# Well It's Almost In My Shop!



## Bradrock

It's one o'clock in the morning & I'm taking a break from unloading my Traub screw machine. It has been on the trailer for two weeks while I cleared a spot for it & made a plan. A 61 year old crippled old man has to think a bit about unloading a nearly 4000 pound machine by his self. It's been too stinking hot during the day. Anyhow, I jacked up one end & got some pieces of pipe under it. Jacked up the front of the trailer & let gravity help me! Heh..Heh.
I'm using a heavy duty come a long to ease it on back a bit at a time:


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## dave_r_1

Looks like you will soon be thoroughly screwed.


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## cathead

I'd say you have the will and the way.  Good luck with your project.  It will be fun so see what you can do with it once
you get it up and running.  Unloading big stuff takes some thought and time after which it gets placed where you want it. 
Good luck in your endeavors!


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## Ulma Doctor

nothing feels better than opening a can of Whoop@ss on an big problem.
4000#, by yourself would qualify as a big problem.
Nice Work!


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## kd4gij

I am waiting to see what you have in store for this machine.


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## markba633csi

Sounds like you've moved past hobby into the "light" industrial realm? Sheesh. I'm 61 and crippled too but 
obviously it's not holding you back too much... lol
Mark S.


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## Bradrock

Ahh; the miracle of drugs! Heh..Heh.  It is now sitting on my shop floor. For the next few days, I'll be in my recliner making a plan to move it a few more feet to it's resting place. I no longer have gravity to help me.
a while back I happened across a youtube video of a Brown & Sharpe cam activated screw machine running and I just knew I had to have one. Even if just to watch it make toothpicks out of two by fours, as it were.
My wife of 30 years needs 24 hour caregiving & I need some distraction to keep what's left of my sanity.
Being 150 miles from the nearest city of any size, limits my ability to find new machines. I spotted this machine on Ebay & it was only 90 miles away. Which still took much planning to go that far with wifey.
But we did & it was good to get out for a change. Very cool manufacturing facility where I bought it from. They only had it from a large buyout & had no interest in it. So for $200.00 I thought I'd get my money's worth just studying the mechanics & stripping off parts I might use. Like the Bijur oiling system, air mist lubricator, motors, electronics, etc.
But after seeing what good shape it's in, I'd like to consider other options. The General Numerics control system is so obsolete I can't find any info at all. The machine was retro fitted from a cammer to NC in 1982 via a patented system invented by an American. Robert Lambert. Thanks to google searches I was able to contact his son who still runs a busy screw machine shop in WA.
Mr. Lambert did not build these machines. He sold the rights to Machinery Sales INC. in Cali. No records or documentation exists.
So, for CNC operation it looks like another complete retro fit to a more modern set up. I'm researching options now.
Worst case, I could set it up as a fancy turret lathe with power feeds. It has a six position turret & four tool slides.
Honestly I've had so much fun  researching the patent & tracking down Mr. Lambert JR.  Trying to track down what all servo drivers, power supply's, etc.it would have had when in operation. That I feel like I've got my money's worth already.
It's going to take a coons age to clean all of the cosmolene off. So I have ample time to plan my next move.
And to learn as much as I care to about this new fangled thing called 'CNC'


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## Ulma Doctor

what a great machine and a great story too!
i don't know anything about the machine, but i like it!!!


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## markba633csi

Sorry to hear about your wife; I'm taking care of my 90 year old mom and I try to slip out and mess around in the garage when I can.  I also take plenty of smile medicine  
Have fun in your man-cave...
Best regards,
Mark S.


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## David VanNorman

Good luck with your new toy.


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## roadie33

I'd like to see some more close up pictures of this machine. 
If you have a cherry picker type hoist, that would make quick work out of moving it a couple of feet.
Lift one end and put a pipe under, let it down then go lift the other end and just roll it to where you want it.


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## Bradrock

That's just what I'm going to do. But first I have to go buy some longer pieces of pipe than what I had on hand to move it long ways off the trailer. It's fine because I can then use the pipe to extend my shop air line which is all 3/4 & 1/2" black pipe. One end of the machine has the big DC spindle motor which I can lift on. The other end has no lifting or jacking points. I'll have to use a railroad bar & fulcrum. I don't think I'll be up for that for a bit. I'm still hurtin for certain!
Pictures I can do. I want to get some of the covers/guards off to see what's there. The thick coating of cosmolene covers much of the details.
This is a fun study! Being sort of a hybrid machine makes for a lot going on with an array of very cool gizmos!
It  uses Hardinge B64 collets & I got a couple dozen in the deal. Round & hex sizes up to an inch and a half or so. I most likely won't be using a 20 foot bar feeder. So I'm thinking I could get by replacing the 7.5hp DC spindle motor with a 5hp 3 phase & VFD.It would be nice to use whats on it. But it takes up to 300 volts DC on the field & that would be tricky and expensive to get from my 220 mains.
The 1/8 hp blower motor on the spindle motor looks like the only thing that takes 3 phase on this. Even though I guess I can't use the General Numerics control panel, I'm really anxious to open that box and see what all is in there.
I will take you all along on the tour with as many pics as you can stand!Heh...Heh


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## Silverbullet

Don't underestimate us old cripples we get the job done ..Hope to see that machine working .I worked in a valve manufacturing shop and the building in front of us was full of screw machines turning out dental tools and more . I remember it was a noisey  building even at lunch time.


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## machinst Jo

Really cool read, hope to see more post and more pictures! 

Sent from my HUAWEI H892L using Tapatalk


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## markba633csi

300 volts dc from 220? Could be fairly simple.  How many amps you need? 
Mark S.


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## JimDawson

Full wave rectitfied 220V = 311 VDC  (220*1.414)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/10X-10-PCS-...Diode-Bridge-Rectifier-KBPC5010-/322094376852


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## Bradrock

Thanks for the interest guy's! I'll be back with more pics soon. I have to un plug for yet another storm here right quick. As it turned out, getting it off of the trailer was child's play compared to moving it the last six feet or so to it's resting place. Once on the flat, two tons seemed like ten tons. It just would not budge at all on the pipe rollers. Even with a long railroad pry bar. I ended up using an old trick for getting cars & trucks un stuck. I would set up a bottle jack with the base about half way on a wood block. So that when I jacked it up a bit, it would tip over with one end of the machine moving an inch or so when the jack came flying out. That thing kicked my old butt BIG TIME for two days . One inch at a time. & I am now paying the price. If your wondering why I don't ever ask for help, it's because when I do, the 'helpers' spend more time telling me how they 'Think' it should be done rather than just doing it how I 'Know' it should be done! Heh..Heh
But it is now in place & sitting up on pieces of 4 x 4.
It should get fun from here on.
Gotta go or I'll be buying another PC & TV.

Brad


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## Uglydog

Please consider providing us with some information.
Perhaps a video on how this machine works!
Are screws hobbed or cut?
Are the tolerances adjustable?
Collet pads? 
Die head type operation similar to a turret lathe?

Thank you,
Daryl
MN


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## Bradrock

Howdy Daryl; The name 'Screw machine' is confusing . They really are automated turret lathes. I've watched hours of youtube videos of screw machines & have not yet seen one making screws! They come in all different sizes & make a huge variety of products. Not really practical for the home shop, as they are for making hundreds or thousands of an item with each set up. But hey..... I'm not a 'Practical Machinist'!!  ( did I just say that?)

Here's a vid to give you an idea of what goes on.
I'm going to order a tripod soon & try to make some vids of my progress.


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## Bradrock

These machine use a barfeeder usually 20 feet long for a full length of barstock. I have seen some on Ebay ten or twelve feet long.This is the reason for the large spindle motor,as the entire bar is spinning. My largest collet is 1 5/8". So just  imagine spinning a 20 foot 1 5/8" bar at up to 4000 rpm's! YIKES!


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## Bradrock

For threading, I have seen regular die heads that run onto the piece, then the spindle stops & reverses as the turret backs away. I have seen others with 'Trips' where the die runs onto the piece then pops open & the turret backs away without the spindle stopping.
Please keep in mind that everything I know has been learned in just the last few weeks & I am reaching the point of information overload.


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## Downunder Bob

A great find, and for only 200 bucks. I'm sure you're going to have a lot of fun with your new toy. Of course it's really a production machine designed for long runs, and no doubt you could make a bit of money doing some jobs for someone that needs some special parts, but maybe you're not interested, your call, as long as you have fun.

A bit like you, my wife had a stroke a few months ago, and although she is slowly, very slowly, getting better. We don't know yet, how much better she will get, and it's along way off yet, so my shop gives me much needed sanity time. Even though i've only got 1 real machine plus a couple of extra toys. I'm just starting out so I still have to make a heap of tools and stuff before I can get down to making anything like a project, but we'll get there.


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## FOMOGO

Good on you for getting her moved on your own, been there myself a time or ten. Thanks for posting the video, and will look forward to following your progress. For $200 I would have not been able to pass it by either. Cheers, Mike


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