Picked up a B-12

[tk1971]

I picked up a B-12 in great condition. Just slowly getting it in position and running.

Had to sell a small mill first to make room for it. Then I had to swap out the 3ph motor with a 110v single phase. Of course I’ll have to drill/tap new holes in the mounting plate. Then as I started it up, the capacitor on the 35 year motor started leaking and smoking… well, at least it’s already drilled/tapped for a standard 56C mounting. Thinking about getting a new capacitor to see if that fixes it, but I found a good deal on a new/old stock motor.

While waiting for the new motor, I decided to make new crank handles for the y and z, since the shared crank it came with has an enlarged square hole. Waiting for a square broach before welding it all up.

I already have a task waiting to go on the horizontal mill once it’s done.

 

[Nutfarmer]

Love the pictures

 

[markba633csi]

Diamonds are forever

 

[Aaron_W]

Welcome to the Diamond club, they are neat little machines.

That is a nice looking vertical mill you have there, I don't recognize it.

 

[tk1971]

Welcome to the Diamond club, they are neat little machines.

That is a nice looking vertical mill you have there, I don't recognize it.

The vertical mill is an Index model 40H. The company is still around as Wells-Index. I actually sent my spindle back to the factory to have them convert the B+S 9 spindle to R8. Works great. There's a post in the Wells-Index sub-forum detailing everything I did on this mill, including making the missing auto down feed parts.

For the Diamond, I'm waiting for a square broach and a motor. I'm also going to figure out how to oil it, as it has grease zerks at all the oiling locations. I figure I'd get an oiler can and adapt a zerk coupler to it and see if it'll generate enough pressure to do the job.

 

[Aaron_W]

The vertical mill is an Index model 40H. The company is still around as Wells-Index. I actually sent my spindle back to the factory to have them convert the B+S 9 spindle to R8. Works great. There's a post in the Wells-Index sub-forum detailing everything I did on this mill, including making the missing auto down feed parts.

For the Diamond, I'm waiting for a square broach and a motor. I'm also going to figure out how to oil it, as it has grease zerks at all the oiling locations. I figure I'd get an oiler can and adapt a zerk coupler to it and see if it'll generate enough pressure to do the job.

I was wondering if it might be an Index. I didn't know they had made some smaller vertical mills.

My M20 recommends grease for most lubrication areas other than the table and power feed.

 

[tk1971]

Received the square broach and finished the crank handles. The welding on the first one wasn’t as nice as I’d like. Switched to a thinner stick electrode and the 2nd one came out a little better. Need more welding practice.

One of these handles will be fixed with a set screw, likely the Y axis crank. There’s no way for both of them to be fixed, as they are so close to each other.

Still waiting for the motor. The rotary switch is wired up and ready to go.

 

[tk1971]

Mounted the motor. Made a mount for the rotary switch out of HDPE. Wired everything up. Shortened the long crank. Made a tool to tighten up the overarm.

Trammed the vise. Made my first cut on some hollow rectangular tubing. Didn’t think that one all the way through… still made the cut without slipping out of the vise.

I’m totally satisfied.

 

[markba633csi]

It's a very solid machine for its size