Anyone else ever removed their R8 drive pin?

Mine disappeared about a year ago, and I keep thinking I will tear the spindle apart and replace it, but have not gotten around to it.

Seems to work just fine without it.
 
I removed mine a while back too & love it without it. Saves time changing out tooling not having to line up for the pin. Like DMS, my import mill just had a double set screw setup. One set screw with the tip dia ground down as the pin & a set screw behind it to keep it in place.

I wasn't able to get my ring off by hand using a punch. My ring has 2 holes but are very shallow. I'm sure it would have came off with some light hammering but I didn't want to risk buggering it up in case it required more force than that. I bought a cheap spanner pin wrench & it came off pretty easily with no damage at all.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0..._m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1JJEAV0ZHQ9DBKF9D64V
 
I think it is more of a guide pin then drive pin. removing it si no biggie, as I think its main job is to prevent the collet from spinning as you tighbten the drawbar. check to make sure the pin didnt deform and push up metal in the spindle, it may need some filing touchup
Tell everyone at work to leave the hogging for real horizontals!
 
Only one negative so far. I had no problem tightening the draw bar. But,Jon and I were the only users,and we never ever let any oil get into the spindle hole or on the collets. I want to take mine out,but can't get the blasted ring to unscrew. Been so long,I don't know if the ring on a Bridgeport clone is right or left hand. The worst thing is when you slip an attachment over the spindle,and can't get TO the ring. I have a right angle,a Quill Master,2 adjustable angle heads,a Volstro slotting attachment,and a Volstro circular milling attachment. Maybe I've forgotten something. All of them cover the spindle. The slotter could make trouble. It has a jarring motion with the intermittent cutting it does. I haven't used it enough to find out,since I also have a Bridgeport slotting head.

Mine is a double set screw,too. I don't think there's a setscrew on the ring. I'll feel a lll the way around to make sure. It could be on the back side. Did the other one years back. Both mills bought in 1986. They are Bridgewood,Taiwan made Bridgy clones. Very happy with them. So much so,I haven't bothered to trade them when real Bridgys came along.

Years ago,my dealer in Richmond got 3 or 4 NEW old stock Bridgeports ON ORIGINAL PALLETS ! He wanted 6K apiece. A great price,but I didn't have the money at that time. I would have been tempted if I had. Those might have actually been USA made!! And NOT worn!! I think that was about 1/2 price at the time. I'd rather have had a NOS than a new one,too,made in Singapore.
 
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I have a preowned Lagun that has a mucked up pin. I would like to remove but don't want to damage anything. Anyone know the procedure. It came with a torque rite pneumatic draw bar. Every time I change tooling, I have to really take my time aligning whats left of the pin.
Any help would be appreciated. IMG_0435.JPG
 
It was apparent someone else had removed the outer ring at some point as it was some what scarred up. I located a small set screw on the back side of the spinal guide. I indexed using a sharpie prior to removal. I should mention I lowered the spindle about 1/2" exposing the set screw that secures the ring. Ring removal was uneventful and a good time to thoroughly clean it. I noticed an indexing area where the set screw should seat after assembly preventing the threads of the collar from damage. The pin was a two piece set up, the first acting as a jam lock and the inner slotted set screw with a worn out nub of a drive pin.

Prior to assembly, I center punched an index mark (on the collar) allowing me to know where the set screw should seat once assembled. After reassembly, I stopped at the original sharpie mark (fairly snug) but the indexing mark I placed required another 1/4 turn (tighter) to align the set screw to the seat of the collar (not into fine threads). Now the question I have is, how tight should this collar be. I understand the collar is preloading the lower spindal bearings. Any help?

I hope this is in no way a highjack as the subject matter is related to the topic. I decided to tackle this nuisance after reading this post, and from the replies of not needing a drive pin. So I went to "pull a bad tooth" on my mill.

Thanks for the motivation Mr. Wison
 
Scurrying back to the original topic, I subscribe to the notion that the pin was put there with a purpose, who am I to second guess someone who was paid to develop the product.
 
spun a R8, collet in my small bench mill. Put another pin back, but some collets would not fit up.

So, left the pin out.

side note, use to run a lagun mill, bigger than that picture, finishing aluminum, lead, panels, for
x-ray, photos hospitals use. Face Mill indexable carbide cutter, 8 or 6 adjustable inserts, 10 inch diameter
holder.

My pockets had small fine particles of lead/alumin, after a day of work. Stuff got everywhere.

Charl

 
I run one Bridgeport without a pin and another with. In the many years since I've had them the only thing that sticks out in my mind is that the one with the pin takes a few seconds longer to load. If you've spun a collet under load the spindle was probably already shot.
 
I will be sending my Bridgeport spindle out to Wells to touch up the R8 taper. I spoke with them about the guide pin and they said just leave it in since it is ground down during the regrind. I will not be installing a new pin. I keep my collets clean and oil free as well. If I need to get aggressive with something I use a endmill holder.
 
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