# Need some advice on outfitting a Clausing 8520



## normrp (Jul 14, 2017)

I have a 1966 Clausing 8520 that I bought a couple years ago and a 1936 South Bend Workshop Model C workshop lathe.

View media item 95952View media item 95951
I became a member here back in 2014 but life happened and my plans were put on the back burner. I now have a small shop and am starting the learning process of machining. I have always wanted to learn machining and now that I am retired I figure I better get at it! 

My 8520 came with a 4" Palmgren tilt vice with swivel base. It is a beast. It is 4" wide 4 1/2 " tall and 12" long. It has a few tool bit bites on the top of the jaws and the ways. I am thinking it is a bit large for the size of this mill. 

Does anybody with an 8520 have any recommendations for a mill vice or do I just use this one?

I am also looking for a rotary table with dividing plates and a tail stock. Any ideas there?

I have some of the Clausing documentation that I found on the web but what I really would like is a rebuild manual. Does anything like that exist? I have replaced the idler bearings on the drive unit (pretty simple). But I think the fine down feed needs some work as the quill seems to stop moving at times. Also, I need to remove the table and clean and lube the gears.

Any assistance or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Norm


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## Terrywerm (Jul 14, 2017)

Good afternoon, Norm. A 4" vise is nearly the perfect size for the 8520. Mine came with an original Clausing 4" vise which is nearly the perfect size, and I also have a Glacern 5" which is almost too big at times.

I also purchased a 6" rotary table with indexing plates and tailstock for mine, and that all seems to be a good fit.

As for a rebuild manual, I know of no such creature on this site, but there is a list of bearings available for everything on the machine. You can download that document at this link: http://www.hobby-machinist.com/resources/clausing-8520-series-bearings-pdf.2161/

I did find some instructions for rebuilding the head on these mills at this site: http://wentztech.com/WebDisk/Metalworking/Clausing/Freds - Rebuilding the 8520 head.pdf

Here is a link to a thread detailing replacement bearings for the headstock: http://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/clausing-8520-vertical-mill-bearing-sets.26644/#post-234708

The fine downfeed on these machines is a trouble spot as the original brass gears are easily stripped of their teeth if a person tries to apply too much pressure in that way. Here is a link to a thread about using stock gears from Boston Gear as replacements: http://www.hobby-machinist.com/thre...n-link-hope-this-is-a-help.29027/#post-252805


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## normrp (Jul 14, 2017)

terrywerm said:


> Good afternoon, Norm. A 4" vise is nearly the perfect size for the 8520. Mine came with an original Clausing 4" vise which is nearly the perfect size, and I also have a Glacern 5" which is almost too big at times.
> 
> I also purchased a 6" rotary table with indexing plates and tailstock for mine, and that all seems to be a good fit.
> 
> ...



Terry,

Thank you so much for the quick response and all the info. Looks like those links will be a huge help in bringing this mill up to speed. 

Norm


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## wa5cab (Jul 15, 2017)

Norm,

Read the H-M DOWNLOADS usage instructions at the top of this Forum before you try to find anything in DOWNLOADS.  The function was adapted from the Xenforo RESOURCES module and works pretty well except that it totally lacks any sort capability.  Given the nearly 2000 files currently in the system, you can spend a lifetime looking for something if you don't know how to navigate it.

I;m not sure who uploaded it but the well written and illustrated head rebuilding document that Terry referred to is also in our DOWNLOADS.  As well as the Owner's Manual (including Illustrated Parts), the bearing list and a manual on the Clausing 8540. And like Terry, I don't know of any rebuild manual other than the one on the head.  I wish that I knew who originally wrote that.  I would ask him whether or not he ever did on on the table and knee.


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## Rootpass (Jul 15, 2017)

I have found that an MT2 to ER32 collet is great in the spindle and I also have a 6" rotary table from eBay that is made in China. The rotary table is very nice and under $250 dollars. The ER32 collect is great with end mills and drill bits. No more pounding on the drawbar to change collets and most of the time I don't need to use the drill chuck. I ended up buying a nut for each ER32 collet too. It makes it that much more convenient. 
I have a 4" Palmgren vise that is just the right size but I'd rather have bought, and will buy, a 3" grinding vise. Most things I buy used on eBay. The new tooling I have bought has been Chinese and so far has been of surprising good quality. With the exception of three MT2-MT3 sleeve adapters. They work fine but the slot towards the ends are rough and not finished very well.


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## Terrywerm (Jul 15, 2017)

I  found the original article that Fred referred to when he wrote his document on rebuilding the 8520 head. Here is a link to that document: http://wentztech.com/WebDisk/Metalworking/Clausing/Dennis Pantazis - Head Dissasembly clausing.pdf

Here is an article on replacing one of the leadscrews using parts from McMaster Carr:  http://wentztech.com/WebDisk/Metalworking/Clausing/Leadscrew Replacement.pdf


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## normrp (Jul 15, 2017)

wa5cab thank you for the tips on the downloads section. There is an amazing amount of info on this site.

Rootpass, thank you for the tooling tips. This tooling can get pretty speedy if you want. I think the import quality will be just fine for my use and learning.

Terry, thanks for that additional article on rebuilding the head.


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## wa5cab (Jul 15, 2017)

All three files have been added to the Clausing Mill folder/category.


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## Terrywerm (Jul 16, 2017)

Thanks Robert!


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