Mill head, rebuild.

[pontiac428]

Following your rebuild on the other thread.

Definitely need a tight, reliable head on that CNC machine, sounds like you've got big plans for it. With my hobby machine I'll be lucky to get a few dozen hours a year so not too worried about things self destructing anytime soon. If it happens I'll tear it down then and either repair or find a replacement step pulley head. Or, go to a direct drive system like you were contemplating.

Like yours, mine is an off brand that may not correspond exactly to the Bridgeport model.

I'd definitely be interested in finding the spindle gear hub adjustment on mine to see if that's what's keeping me from getting to top speed, any tips on where to begin with that?

John

On the Lagun, it's an external adjustment at the lever. You move the detents so the lockup is deeper in the lever throw. Self explanatory once you examine it.

 

[coolidge]

Following your rebuild on the other thread.

Definitely need a tight, reliable head on that CNC machine, sounds like you've got big plans for it. With my hobby machine I'll be lucky to get a few dozen hours a year so not too worried about things self destructing anytime soon. If it happens I'll tear it down then and either repair or find a replacement step pulley head. Or, go to a direct drive system like you were contemplating.

Like yours, mine is an off brand that may not correspond exactly to the Bridgeport model.

I'd definitely be interested in finding the spindle gear hub adjustment on mine to see if that's what's keeping me from getting to top speed, any tips on where to begin with that?

John

(channeling Seraph, The Matrix) To truly know your machine you must completely disassemble it

 

[coolidge]

SUBSCRIBE trust me on this. While our Taiwan machines are not Bridgeports they are incredibly similar and this guy >>> is 'the man' for learning how to take them apart, repair and put them back together.

https://www.youtube.com/@HWMachRepair

 

[coolidge]

I will also say, these heads are surprisingly easy to take apart and fix. Nothing is really rocket science and nothing is pressed on very tight not even the bearings, which are snug fit on shafts and can be tapped apart with a plastic dead blow hammer if one doesn't have a press without much effort. They don't go BANG like bearings being pressed off cars and stuff.

While disassembling I'm taking pictures as I go. This is how this looked before I started taking it apart, how it looks during disassembly, how it looks disassembled, with parts bagged in zip lock bags and labeled with a sharpie.

Having done it I say go for it!!

 

[coolidge]

On the Lagun, it's an external adjustment at the lever. You move the detents so the lockup is deeper in the lever throw. Self explanatory once you examine it.

Mine has this style of adjuster. 2 screw holes outer left/right. The center through hole for the shifter shaft and the two shallow holes for the low and high range shift lever pin.

When I first looked at this part I thought that the heck is that square piece. I didn't notice the on edge set screw on that beveled edge. Loosen that and the square moves up/down to put the high range pin in a different location to tighten up the fit between the hubs.

 

[pontiac428]

Yeah, your Chevalier deviates from the Bridgeport a lot- it's really its own breed of horse. See what I did with the language there? Anyway, the Laguns are made in Spain and more faithfully follow the Bridgeport layout but with beefier parts and a lot of minor improvements that aren't on the TW clones, but the basics still apply.

I am also thankful for HW Machine for posting their videos. Watching them break down a machine is like seeing a geek solve a Rubik's Cube in under 30 seconds, but without feeling like you should tell them they need to get a life afterwards.

 

[matthewsx]

I've watched those HW machine videos and they do make it look easy. Won't be my next project but eventually maybe....

John

 

[coolidge]

Yeah, your Chevalier deviates from the Bridgeport a lot- it's really its own breed of horse. See what I did with the language there? Anyway, the Laguns are made in Spain and more faithfully follow the Bridgeport layout but with beefier parts and a lot of minor improvements that aren't on the TW clones, but the basics still apply.

I am also thankful for HW Machine for posting their videos. Watching them break down a machine is like seeing a geek solve a Rubik's Cube in under 30 seconds, but without feeling like you should tell them they need to get a life afterwards.

LOL I should put medieval armor on the mill that would be brilliant!

I don't think it's so much that Chevalier's deviate from the Bridgeport, they also made knee mills. It's just that this particular bed mill is OVERSIZED on everything given it's a 6,600lb mill with a 17x60 table, 5hp etc. Even among the bed mill class this thing is larger. It dwarfs the Trak's.

So yeah larger thicker spindle, spindle hubs ditto, clock spring ditto and so on and so forth. It could be the Chevalier knee mills are much closer or a direct copy I don't know.

 

[coolidge]

I've watched those HW machine videos and they do make it look easy. Won't be my next project but eventually maybe....

John

I will amend my previous suggestion of how easy they are to work on with this...by some stroke of good luck my Chevalier came with all the original manuals. The Exploded parts views are quite detailed and include views from the front, side, and top. The part descriptions also excellent and detailed including industry part numbers for things like bearings, snap rings, precise sizing for machine keys and so on. I have to say without those manuals of that quality and detail yeah, this may have been a lot more challenging. In sourcing parts I came across some exploded parts views for current day bed mills, they are seriously lacking in comparison. Pretty much nothing but a part number you can give the manufacturer.

 

[matthewsx]

I will amend my previous suggestion of how easy they are to work on with this...by some stroke of good luck my Chevalier came with all the original manuals. The Exploded parts views are quite detailed and include views from the front, side, and top. The part descriptions also excellent and detailed including industry part numbers for things like bearings, snap rings, precise sizing for machine keys and so on. I have to say without those manuals of that quality and detail yeah, this may have been a lot more challenging. In sourcing parts I came across some exploded parts views for current day bed mills, they are seriously lacking in comparison. Pretty much nothing but a part number you can give the manufacturer.

I’ve never found a manual for mine, actually only ever seen one other on the internet.

John