AM)

The company still makes cnc nachines but no manual stuff. I read they still support the old ones somewhat but haven't needed to call them yet. Fortunately, the parts I needed are the same as the Bridgeport. They aren't all interchangeable though. They'll be here by the weekend so hopefully get started putting the head back together.


----------



## motormech1 (Tuesday at 7:57 PM)

Parts cleaned, inspected, and ready to assemble. Just waiting for a couple replacement parts to get here. I have a couple chunks of one of the step pulley edges missing. Shouldn't cause any problems. I've seen way worse pulleys function just fine. Also, the brake shoes are about half worn and don't look so great. They were caked in either grease or dried up oil and dirt. Anyone know how bad they can be before the don't work well?


----------



## motormech1 (Wednesday at 4:54 PM)

Got the parts today! Hopefully get the head back together this weekend.


----------



## motormech1 (Wednesday at 7:52 PM)

I can't wait until I have these machines running that could've made these parts! With a lot of practice, that is. ;-)


----------



## motormech1 (Thursday at 12:53 PM)

So, turns out the import shaft for the bevel pinion is drilled for a cross pin and the Bridgeport pinion bore is keyed. I have no functioning mill to key the import shaft so I thought I might be able to make a one time cut using my drill press and my cheap import X,Y drill press vise. Another option, should the first fail, is to dig out a bench top mini-mill that's never been used, still in cosmoline and spend the time to get the minimal tooling to do make the cut. Thoughts?


----------



## motormech1 (Thursday at 2:04 PM)

Pretty sure my mini-mil has R8 spindle so if I pick up a collet set they would be used on the big mill. Then the only real extra thing I'd need would be a cheap vise for the mini. I always intended to outfit the mini before the big one showed up anyway. Hmm.


----------



## motormech1 (Thursday at 7:25 PM)

So, I happened to have some 3/32" carbide end mills so I tried the drill press idea and it cut a reasonable facsimile of a keyway on a practice piece. Not pretty but it should work!


----------



## motormech1 (Thursday at 8:18 PM)

Oh, and before anyone chimes in, yes, I know all the perils of milling on a drill press. This key way is only a .375"L x .125W x .060D. and taking very shallow passes. Thank you for your concern.


----------



## Richard King 2 (Yesterday at 1:08 AM)

Supermax now goes by YCM .  I suspect you can buy parts from Sharp, First Machinery  and Acer as they are also Taiwanese Bridgeport copies.  A friend of mine repairs and sells parts for Bridgeport and Acer mills.  Next time you need a part or some advice send him and email or call.  http://www.besmermachinery.com/


----------



## motormech1 (Yesterday at 7:26 AM)

Richard King 2 said:


> Supermax now goes by YCM .  I suspect you can buy parts from Sharp, First Machinery  and Acer as they are also Taiwanese Bridgeport copies.  A friend of mine repairs and sells parts for Bridgeport and Acer mills.  Next time you need a part or some advice send him and email or call.  http://www.besmermachinery.com/


Awesome, thanks Richard! Yeah, I'm finding that they're almost all the same. Another brand I found is Kent USA.  Should've done a little more digging before ordering Bridgeport parts but I think I'll use them since I already have them.
I'll definitely be in touch with your friend.


----------



## Richard King 2 (Yesterday at 11:18 AM)

motormech1 said:


> Awesome, thanks Richard! Yeah, I'm finding that they're almost all the same. Another brand I found is Kent USA.  Should've done a little more digging before ordering Bridgeport parts but I think I'll use them since I already have them.
> I'll definitely be in touch with your friend.


First makes the majority of the Mills and the other people put their name on the machine.  There are 2 companies named Kent.  One was the original and owned by brothers (could have been cousins, some relationship).  One moved to the USA and started Kent USA and started to buy mills from First and calling them Kent.  The other brother stayed in Taiwan and built surface grinders.  I have taught machine building classes at the original Kent and at First.


----------



## Harry Knutz (Yesterday at 11:46 AM)

Richard King 2 said:


> First makes the majority of the Mills and the other people put their name on the machine.  There are 2 companies named Kent.  One was the original and owned by brothers (could have been cousins, some relationship).  One moved to the USA and started Kent USA and started to buy mills from First and calling them Kent.  They other brother stayed in Taiwan and built surface grinders.  I have taught machine building classes at the original Kent and at First.


I have a "Kent Usa" 1340 Lathe that has been a great machine, I would not hesitate to buy another one.

I have bought parts for my Bridgeport Clone from a company in California called "Supra Machine Tool Inc" They have most parts for Taiwanese import clones.


----------



## motormech1 (Yesterday at 8:10 PM)

Harry Knutz said:


> I have a "Kent Usa" 1340 Lathe that has been a great machine, I would not hesitate to buy another one.
> 
> I have bought parts for my Bridgeport Clone from a company in California called "Supra Machine Tool Inc" They have most parts for Taiwanese import clones.


Thanks for the parts tip. Looking right now for some I discovered I needed today while assembling the quill housing.


----------

