# Bridgeport fine feed wheel?????



## Mike8623

OK guys got a 2hp j head bridgeport. My question is what holds the fine feed wheel on the machine. There is a pin on the wheel which engages into a hole so the wheel can function but what keeps it on the machine from falling off, surely bridgeport had some type of nut or something to keep in on the mill.


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## xalky

Mike8623 said:


> OK guys got a 2hp j head bridgeport. My question is what holds the fine feed wheel on the machine. There is a pin on the wheel which engages into a hole so the wheel can function but what keeps it on the machine from falling off, surely bridgeport had some type of nut or something to keep in on the mill.



Nothing on mine. The hand wheel just slides on there. It's fallen out on me, once or twice, if theres too much vibration.

Marcel


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## LJP

Right, it just slides on.


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## dickr

I don't recall anything holding it on. We used to drill and tap a 10-32 hole in the center and use a washer and allen head if we used it that often. 
dickr


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## pineyfolks

The shaft is tapped on the end for a feed reverse knob.  But I can't remember if the hand wheel slips over it or if it stops the wheel from coming off


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## chuckorlando

Mine aint a vari head but it has a knurled deal with a screw threw the center that holds the wheel on. I dont know the tech term as I'm waiting on the rebuild book to get here

Feed reverse knob I believe http://www.ebay.com/itm/BRIDGEPORT-...683?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5d43ac05d3


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## smallfly

*Re: Bridgeport fine feed wheel?????    QUICK PREVIEW OF ''THE PARTS BOOK'' % BRIDGEPORT*

CHUCK--attached is a  picture of the parts in your quill housing. as others have noted --don't see any hardware holding wheel in place. by nature they are removed and ''lost'' somewhere in the shop-lol. they just seem to disappear. i did not get one with my old  b.p. and would really like to have one. anyway here is parts breakdown --sure hope it helps u and others.  re  steve  in  mt.


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## jamie76x

In most machine shops those fine feed wheels are nowhere to be found. They fall off and break or just plain vanish. Maybe you should lock yours up in a safe deposit box in the bank


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## LJP

The fine feed wheel is available on ebay. My BP did not come with one either. They are new for about $50, it fit perfectly.


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## chuckorlando

*Re: Bridgeport fine feed wheel?????    QUICK PREVIEW OF ''THE PARTS BOOK'' % BRIDGEPORT*



smallfly said:


> CHUCK--attached is a  picture of the parts in your quill housing. as others have noted --don't see any hardware holding wheel in place. by nature they are removed and ''lost'' somewhere in the shop-lol. they just seem to disappear. i did not get one with my old  b.p. and would really like to have one. anyway here is parts breakdown --sure hope it helps u and others.  re  steve  in  mt.



My fine feed wheel is held on with that knurled screw deal. You have to remove it to remove the wheel. The wheel will not slide over this part. Or at least thats how it came to me. Soon as my phone charges I will take a pic

This piece holds my wheel on http://www.icai-online.com/feed-reverse-knob-assy.html


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## RandyM

Mine has the same knob, but does not retain the wheel. The wheel is made for easy removal.


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## chuckorlando

Randy I have removed it and tried to fit it through the wheel 3 times just to make sure. Mine dont slide over it. It will slide up to about the knurl from either direction. Maybe we should add that to the list of things to buy, just to be sure it's the right parts I guess.

It has enough room to back the pin out so the wheel can free spin, but it wont pull off with out removing it.


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## RandyM

I do not doubt you Chuck. I am sure there are machines that are made both ways. Thanks for your input.


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## chuckorlando

I dont know if it was made this way or made to be this way. All the BP and clones at school the wheels just slide off. Heck I dont even know where any of them are. Maybe someone at some point made there own knurled end so the handle would stay on.

I did note 2 or more part numbers for this part though. So who knows


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## Senna

B'port ignorance on display here but what purpose is served by having the fine feed wheel be removable?

On my Gorton mills the fine feed wheel is bolted to the downfeed gearbox.

Is the wheel in the way of something on a B'port?


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## RandyM

Senna said:


> B'port ignorance on display here but what purpose is served by having the fine feed wheel be removable?
> 
> On my Gorton mills the fine feed wheel is bolted to the downfeed gearbox.
> 
> Is the wheel in the way of something on a B'port?



The easy removal of the fine feed wheel is just a convenience as it does sometimes get in the way. They probably first engineered it as none removeable and found they could easily make convenient to remove. Bear in mind this is all speculation on my part.


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## LEEQ

Grizzly has several nice options for making a replacement. They need work to complete them to fit your machine, but real cheap. I will have a cast one on my next order.


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## chips&more

If you have one of those accessory z axis digital readouts attached to the head. And attached like the instructions say to do it. You have to remove that hand wheel! I’m still amazed that after all these years of poor design that no manufacture has fixed it so you can have the digital z readout and the handwheel too. And yes, my BP has the knurled reverse switch and the handwheel just slides on and off.


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## Senna

chips&more said:


> If you have one of those accessory z axis digital readouts attached to the head. And attached like the instructions say to do it. You have to remove that hand wheel! I’m still amazed that after all these years of poor design that no manufacture has fixed it so you can have the digital z readout and the handwheel too. And yes, my BP has the knurled reverse switch and the handwheel just slides on and off.



Gorton got it right 80 years ago.


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## Silverbullet

I think the reason Bridgeport leaves there fine feed wheel with the remove ability. Is when using the power feed they don't knock you fingers into broken digits. Just my thoughts on them . I use to just pull them free of the pin hole and use the feed. But I can see some dingbat leaning hand and  it catching on something.


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