- Joined
- Feb 2, 2013
- Messages
- 3,916
Rocky that's a beauty!!!
i can only imagine the stories the old girl could tell a man.
if you ever wanna part with her,i'll give $200 for her!!!!:lmao:
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Bought a Burke 4
- Thread starter Rockytime
- Start date
Rocky that's a beauty!!!
i can only imagine the stories the old girl could tell a man.
if you ever wanna part with her,i'll give $200 for her!!!!:lmao:
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2011
- Messages
- 4,142
My first mill was an Atlas. Next was a Burke #4. It proved to be a real machine,capable of taking decent cuts in steel. Mine did not have the power feed left on it. I cobbled up one with a Bodine motor and a worm and spur gear. The table was bowed from excessive tightening down of the T slot bon top. I got that,and the BOTTOM and dovetail of the table re machined. I had to cobble together a motor drive for it. Fortunately,I had on hand a heavy duty gear head Master brand motor(A really good old brand).
The guy who was running the machine shop where I took the Burke's table to have it machined was rather arrogant. He insisted that just milling the top of the table would solve the problem. He wouldn't listen when I told him the table would still move in a circular path unless the bottom,and dovetail was also re cut. He guaranteed that they would fix the table properly. Reluctantly,I left the table there. At another shop,I told the owner of the shop about the problem. He said he wouldn't touch that table for less than twice the amount I was quoted. When I came back to get the table,the guy stayed well back behind the counter. I flipped the table over. Everything had been machined,top and bottom. I said "How'd you do?" He replied they'd done o.k.. Hopefully he would not treat his customers like they were fools the next time. When the REAL machinist in the back room got hold of the table and told him the same thing,he got it through his hard head!! Mr. silk shirt got a lesson in machining.
The Burke was mounted on an old pair of forge legs. Your unit is much more complete,but I was glad to get the Burke. Actually,it was the only horizontal mill I had till years later I got a Heald. Then a real nice Harrison gear head from England came along.
I had been dragged to Miami for a vacation by my wife. I found a machine dealer in Haileah(sp?) and went there by bus. Everyone kept telling me I was late for the dog race!! That's where I found my little Burke. Everyone in that city kept apologizing for Miami. But,that's another story!!
I'd have given a lot to have the vertical head for the Burke,but this was in the early 70's,long before the internet,and I never found one. However,I got a mill drill and used it a lot for a few years till I had space for a Bridgeport type. I sold the Burke to a friend who was just starting out.
God luck with yours. They are good machines.
The guy who was running the machine shop where I took the Burke's table to have it machined was rather arrogant. He insisted that just milling the top of the table would solve the problem. He wouldn't listen when I told him the table would still move in a circular path unless the bottom,and dovetail was also re cut. He guaranteed that they would fix the table properly. Reluctantly,I left the table there. At another shop,I told the owner of the shop about the problem. He said he wouldn't touch that table for less than twice the amount I was quoted. When I came back to get the table,the guy stayed well back behind the counter. I flipped the table over. Everything had been machined,top and bottom. I said "How'd you do?" He replied they'd done o.k.. Hopefully he would not treat his customers like they were fools the next time. When the REAL machinist in the back room got hold of the table and told him the same thing,he got it through his hard head!! Mr. silk shirt got a lesson in machining.
The Burke was mounted on an old pair of forge legs. Your unit is much more complete,but I was glad to get the Burke. Actually,it was the only horizontal mill I had till years later I got a Heald. Then a real nice Harrison gear head from England came along.
I had been dragged to Miami for a vacation by my wife. I found a machine dealer in Haileah(sp?) and went there by bus. Everyone kept telling me I was late for the dog race!! That's where I found my little Burke. Everyone in that city kept apologizing for Miami. But,that's another story!!
I'd have given a lot to have the vertical head for the Burke,but this was in the early 70's,long before the internet,and I never found one. However,I got a mill drill and used it a lot for a few years till I had space for a Bridgeport type. I sold the Burke to a friend who was just starting out.
God luck with yours. They are good machines.
Nice machine score. List the spindle size and what tooling your looking for here and other sights, you'd be surprised what might turn up. Once in a while I will purchase a box full of tooling arbors and what not and find things in there I have no use for. I will usually save the stuff thinking I will find a use for it down the line, what better use than pass it on to some one who has a machine that needs it?
Tim
Tim