Acra mill rehab...

[FOMOGO]

Back to work on the 10x54 Acra mill. Had been posting in the "what did you do in the shop today" section, but thought I should probably make future posts in "member projects" section so it is more readily accessible to others. Got the knee and related parts cleaned up and back on the machine, and adjusted the gibs. Installed new bearings on the Z axis worm screw shaft, and shimmed out the worm gear to remove any backlash. Then did the same mod I did on the BP by installing a grease zerk in the knee with a copper tube to supply gease to the worm gear assembly, and made a cover to keep swarf off the gears (had cleaned several lbs of it out of there). I figure anything I can do to make life easier on the cheap Chinese power feed I'm installing will be a good thing. Mike

 

[PNW_Guy]

Nice. Looking forward to seeing the inside of an Acra. I have one too, and need to make the brake work better.

 

[FOMOGO]

I never use the brake on my BP, just a 3/8" impact. Light zap on, light zap off, Never had anything come loose yet. Have plans to make a more permanent setup some day. Mike

 

[Martin W]

Looking great Mike!

 

[markba633csi]

Be sure to play Amy Winehouse while you're working: "Rehab"

 

[dkemppai]

I'll be watching you work on this one! Bridgeport here that needs to come apart, but I'm sure the process will be similar.

 

[PNW_Guy]

I never use the brake on my BP, just a 3/8" impact. Light zap on, light zap off, Never had anything come loose yet. Have plans to make a more permanent setup some day. Mike

My Acra is a big one - I'm 6'2 and the drawbar is a bit of a reach for me. Don't think I could get an impact gun up there.

 

[FOMOGO]

Yes it's a reach on the Acra. Simple step stool would do. If you build an actual mechanism you can make the operation handle easy to reach. Mike

 

[FOMOGO]

Pulled the head, ram and associated parts. Lots of rust removal, cleanup, and stoning. Have decided to leave the painting for another day, or maybe never. I don't really mind the look of a well used machine, but I probably will clean up the blue on the base that the previous owner just slapped on there. I do want everything as mechanically sound and within tolerances as I can get it without going to extraordinary measures. At my age I'd much rather be putting my machines to work making things than spending weeks, or months making them pretty, and I don't have to worry about those inevitable first chips, and scratches in the paint. Some of this stuff will be out of order, as it was done awhile back. Mike