BS-0 Dividing Heads?

[patmat2350]

OK, I picked up a BS-0 (5" dividing head)... oy, that's heavy. After taking an aspirin for my back, I see on the box that they also offer a 4" version... BS-00? They don't say. But I wish I could have found that, would be better on my X2 mini mill.

Mine comes with a 3-jaw chuck, which is not shown in the instruction booklet. Also not shown is how to remove the chuck... anyone with experience have a clue????
See the pic... it's attached with M8 Allens, which can't be accessed through the plain index plate. And they're smooth and hard, can't get a grip with pliers. It's like some sort of 3D jigsaw puzzle...



And the back-plate appears to thread onto a central spud, but I don't see a way to break it loose without pounding on things that shouldn't be pounded on.

 

[Superburban]

Mine has the back plate that screws on to the stub, like you mention. I just tap it with a small to medium ball peen hammer, to get it started, then it comes right off.

 

[patmat2350]

Bigger hammer, that did it, thx!
I'm hoping that by setting the output clamp before whacking, I somewhat protect the worm gear from taking the blow.

 

[4GSR]

Rather than beat on the chuck jaw with any hammer, use a adjustable crescent wrench. Grab the jaw with the wrench and give it a pull. May have to bolt the dividing head down to the mill table and like you said set the index plunger on top to hold it. And hopefully not shear off the plunger!

 

[Superburban]

Rather than beat on the chuck jaw with any hammer, use a adjustable crescent wrench. Grab the jaw with the wrench and give it a pull. May have to bolt the dividing head down to the mill table and like you said set the index plunger on top to hold it. And hopefully not shear off the plunger!

Thats always a good debate. Whats better, a small impact, or large steady pull? I can remove an alternator nut, real easy with the air impact. Try to do the same with a ratchet, it takes clamping the pulley in the vise, a breaker bar, and some good elbow grease. Now this case with the heavy chuck mounted on a lighter weight rotating assembly, inside the dividing head, maybe I'm wrong.

 

[Pat Matthews]

The Taiwanese BS-0 appears to be a nice enough machine, but I do wish they'd put a little more effort into the documentation. One nice undocumented feature: the retractable pin on the dividing crank has a detent... pull it out and twist, and the spring loaded pin stays open, allowing easier cranking. I had no clue, but stumbled on it... sweet.
As delivered, the worm gear has about 1/4° total play against the worm... not sure there's anything to be done about that. So as with any lead screw device, it's important to always run one way against the lash, not overshoot the index hole, and then clamp the output before machining.

With the chuck removed, you can access the B&S #7 taper. I have ER32 collets, so I'll need to get an ER32/B&S7 collet holder... rare, but I do see one on eBay.

No T-slot keys included, so I'll need to make those.

The available 90° head motion is free-running, no gear or jackscrew on it... so dialing it in level will require setting a light drag on the clamp and tap-tap-tapping it around.

Any favorite methods for dialing in the tailstock, to align with the head?

 

[patmat2350]

Received my B&S#7 taper ER32 collet holder, stuck it in, and Nope! No go. Suspicious, I poke in a MT2 dead center, perfect.
@#!$
The instructions clearly say it's a B&S#7.

 

[markba633csi]

Son of a sea cucumber! Houston we have a problem

 

[Superburban]

Received my B&S#7 taper ER32 collet holder, stuck it in, and Nope! No go. Suspicious, I poke in a MT2 dead center, perfect.
@#!$
The instructions clearly say it's a B&S#7.

I guess that is the way my Enco dividing head is. I don't have a B&S 7, like the instructions say, but an MT #2 does seem to fit perfect. I thought it was just me, and since I did not have a B&S 7 to try, I could not see how it fit.

 

[kf4zht]

I have been looking at these. Shopping them on ebay I found this brilliance on one of the listings. Apparently its a Metric MT2, which must be a english B&S7. I would bet the chinese engineer assigned to design these saw the BS7, decided since they had a MT2 reamer it was the same. Honestly I prefer that it is MT2, as I have tooling for that already, I don't have anything B&S