# B'Port clone rebuild begins



## Investigator

I tried to resist.....
My clone was dirty, oily and had some dings and chips, mainly on the base.  I had decided to clean, leave the good paint intact, and fill any chips or dings and then roll on some Rustoleum.  Cleaning the very lower portion just didn't work. I ended up stripping to almost bare to get the oil and grease off the paint.

Here it is after a second bondo session. 

This will take a while.


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## Nutfarmer

That is going to be a project. Keep us up dated. Are you going to scrape the ways back in? Thanks for the picture. We love pictures. Good luck on the project.


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## Janderso

Investigator said:


> I tried to resist.....
> My clone was dirty, oily and had some dings and chips, mainly on the base.  I had decided to clean, leave the good paint intact, and fill any chips or dings and then roll on some Rustoleum.  Cleaning the very lower portion just didn't work. I ended up stripping to almost bare to get the oil and grease off the paint.
> 
> Here it is after a second bondo session.
> 
> This will take a while.
> View attachment 409255


Big job! Like Steve said, keep us along for the ride


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## markba633csi

Watching with interest- off to a good start!
-M


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## Investigator

Nutfarmer said:


> That is going to be a project. Keep us up dated. Are you going to scrape the ways back in? Thanks for the picture. We love pictures. Good luck on the project.



Short answer no.  
I don't have the equipment or the know how to do scraping, and I don't have the budget to learn them.  I'm pretty sure this machine is in _decent_ shape.  I think it will take quite some time for my abilities to exceed the machines. 

My plans, prior to this point, were simply a good cleaning and a quick 'fluff and buff'.  I know I will replace the spindle bearings, and had already planned on going through the head to clean and repaint.

I'm not planning on any one single major repair, but it seems lots of little minor jobs are going to add up.


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## Liljoebrshooter

Mission creep.  Yep, been there and done that. 
You will be thankful for doing it. 
Joe


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## markba633csi

I'm a proponent of the fluff and buff approach also


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## Investigator

Primed, so I can see any other imperfections I need to address.


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## Investigator

And the first coat of paint.


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## Investigator

And the second, of a planned 2 coats:



For those who might be interested now or later, I'm using Rustoleum 'Smoke Grey'.  I'm adding just a touch of acetone to help it flow , and adding the Majic brand hardener from our area Tractor Supply store.  This was rolled on fairly heavy with a 4 inch foam roller and a cheap foam "brush" for the tight spots.  

I don't remember who said it, I think it was here, but some really great advice bears repeating;  "paint it, get it covered (with paint) and then leave it alone".   I found myself wanting to keep going back and touching up areas...don't.


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## Investigator

Moving on...I need help. I can't get the elevating crank shaft out. I've removed the bearing plate screws but can't pull the shaft out. I've doused it with penetrating oil, no go. I'm afraid to use too much force.  Would love to have some suggestions. 



Hammers and pry bars are being held in reserve right now.


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## Firstram

Investigator said:


> I'm adding just a touch of acetone to help it flow , and adding the Majic brand hardener from our area Tractor Supply store.
> 
> "paint it, get it covered (with paint) and then leave it alone".


This is exactly how I paint things that matter, dries fast and hard!


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## Janderso

Looking good man.
The shop floor looks brand new. Oh wait, it is right?


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## Investigator

Janderso said:


> Looking good man.
> The shop floor looks brand new. Oh wait, it is right?



Fairly new.....Been in it about a year "ish".  I would do the floor differently knowing what I know now.  Having said that I like it well enough.


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## pontiac428

Thanks for the tip on the enamel hardener, looks like a winning ticket!


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## akjeff

Investigator said:


> Moving on...I need help. I can't get the elevating crank shaft out. I've removed the bearing plate screws but can't pull the shaft out. I've doused it with penetrating oil, no go. I'm afraid to use too much force.  Would love to have some suggestions.
> View attachment 409935
> 
> 
> Hammers and pry bars are being held in reserve right now.


Any way to affix a slide hammer to it?


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## davidpbest

I used a slide hammer to remove my knee elevation shaft.  I inspected the castings to see if the bearings were secured with set screws or some kind of tangential pin, and discovered it was just a press fit.  About six firm but not excessive slams with the slide hammer, and it came out just fine.


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## Investigator

Used some 'persuasive effort' as suggested in the other thread. Got the shaft out.  Back to cleaning and painting this weekend.


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## Investigator

Progress pics and a question.....
I'm about to move the base into the room and put it where it's going to live.  So the question is on the wall or in the corner?
The machine room is about 12x12 :










Of course the round column will be going away, but the Logan lathe will stay where it is. So I have the opposite wall and corners for this clone mill and tool boxes and shelves. 

My thoughts right now are these; I think corner placement would be easier from the standpoint the ram would have a place move into without forcing me to move the mill so far away from the wall. But, in the corner would also be harder to clean around. Also I wonder about belt speed changes. Would being in the corner be harder for that, would the table be in the way?

Love to hear thoughts and opinions on how you folks have placed similar mills.


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## Winegrower

I have my lathe and mill in line, more or less out in the room, mill to the left, lathe to the right.    This lets me run long pieces through the headstock and support the floppy end on the mill table.   Similarly, I can work on long pieces in X for the mill.

Then, the bandsaw is in back of the mill, the work moving parallel to the lathe Z and mill X, and the horizontal saw is in back of the lathe.   The horizontal saw is on casters and rolls out for longer cutoff work.

I haven't encountered any issue with work I can't do because of placement.  At least, yet.

The phase converter is mounted on a beam above and in the center of the four machines, and all are electrically connected to it.   I run only one at a time...one man shop, you know.


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## Firstram

Belt changes and cleaning won't be a problem in the corner but, my definition of cleaning may be a little different than yours!


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## Investigator

Firstram said:


> Belt changes and cleaning won't be a problem in the corner but, my definition of cleaning may be a little different than yours!


OK, you have my interest.  what is your definition?


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## BGHansen

I'd put it on the wall opposite the lathe. I'm thinking if you put it in the corner you'll use more floor space.  The corner behind the mill will be waste space. Might be worth a to scale sketch with the mill cutout including the limits of travel in X.

Bruce


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## Investigator

BGHansen said:


> I'd put it on the wall opposite the lathe. I'm thinking if you put it in the corner you'll use more floor space.  The corner behind the mill will be waste space. Might be worth a to scale sketch with the mill cutout including the limits of travel in X.
> 
> Bruce



Ok, If i do that, how far from the wall does the back of the pedestal need to be to give the ram room?


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## akjeff

I'd opted for the wall. I know corner placement is pretty popular, but I didn't care for it myself. When I got my mill, I fitted it with leveling feet that put it up off the floor just enough for a pallet jack to slip under it. I let the mill sit it a couple different places and used it for a bit. The pallet jack made for easy moves around the shop until I found the right spot.


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## Just for fun

Your new paint job looks great!

I set my mill up against the wall,  I moved the head back as far as what was recommended gave myself another inch and called it good.   I'll measure the distance to the base tomorrow and let you know.   I have a PM-935TS.

Tim


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## davidpbest

Check your table travel limits (including handles) to see how far out from the corner the mill would have to be to give you full X-axis travel.


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## BGHansen

Investigator said:


> Ok, If i do that, how far from the wall does the back of the pedestal need to be to give the ram room?


Here are photos of my 42" table BP.  It's not up against the wall in my shop, have some photos with a tape measure.  If mine was up against the wall, the base would be about 1' from the wall.  I've got the ram moved back to about 4" of the dovetail overhanging the base at the table side.  My work envelope is 7' with the 42" table moved to the far left/right.  For fore/aft is about 7' too; 1' clearance at the back and standing on foam pads in the front.

Bruce


Ram is about 1' beyond the base.  It could go back a little further, maybe another 6".



7' from the edge of my foam pads to the back of the mill



42" table to the left; albeit mine has a servo motor sticking out an extra foot because of the CNC



7' work space with the table all the way to the right


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## Just for fun

The base of my PM935 is 14" from the wall.


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## Firstram

Investigator said:


> OK, you have my interest.  what is your definition?


I am a slob! I don't spend a bunch of time deep cleaning around the machines, a quick sweep and I'm good to go.


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## Investigator

Firstram said:


> I am a slob! I don't spend a bunch of time deep cleaning around the machines, a quick sweep and I'm good to go.


We're more alike than you think


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## Investigator

Thanks for the input folks.  I think I'm gonna go with on the wall, not the corner.  My issue is that I will be moving the base into place before I have the ram to put on it, so I need to try to get it in place with enough clearance to start with.


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## Investigator

Just got back from vacation, so back to work. 
Base/pedestal is done.





 That's the aforementioned smoke grey Rustoleum oil based professional with just a bit of acetone to help it flow, and hardener from Tractor Supply added at a 1:8 ratio.  The black is Rustoleum flat black, acetone and hardener at the same ratios.



Now to work on the knee and turret.


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## Investigator

And moved basically "in place".  I may move it a little one way or another but it's centered on the wall opposite the lathe. The rest of the pieces will be assembled to it here as I get them done.


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## Firstram

Looks great!


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## Investigator

Lots of things taking my time away from the shop, back to get a little bit done.  Got the knee pedestal painted. And the brass treaded insert cleaned up.









And I finished the filler work and painting on the knee.



Now I have to fix that broken gib for the knee.  I'll update that thread to keep it together. Basically I have some silicon bronze rod, I'll use my tig welder to try to build up the end.

I've also come to the conclusion that I have to do some rearranging in the shop before I can do much more on the milling machine. I need to get my round column mill out of the room before I put the knee on the big mill, otherwise I wouldn't have room to get it out. And of course I have to find a spot to put the little mill, which means moving something else.....one step forward and 2 steps back.


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## Investigator

_"Well Woodrow, slow but sure." 
             -Gus McRea Lonesome Dove_

Back at it again. I got the round column mill moved out and in a usable location for now. At some point it will go away to a new home, so moving would have to be done anyway.  I also got the knee mounted on the base, and the gib in.










But I have a problem, by that I mean I screwed up.  Not knowing what I was doing I tried to press the bearing housing for the Z axis off the shaft, and it broke. 





So now I get to make a new one on the lathe.


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## mattthemuppet2

I have to say I'm a wee bit jealous of that beautiful finish!

As for the bearing retainer, I challenge anyone who owns a hydraulic press to say they've never broken anything using it


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## Just for fun

Glad to hear you are making progress, bummer that you broke the bearing housing.  At least you have the means to make a new one.


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## akjeff

Investigator said:


> _"Well Woodrow, slow but sure."
> -Gus McRea Lonesome Dove_
> 
> Back at it again. I got the round column mill moved out and in a usable location for now. At some point it will go away to a new home, so moving would have to be done anyway.  I also got the knee mounted on the base, and the gib in.
> View attachment 417008
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> But I have a problem, by that I mean I screwed up.  Not knowing what I was doing I tried to press the bearing housing for the Z axis off the shaft, and it broke.
> View attachment 417012
> 
> 
> View attachment 417013
> 
> So now I get to make a new one on the lathe.


Mill is looking good! I did the same exact thing to a bearing boss on my Lagun. It was a pretty thick/beefy part and it spalled off a couple of chunks. There was enough meat that I was able to fill the voids with TIG braze aluminum-bronze and re-machine.


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## Investigator

akjeff said:


> Mill is looking good! I did the same exact thing to a bearing boss on my Lagun. It was a pretty thick/beefy part and it spalled off a couple of chunks. There was enough meat that I was able to fill the voids with TIG braze aluminum-bronze and re-machine.


This one is like pot metal, I'll make one out of aluminum.


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## akjeff

Investigator said:


> This one is like pot metal, I'll make one out of aluminum.


It'll be better than new.


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## Investigator

Lots of other projects but one small victory.   I got the bearing retaining plate made. Had an odd piece of 6061, so here we are.



Now I just have to find my transfer screws and drill mounting holes.


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