Kearney and Trecker #2D Rotary Head Mill

[OldCarGuy]

My home machine shop is a retirement dream that I have been assembling for 60 years. One of my many prize possession is a 1952 Kearney and Trecker #2D Rotary Head Mill. Displaying old verses new technology,,, and sits directly across from my CNC Bed Mill. Indeed being nostalgic is why I have the 2D. Yet I can be cutting chips and finish a one off part in the time to program a part on the CNC..

In the day they were king and a mere necessity in Die Sinking industry. I've seen shops that had six linedup in a row. That was a pretty sight for sure. I purchased this 2D some 30 years ago when a large local automotive manufacturing plant closed down in Cleveland. A loss to the region and my gain..

It has an OEM K&T 7" Vise and two sets of OEM collets and adapters mounted on a rack on the LH side.

There are Five 480 Volt 3-Phase motors, Spindle, Table feed, rotary head, coolant pump, and air pump. That are not dual voltage. I ran 240 3Phase from the load center on the far wall to a step-up transformer on a steel post. .

The only factory accessories I have is the Cherring Head and Angle head.

Try cutting this radius on a Bridgeport using a 3/4" dia cutter

Making a cicular cut in a piece of 4140 pre-hard.

Overhead view of the mechanism.

 

[quitereal]

Thats deadly, I didnt know such a thing existed! Beautiful shop too

 

[Weldingrod1]

I love the lines on the casting [emoji3]

I've heard of a cherrying head, but never seen one!

Sent from my SM-S911U using Tapatalk

 

[ltlvt]

She's a beauty. I love the old iron.

 

[jcp]

Certainly a serious piece of machinery! Very kool!

 

[mmcmdl]

Beautiful shop and love the K&T . We had one at the mold shop back in the early 80s .

 

[FOMOGO]

Great machine. The guy on Vintage Machinery recently acquired one. Mike

 

[pontiac428]

The 2D is a long-running wet dream of mine since I saw my grand-uncle's job notes laying out the conditions and timings of rotary motions in his notebooks post mortem when I was a teen. That's the pinnacle of manual space-race prototyping and die making technology right there. I've seen a few in my travels and pondered purchases as they have come up over the years, and I still think I'd pawn my mother's jewelry if the stars aligned. Color me green! No stinking keypad, no pinches screens, just you and your big brain and a tool that can move nearly anywhere, one compound arc section at a time!

 

[matthewsx]

One of these came up locally a while back. If only I had a much bigger shop and the time to learn how to use it.

John

 

[OldCarGuy]

The K&T #2D is an amazing machine in the day and in a class of its' own. The Volstro Rotary Head attachment for the Bridgeport was around for a few years and was acheap knock-off and fell short of expectations. While most shops used a cross slide rotary table. Advance being the favorite followed by Troyke. K&T made the 2D from the late 1930 until the mid seventies. Only large corporations could afford the 2D at $78,000 in 1950. While a Bridgeport was in the $700 dollar range.

Here's a link to a Kearney & Trecker1955 factory demo video featuring the 2D..

Volstro Head attachment for Bridgeport Mill.

Advance Cross Slide Rotary Table