I just received an early Christmas present from my wife: a Bridgeport No. 1 boring head with an R8 shank. She found it on eBay and it arrived pretty dirty with crud and dried coolant everywhere. I initially could not move the micrometer head with an Allen key, but after shooting it up with some Kroil oil I could move the micrometer head.
The Kroil removed most of the crud and it turns out that the boring head appears to be in good shape. The R8 taper looks nice and clean. The only problem appeared to be two burrs on the end of the dovetail that is opposite from the micrometer dial. The burrs would not let me remove the micrometer head from the dovetail base.
I was afraid that the boring head was hardened, but careful filing let me remove the two burrs enough to remove the micrometer head. The micrometer head, while able to be moved via the micrometer dial easily, does not move with hand pressure. Indeed, I was only able to remove the micrometer head from the dovetail base by judicious use of a dead blow hammer.
Is it normal for a Bridgeport boring head dovetail to be this tight and be a light press fit? Again it adjusts nicely with the micrometer dial.
The Kroil removed most of the crud and it turns out that the boring head appears to be in good shape. The R8 taper looks nice and clean. The only problem appeared to be two burrs on the end of the dovetail that is opposite from the micrometer dial. The burrs would not let me remove the micrometer head from the dovetail base.
I was afraid that the boring head was hardened, but careful filing let me remove the two burrs enough to remove the micrometer head. The micrometer head, while able to be moved via the micrometer dial easily, does not move with hand pressure. Indeed, I was only able to remove the micrometer head from the dovetail base by judicious use of a dead blow hammer.
Is it normal for a Bridgeport boring head dovetail to be this tight and be a light press fit? Again it adjusts nicely with the micrometer dial.