# I can finally let the secret out to every one!!!! and pay Homage to one of our members.



## Rbeckett (Apr 16, 2014)

For the past several Months Bill Gruby has been working on a secret project for me.  He stumbled onto a honey hole of used machines and acquired a Clausing 8520 and decided to rebuild and refurnish it completely.  While I have not seen it you all know the caliber of work that Bill produces so based on his description of all that he and several of his close machinist friends have done I will essentially have a brand new machine with older seasoned castings.  He upgraded it to a much larger horse and a half motor and replaced all the bearings and gears as well as had the table Blanchard ground and painted the entire project in OE colors just like it was brand new again.  I took him and his gang of friends several months to complete the whole rebuild but I can assume it will be as near perfect as it is possible to make old castings.  He even had the castings all crack checked and added a spacer to give it slightly more reach over the top and down to the material.  If you are unfamiliar with the Clausing 8520 it as a 2/3 size knee style mill set upon a heavy cast iron stand the is capable of doing about the same amount of work as a full size bridgy.  It will fit perfectly into my small shop and become a new center piece of my non CNC little home shop.  It joins a 7X10 and 9X20 lathe and a HF 5980 Milling/drilling lathe.  While Bill was so busy working on getting the machine to a point of perfection I was busy buying accessories so that I could put it into operation immediately upon arrival.  In the interim I gathered a Rotary table for Horiz., and vert.  as well as a milling vise from Shars, a couple of hold down kits. bits, collets and holders as well as 123 blocks and division plates for the RT.  Once I have re-assembled it and hooked it to power I should have enough basic tooling to create my first project which is a moderator for my high pressure air rifle.  I need to dissipate the crack that the 3000 PSI makes coming out the end of the barrel.  It is pretty distinctive and could annoy my neighbors so I would rather spend the time and materials to maintain good relations with my neighbors above all.  Bill and I kept this a secret until it was shipped and it actually left CT this morning on a loop through Texas and into Louisiana before ultimately arriving at my shop as his final stop.  So now I can unveil the secret and pay Bill Gruby and his crew of fine machinists their respect and Kudos for all they have done to help a crippled brother out.  If it were not for Bill and all of the great things he has done I would never have been able to afford to get the last piece of my shop that completes my dream of a place to hang out and teach others as well as amuse myself.  I had originally planned to retire to my little shop and weld, fab and machine parts and equipment for various customers I have had over the years.  They are all still patiently waiting for me to recover enough to re-open my shop on a more regular basis and willing to pay a fair price for One Off's and more involved repairs and builds.  It has taken me over 15 years to accumulate enough tools to feel comfortable to go back into one off and small production runs of various parts and repaired items.  So A very Special and heartfelt thanks go out to Bill and all of his very capable and knowledgeable friends.  Thanks a million Bill, I could not have done this without you and being under your proverbial wing by teaching me so many things that would otherwise fade into the mists of time when you and I pass beyond.  It proves that there are still angels in this world and Bill Gruby is definitely among them and is a scholar and a gentleman too.

Bob


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## xalky (Apr 16, 2014)

When's it coming down to your place? I'd love to see some photos of it and your shop when you get the chance. 
I recently met Bill a couple of months back and I'd say we hit it off pretty good. He lives about 15 miles away from me, so I'm sure we'll be meeting up again soon.

Marcel


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## Rbeckett (Apr 16, 2014)

It should arrive next week sometime in 4 crates.  I will do a re-assemble and erection pictorial and show case the beautifull workmanship Bill and his friends put into it.  Bill and I decided to break it down into 4 medium pieces so my disabled behind can manage each of the parts with my cherry picker engine hoist and leveler. If you ever get to meet Bill again do me a favor an give him a big ole bear hug for me.   I would go there myself but it is too far for the hoses to reach on my dialysis machine... And gain as much of the old skills as you can from Bill.  He has a lifetime of tips and tricks that  will be forgotten otherwise.  He's too good of a person to let that ever happen to.

Bob


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## drs23 (Apr 16, 2014)

Congrats Bob! And the highest level of Kudos Bill G. That was over the top!


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## Old Iron (Apr 16, 2014)

Well I haven't met Bill but I have talked to him on the phone and He prolly thinks I'm a little nuts.(True) But he seems like a great guy to me.

And congrats on your soon to arrive mill. And a thinks to Bill for doing this for you.

Paul


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## stevecmo (Apr 16, 2014)

Bob,

Great news that it's finally on it's way!  I think we're all in agreement that this shows Bill's true colors.

Great work Bill.

Steve


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## Bill Gruby (Apr 16, 2014)

My pleasure Bob. When you told me last year you couldn't find anything decent in your area the Clausing was headed for the scrapper. Sorry about no pics Bob, but contracts at the shop where it was being built didn't allow them. I never gave it a thought to take them outside before we crated it up. The rest is history.  The only money spent on this was the initial cost of the machine. I got some friends in the trades together and called in some favors. This was a special project foe a special friend. You should see it next Wednesday. I checked the route Tom is taking and that seems right. Enjoy it when it gets there.

 "Billy G"


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## chuckorlando (Apr 16, 2014)

Top notch all around. If you need a hand you know where I'm at. If it's any thing like a bridgy it wont take no time to set her up


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## Rbeckett (Apr 16, 2014)

As my wife will swear to the fact that I cannot keep a secret from her she too was totally amazed when she asked what I was saving money to buy.  She thought I might have found the ever elusive Ruger mini-14 in stainless or maybe another high powered air rifle but she had no clue at all about a milling machine. I have been on the verge of busting out many many times, but I did not want any pressure on Bill or to distract him and his gang of excellent friends.  We were all a little worried while the castings were getting checked but when they came back with a clean bill of health it all started to fall into place very quickly.  Bill did a masterful job coordinating all new gears from one fellow and getting the casting checked by another while even another was Blanchard grinding the surface of the table.  As each part came back Bill carefully and Lovingly re-assembled them with a coat of brand new OE color paint.  Like I said originally if it weren't for the efforts of Bill Gruby and his group of fellows in CT,  I would never have been able to finish off my dream shop.  It's small at only 20X20 feet, but it houses all of my machine and fab tools perfectly and I am so thrilled to be able to hang my shingle back out and pass on my limited skill set to the boys in the neighborhood and their fathers too. I will never make any money the way I have it planned, but I might be able to get the next generation of true machinists started on the path to a great career and a very important set of skills they can use and pass on to their own kids when the time comes. Unfortunately my son has chosen to pursue a carreer in high end cooking for the Hilton Corp and is attending a chef school, but he never did like to work and get dirty like I did for most of my life.  It has been a long and fruitful carreer from the beginning and I have learned so much from Bill lately that I feel re-energized to carry out my original mission of passing on a great and honorable profession for the young up and comers where I live.  I have never turned an interested kid away, I lust gave him or her a pair of Safety glasses and put a welding helment on em and showed them in depth what I was doing and why it is so important to do it right from the beginning.  Hopefully they will continue to bring me their broken pieces and parts so I can teach them how to repair and make the parts and pieces themselves.  That will give a lot of them a way to escape the depressed economy in this mostly agricultural little slice of heaven we call home.  So much to do and so little time to get it all done.  But I am having a heck of a good time doing what I am doing training them to become journeyman machinists and placing dogs from our training program for Veteran assistance and alert dogs.  I volunteer to help the candidates fill out the application and inspect their homes to insure they meet the requirements fo the foundation so we can place an animal as soon as it is ready.  Both of my girls came from the same foundation and one has overcome her issues with Thunder and is my official Service Dog and her 1/2 sister is turning out to be a great companion and pet to each other and my wife and I as their humans.  Life is good and I'm lovin it more everyday!!!

Bob


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## n3480h (Apr 16, 2014)

My hat's off to Bill, and to Bob.  It's my personal belief that we are here (in this life) to help others.  This is a fine example.

Tom


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## 12bolts (Apr 16, 2014)

Speechless, Bill, and congrats to you Bob.

Cheers Phil


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## Bill Gruby (Apr 16, 2014)

Knock it off, any one of you would have done the same for Bob. Thanks for the kind words.

 "Billy G"


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## ricsmall (Apr 16, 2014)

This is a wonderful show of kindness and compassion,Bill. I thank God for people like this. Congrats on the machine Bob, I hope one day I may be able to help someone in a way such as this. hats off.

Richard


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## mattthemuppet2 (Apr 16, 2014)

nice job Bill and Bob (the flowerpot men? If anyone remembers those), can't wait to see the pics. I've occasionally seen Clausing mills like that on CL and they really do look perfect for the kind of work most hobbyists do. A lot of people think it's money that makes the world go round, but kindness is a much more effective lubricant


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## firemech (Apr 16, 2014)

Congratulations on the Clausing; I have one and it does everything I need it to. A special thank you to Mr. gruby and his crew for fostering the craft for a person whom truly deserves it!:allgood:


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## LHC (Apr 17, 2014)

Another one here to tip the hat to Bill.  

I'm a newbie and struggling to restore an old lathe, a few months back I asked about an oilite bushing and before I knew it, Bill was mailing me one !  CT is a good 10 hour drive from me here in eastern Canada, but someday when I am heading down that way I'm going to drop in on Bill, shake his hand, and maybe even haul a crate of frozen lobster out of the back of the car if it can make the journey without thawing out !


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## The Liberal Arts Garage (Apr 17, 2014)

Rbeckett said:


> For the past several Months Bill Gruby has been working on a secret project for me.  He stumbled onto a honey hole of used machines and acquired a Clausing 8520 and decided to rebuild and refurnish it completely.  While I have not seen it you all know the caliber of work that Bill produces so based on his description of all that he and several of his close machinist friends have done I will essentially have a brand new machine with older seasoned castings.  He upgraded it to a much larger horse and a half motor and replaced all the bearings and gears as well as had the table Blanchard ground and painted the entire project in OE colors just like it was brand new again.  I took him and his gang of friends several months to complete the whole rebuild but I can assume it will be as near perfect as it is possible to make old castings.  He even had the castings all crack checked and added a spacer to give it slightly more reach over the top and down to the material.  If you are unfamiliar with the Clausing 8520 it as a 2/3 size knee style mill set upon a heavy cast iron stand the is capable of doing about the same amount of work as a full size bridgy.  It will fit perfectly into my small shop and become a new center piece of my non CNC little home shop.  It joins a 7X10 and 9X20 lathe and a HF 5980 Milling/drilling lathe.  While Bill was so busy working on getting the machine to a point of perfection I was busy buying accessories so that I could put it into operation immediately upon arrival.  In the interim I gathered a Rotary table for Horiz., and vert.  as well as a milling vise from Shars, a couple of hold down kits. bits, collets and holders as well as 123 blocks and division plates for the RT.  Once I have re-assembled it and hooked it to power I should have enough basic tooling to create my first project which is a moderator for my high pressure air rifle.  I need to dissipate the crack that the 3000 PSI makes coming out the end of the barrel.  It is pretty distinctive and could annoy my neighbors so I would rather spend the time and materials to maintain good relations with my neighbors above all.  Bill and I kept this a secret until it was shipped and it actually left CT this morning on a loop through Texas and into Louisiana before ultimately arriving at my shop as his final stop.  So now I can unveil the secret and pay Bill Gruby and his crew of fine machinists their respect and Kudos for all they have done to help a crippled brother out.  If it were not for Bill and all of the great things he has done I would never have been able to afford to get the last piece of my shop that completes my dream of a place to hang out and teach others as well as amuse myself.  I had originally planned to retire to my little shop and weld, fab and machine parts and equipment for various customers I have had over the years.  They are all still patiently waiting for me to recover enough to re-open my shop on a more regular basis and willing to pay a fair price for One Off's and more involved repairs and builds.  It has taken me over 15 years to accumulate enough tools to feel comfortable to go back into one off and small production runs of various parts and repaired items.  So A very Special and heartfelt thanks go out to Bill and all of his very capable and knowledgeable friends.  Thanks a million Bill, I could not have done this without you and being under your proverbial wing by teaching me so many things that would otherwise fade into the mists of time when you and I pass beyond.  It proves that there are still angels in this world and Bill Gruby is definitely among them and is a scholar and a gentleman too.
> 
> Bob


There is enough good Karma around here to bring tears to  a Machinist's eyes- ...BLJHB


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## Splat (Apr 18, 2014)

Wow! .....and again Wow! That's pretty damn nice.  :thumbzup3:   You're gonna love that 8520. I have its older brother, the Johansson B-12 mill and I love it every time I use it.  However, gentlemen there's just one problem. Where's the pics?!


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## Bill Gruby (Apr 18, 2014)

It's enroute. Pics could not be taken during its rebuild due to Contracts at the shop it was done at. It was crated and loaded from there. Tom should be calling Bob on Sunday to verify exact delivery date and time. Iics will start then I am sure. Patience please. I have only seen one B-12  and it was in pretty bad shape but still running.

 "Billy G"


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## BigKen (Jul 1, 2014)

So how did it work out?


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## samthedog (Jul 1, 2014)

Me too... you guys can't leave us hanging. Did it arrive safe and sound, is it up and running? Come on, pictures already!!

Paul.


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## Ulma Doctor (Jul 1, 2014)

Congrats Bob,
i can't wait to see pictures
:greenwithenvy: 
you deserve the very best Bob, 

Bill, there aren't many words to describe your actions other than amazing.
a show of friendship from a great man to another great man.


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## Bill Gruby (Jul 2, 2014)

You want info you go to the horses head. The Mill is back in my possession and as soon as I get word from Bob that he is back up again and strong enough it will be delivered by me personally. Sorry for any confusion. Bob and I are in contact.

 "Billy G"


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## george wilson (Jul 3, 2014)

This is a great and generous gesture on your part,Bill. I hope Beckett recovers soon and can enjoy the mill for many years to come.


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## Rbeckett (Jul 3, 2014)

First I apologize to everyone on the list.  Bill has done me such a huge favor that most of you will never understand the depth of my humility.  Bill and a few of his machinist buddies went out of their respective ways to create a mill I could use for the rest of my short life.  His gang completely redid the whole machine to better than new and I am so appreciative of his friendship too.  When I first disclosed that the mill was on the way we did not know that the final person in the chain would end up being the biggest stumbling block to the whole project.  Apparently the driver of the big truck with it inside decided it would be a good idea to drink and pull out a shotgun on a man in Louisana.  He ended up in jail and did a 30 day stint.  When he got out he just left the truck and contents impounded and flew home.  So Bill being the man he is has actually gone to a judge, gotten release papers for his freight and went all the way to louisana to retrieve the machine before it was sold as uncalled freight.  In the mean time I had a couple of minor medical disasters that sent me to the hospital for most of June, so Bill has agreed that when I am well enough to do it he will bring it personally from his shop to mine. I truly apologize for tickling everyones appetite and not following up further with pics and projects.  As most of you know I had a medical disaster in 2009 that left me disabled and on a fixed income, so were it not for Bill's generosity and help I would probably have had to remain mill-less for the rest of my days.  Imagine if you will a 260 pound Iron worker/welder who has been reduced to a wheel chair.  It aint fun and it aint der sissies either.  I truly hope to rebound from the most recent issues ad return to being in my shop tinkering again soon.

Thanks!!!!
Bob


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## samthedog (Jul 3, 2014)

Bob, sometimes the best plans are laid to waste. Hope it all turns out for you all in the end and the journey to your place is less eventful than it was previously. Truly a great story of generosity and gratitude!!

Paul.


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## chuckorlando (Jul 3, 2014)

Hope you get to feeling good again brother. Top notch Bill


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## mattthemuppet2 (Jul 4, 2014)

wow, that mill is going to have one of the coolest back stories ever! Makes my ex-tattooist's lathe look kind of lame  Fingers crossed you're back on your feet ASAP.


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## Doug66 (Aug 4, 2014)

wowww 
Bob I hope you get better so you can enjoy your machine, as for Mr Bill my hat is off to you sir


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## Jamiethesquid (Nov 20, 2014)

A wonderful story, That's not a tear honest, I just had something in my eye.  God Bless you both!


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## hman (Nov 20, 2014)

What's to say?  You're both absolute aces.

My gratitude and very best wishes to the both of you, but best wishes especially to Bob.


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## FOMOGO (Mar 16, 2016)

I feel privileged to hang out here. A better place, and better folks would be hard to find, and we get to look at shiny stuff. My best to all involved. Mike


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## Steve Shannon (Mar 17, 2016)

FOMOGO said:


> I feel privileged to hang out here. A better place, and better folks would be hard to find, and we get to look at shiny stuff. My best to all involved. Mike


Amen!
What a wonderful gift. 


 Steve Shannon


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## Bill Gruby (Mar 17, 2016)

Gentleman;

Although your thoughts are greatly appreciated I have to tell you that Bob Beckett passed away April 11.2015, before the transfer could become reality. I still miss the guy, he was a good friend. His wife Holly still emails me from time to time. Bob was what this Fortum is all about.

"Billy G"


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## hman (Mar 17, 2016)

I'm so very sorry to hear that Bob has left us.  Bill, I'm sure that knowing what you'd done for him helped to ease and comfort his final months.  My very best wishes to all.
- John


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## Tony Wells (Mar 17, 2016)

It doesn't seem like nearly a year has gone by. I still run across posts Bob left us. He was one of the good'uns.


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## Firestopper (Mar 17, 2016)

Damn.... Fellas, I'm sorry......


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## The Liberal Arts Garage (Mar 17, 2016)

The best one can is to try his very best---- Thanks, Bill , you did your honest
best, and I and so many others offer our thanks and respect....... BLJHB.


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