Another 40H

[Blackfly]

It seems another grimy old machine followed me home about week and a half ago, this time it was a Index 40H, circa 1947. (My serial number is 40H3080, which seems to put the “H” in a different spot that the others I’ve seen). I took everything apart, gave it a thorough cleaning, lube, and adjustment. It seems to be overall decent shape.
Except...the saddle gib is broken in half. I can still get it to tighten up and still move surprisingly smoothly, but I’m thinking job 1 will be to make a new one and scrape it in, which will be something new for me. I called wells-index and had to get him to pull the prints for it to convince him it wasn’t a tapered gib. he said he’d never seen one like that. But I got the dimensions for
Issue #2, the old double taper collet holder is very, very stuck in the spindle. I’ve tried just about every trick in the book to get it out, and even made up a few tricks of my own, but it seems to run true, so I’m just about at the point where I’m going to give in and get some collets for it and go with that (all it can with was a 5/8). Those collets seem to work for the Tree mill folks. Though I’m open to suggestions.
(non) issue #3- a couple of the pulleys are broken, but it’s going to get a vfd, so I don’t think I’ll need them.
4) it’s missing the power feeds, but I’ll survive

still a lot of nice flaking on the table.


That’s bad


the obligatory trailer shot.


finally got it moved into place today. I think it makes a lovely compliment to my 1944 Logan 200, don’t you agree?

 

[Jim F]

Get some BG In-Force, best penetrant on the market.

 

[markba633csi]

Nothing wrong with double taper collets- if you need more Steve at tools-n-gizmos has them:

Tools-n-Gizmos Inventory Index - Collets

-Mark

 

[Blackfly]

The only thing "wrong" with them is I only have one... but I have full sets of ER40 and ER 20 collets. It would be nice to be able to use those instead of buying more collets, but that's the way it goes sometimes.

 

[Blackfly]

Time for an update, as I think finally have the mill working the way it should (at least for now)

I had to make a new pulley for the motor. I tried to repair the other one, but it didn’t hold up for long, so I figured I’d make one from scratch rather than continue to fight it.

I made a replacement gib for the saddle.
Considering this was my first milling project ever, on a mill with a broken gib, and I don’t have a surface grinder, and my first go at hand scraping, I’m pretty satisfied with the result. The saddle now moves nice and smoothly and is acceptably tight. Gotta love a machine that can make its own replacement parts.





The collet chuck is still firmly stuck, so I picked up some more collets for it and cut a wrench on my Cnc router.

Now that that’s all done, I need to figure out what I want to make with this thing.

 

[matthewsx]

I got tools, to make tools, to fix my tools

 

[Blackfly]

I got tools, to make tools, to fix my tools

I feel like that’s the path I’m one. ...Use the lathe to make arbor adapters for the bench grinder to mount a diamond wheel to grind a scraper to scraped the gib. Maybe I’ll make a steady rest and taper attachment for the lathe. The taper attachment would be handy if I ever get this collet chuck out of the mill for turning some B&S Tapers...at some point, I’ll need up with a ridiculously well equipped shop for no reason other than it was fun to do.

 

[Kevin J]

Universal Style Collets - Galaxy Products

Galaxy Products Double taper Collets are interchangeable with all Universal Style Double taper Collets. Our Universal Style Collets come in 5 different sizes, check out the table below. All parts are made in USA and all sizes are available upon request. Click here to view more high-quality...

www.gpcollets.com

Galaxy Collets can supply double taper collets. What I have bought from them have been very high quality. You have a nice machine there.
Kevin J

 

[Blackfly]

I got some from them to get me up and running. At some point this collet chuck will probably need to come out to replace the spindle bearings (they seem to have some play in them), but at this point the only way I see to get the collet chuck out is to bore it out. It’s really in there.

 

[Shootymacshootface]

Nice job on the gib.
Does that mill have an R8 spindle?