Looking at an RF 30 tomorrow...any advice appreciated

[markba633csi]

Mak: Yes the fix would be to pull the quill out and braze vertical beads on it in 3 or 4 places, then machine to fit the head
The really deluxe fix would be to make an entirely new quill from scratch, pretty easy on a big enough lathe but you'd need to cut the rack teeth
Probably the teeth could be cut on the lathe too if you could manage a way to mount the quill workpiece on the carriage

 

[ARC-170]

I have one of these mills and it works fine for hobby work. $1300 with tooling and a stand is a pretty good price. It weighs over 600 lbs, so bring an engine hoist to load it!

I leave the top off to make belt changes easier. I made a dial indicator holder to help with raising and lowering the head to keep my XY. I also added DRO's to all axes.

 

[bulgie]

Mak: Yes the fix would be to pull the quill out and braze vertical beads on it in 3 or 4 places, then machine to fit the head
The really deluxe fix would be to make an entirely new quill from scratch, pretty easy on a big enough lathe but you'd need to cut the rack teeth
Probably the teeth could be cut on the lathe too if you could manage a way to mount the quill workpiece on the carriage

I don't have a large amount of experience with worn quill-to-head fit, but I'm guessing it isn't consistent top to bottom. If the head casting is worn, it might not be cylindrical anymore, it could be bell-mouthed, larger ID near the bottom. So a new larger cylindrical quill will either be too tight at the top or too loose at the bottom.

Or maybe I'm dreaming that. But I wouldn't undertake such a Big Hairy Deal as trying to correct the slop without first checking the bore in the head, assuring yourself it is still parallel sided (cylindrical). Of course the bore in the head could be re-bored, but that takes a much larger mill. Or maybe line-boring on the lathe? Hmm that sounds challenging but do-able if your lathe is big enough.

But that's a lot of work for what will be in the end still a cheap mill. Most people would either just live with it or shop for a better mill.

 

[markba633csi]

I wouldn't expect too much wear, we are just looking for factory goof-ups in that area, and they do happen occasionally
Pretty easy to check for before putting money down, just loosen any quill clamp bolt if so equipped and give a good wiggle

 

[bulgie]

I wouldn't expect too much wear, we are just looking for factory goof-ups in that area, and they do happen occasionally
Pretty easy to check for before putting money down, just loosen any quill clamp bolt if so equipped and give a good wiggle

Got it. Makes sense, thanks for the clarification

 

[daveghil]

if and when you get it, give me a shout if you need tooling. I have a couple of clamp sets I need to move on and a few other bits'n'pieces

Will do Matt. It came with a bunch of tooling and still sorting through the pile.

 

[matthewsx]

Will do Matt. It came with a bunch of tooling and still sorting through the pile.

Hey Dave,

Just got home and back on my computer, see you're in Santa Cruz too. Drop me a PM if you want to chat or meet up, can help figure out what came with your mill and maybe give some tips on getting it going.

John

 

[daveghil]

Hey Dave,

Just got home and back on my computer, see you're in Santa Cruz too. Drop me a PM if you want to chat or meet up, can help figure out what came with your mill and maybe give some tips on getting it going.

John

Hey John..so cool and very generous of you...I spent the day today getting up on the stand, cleaning and oiling. I'll PM you once I figure out how

 

[bulgie]

Hey John..so cool and very generous of you...I spent the day today getting up on the stand, cleaning and oiling. I'll PM you once I figure out how

I hope you're taking pictures! Even if you don't share them. I go back and look at my pics of trailering mine home, hoisting, dis-assembling etc. It was a fun time for me and I re-live it once in a while like a vacation photo album. But maybe I'm just weird that way...

 

[daveghil]

View attachment IMG_5391.MOV
Ha..I was thinking same thing...usually I get so excited and start taking things apart before remembering to take photos. Here are some from today....before cleaning, using a come-along to get it on the stand with new bora mobile base, view of the bed...