- Joined
- Apr 30, 2015
- Messages
- 11,330
If I recall, R-8 is a Bridgeport invention, but there are many aftermarket vendors for them
Little Machine Shop is one
Little Machine Shop is one
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RONG FU RF40 MILL DRILL
- Thread starter Big Pete
- Start date
Just my recommendations. Pull the quill, clean and grease the bearings. Then put her back together and then level the bed to the quill. Do you have any pictures? I love my RF mill it meets my needs very well. Last project I posted was mounting a vevor mill power drive. A project that I really over thought.
Just a personal opinion I removed the alignment pin in my quill for the R8 collets, mine had twisted meaning that when I tried to insert r8 collets they would not fit. Or kind of fit then need smashing out. Super frustrating. So I removed the guide pin, which is a ground threaded grub screw. I did this a couple years ago and have never had an issue with it not being in the quill. I don't think the rf mills have enough torque to need it. I could be wrong just my personal opinion.
As for tooling I have a couple sets of r8 collets and end mill holders and don't have any issues. Just make sure that the draw bar threads are the same. Fun little project is to make a socket wrench hammer for the draw bar. Socket to loosen the draw bar and a little hammer to knock it out.
Just a personal opinion I removed the alignment pin in my quill for the R8 collets, mine had twisted meaning that when I tried to insert r8 collets they would not fit. Or kind of fit then need smashing out. Super frustrating. So I removed the guide pin, which is a ground threaded grub screw. I did this a couple years ago and have never had an issue with it not being in the quill. I don't think the rf mills have enough torque to need it. I could be wrong just my personal opinion.
As for tooling I have a couple sets of r8 collets and end mill holders and don't have any issues. Just make sure that the draw bar threads are the same. Fun little project is to make a socket wrench hammer for the draw bar. Socket to loosen the draw bar and a little hammer to knock it out.
- Joined
- Dec 3, 2020
- Messages
- 159
I've had good luck buying used collets on ebay. I stick with good brands, nothing Chinese. They're quite hard and difficult to damage, so used seems about as good as new, to my untrained eye. I like it when they're gouged up on the outer face, since that makes them sell for cheaper, and it doesn't hurt the funtion at all.
Making yourself a rack to hold your collets is a good first milling machine project. You just have to decide how many holes. Like, are you planning on getting every 64th? That's a lot of collets. My rack only holds all the 1/16" sizes, and I haven't filled in all the holes yet. I buy 'em as I need 'em. Leave holes for other R-8 tooling too, not just collets. If you want metric collets as well as fractional, you're gonna need a pretty big rack.
Making yourself a rack to hold your collets is a good first milling machine project. You just have to decide how many holes. Like, are you planning on getting every 64th? That's a lot of collets. My rack only holds all the 1/16" sizes, and I haven't filled in all the holes yet. I buy 'em as I need 'em. Leave holes for other R-8 tooling too, not just collets. If you want metric collets as well as fractional, you're gonna need a pretty big rack.
Mark Davie and Bulgie Thanks guys
Just got back from the Hershey fall car meet flea market. I picked up a collet and bit that looks correct but it seems that I am unable to install as the grove that lines up with the keyway is not deep enough. It was marked R-8 and shaft Looks to be the same. I think I will buy one off the web and hope it fits and maybe cut that grove a little deeper. Thanks for the heads up on the Little machine shop site, I also received the manual from MSC Industrial Supply Co. Now I can find out what the Quill is. And post some pics. The table still has the plastic covering the grease when leat the factory,
Just got back from the Hershey fall car meet flea market. I picked up a collet and bit that looks correct but it seems that I am unable to install as the grove that lines up with the keyway is not deep enough. It was marked R-8 and shaft Looks to be the same. I think I will buy one off the web and hope it fits and maybe cut that grove a little deeper. Thanks for the heads up on the Little machine shop site, I also received the manual from MSC Industrial Supply Co. Now I can find out what the Quill is. And post some pics. The table still has the plastic covering the grease when leat the factory,
