Beauty in The Beast: Webb 5BVK Barn Find/Conversion

Once you get past a lot of the cleaning, you will want to change all the gear oil. There are fittings that look like grease fittings but they are oiler fittings. Too often people have used them to add grease. Yours may be no different. That requires removing the tubes and cleaning the compartments that are fed by the oil. The tubes are generally a small plastic tube that can be cleaned out pretty easily.

I would take a few minutes and watch some of Steve Summers videos on YouTube. He has done a pretty good job of opening up old mills and cleaning out years of neglect and abuse. A great reference, regardless of the make of the machine. The concepts behind these machines are pretty common so applicable lessons to be learned. Of course there are many others that you can draw from. I enjoy watching Steve and I like the work he does. Here is a link to the newest (old) piece of equipment he acquired. There are a series of videos on the cleaning and lubricant replacements.

 
Thanks gents.
matthewsx said:
Don’t know if I’d use a vacuum if you’ve put kero in there.
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You've got a point... steered clear of kero - went with some blue degreaser and power washer... Neighbors are already wondering what the hell that thing is parked in front of the house - adding a burning shop vac just seems gratuitous. Agreed.
JimDawson said:
That 2'' drop on the ramp looks like a 10 ft drop when you have a top heavy machine. Get some help to do it.
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I hear you.
Got a taste of how top heavy these things are - when we were loading it on the trailer.
Gonna get it in position and then think hard about how to traverse off trailer and in to garage.
Tks.
matthewsx said:
I'd say fill it with water if you haven't already and see if there's a drain. If none you could use a pressure washer with an angled tip, if it were me I'd try to avoid drilling new holes.
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Well - you were in good company on that one with Papa Charlie.
And I have used a shop vac - but honestly - its a PIA.
At some point - that thing needs a drain!
JimDawson said:
Normally a scraper and a shop vac is the way I do it.
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Ok - didn't know these existed - tho I really think a wire wheel if right sized could do wonders. I opted for a Dremel with some scotch brite wheels. It was tedious - but table is coming along nicely.
Papa Charlie said:
I would take a few minutes and watch some of Steve Summers videos on YouTube.
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Thanks for that. Looks like he has some good stuff - and I hadn't found him before your tip. I'll dive in and watch a few. Appreciate it.

In the end - I used a pressure washer out front of my house - for the find work - and made two trips to the car wash for the heavy stuff.
It's a handful backing that thing out of a washing bay and into traffic lanes to exit...
Twice.

In the rush - totally failed to shoot pics of the before on the knee - but I got inside and just blasted 20 years of stuff out.
One casted sectioned crevice at a time.
Got a good look at the screws and ways.
Everything looks nice.

Cleaned and polished as I went - then blew dry with air and coated with WD 40 as Jim had suggested.
Feel pretty good about where I got it to over two days of cleaning.

Couple pictures just for the fun of it below.
Tomorrow - I'll post some detail pics so everyone can see the condition we are starting with.
Plan is to finally snake it into the driveway and look at the unloading conditions.

-CM
This twiceIMG_2251.JPG

With some of this:IMG_2308 2.jpg

And plenty of that:IMG_2307 2.jpg
 
Very Good. That's a relief.

It seemed to roll more freely than I expected.

How tall is the machine as it sits?
 
extropic said:
Very Good. That's a relief.

It seemed to roll more freely than I expected.

How tall is the machine as it sits?
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Thanks -You're not kidding! (relief).
Opted not to bring help - seemed like a heck of an ask for someone to give up their entire Memorial Day.
Also wasn't sure how stable it would be - and didnt want to bring someone in without knowing the risk.

If you notice at the start of the video - I have the front to wheels already down.
I had the trailer at a negative incline - and had to actually pull it to that position.
Then - just before I shot that video - I raised the trailer bed so it was all angled down hill.

It was a bear of a job over all.
The trailer bed got hot from the sun, the wheels softened and deformed, and then bound on the frame I made.
Had to do some in-field surgery with a grinder to create more clearance.

Total height is ~93" - though it might be a few more with the power draw bar back on.
Once you get it moving - its pretty good to roll - but the first inch is best helped out with a pry bar.
Imperfect - but I will say - the rolling frame was a lifesaver.
Would never have tried that with a pallet jack - this thing's CG is off center with all those electronics boxes.
 
By "bound on the frame I made", do you mean the casters wouldn't swivel 360°? Please elucidate.

I prefer using a pallet jack for moving things around on the shop floor, but I understand why your cradle was better for the move.

So many homes only have 7' tall garage doors. Thank goodness you've got enough clearance.

I suggest that you manually operate the X-Y and Knee to be sure any water (from pressure washing) on the ways is dried up ASAP.
 
I know the machine your talking about....you do Realize you have a FANUC Control right?
You need a parameter manual and to start entering some parameters.
Unless you have a bad chip on the mother board.
Forget the HANDLES and work on that control or sell the control to me!
 
I believe the assembled height is 89 inches and the weight aprox 4 times that of a Bridgeport lol
I base this on using my cherry picker (3000lb.) Capacity.
I unloaded my 12 x 48 Bridgeport in three peices with said picker.
Column with knee, headstock and table/saddle.
I had to disassemble the mill like yours to first get it in my seven foot doorway and second because it is soooooo heavy.
I separated the column from the bed, 6 bolts.
I found no drain for the coolant reservoir in the bed, that was the first thing to get cleaned out.
I made my move with the parts in several trips as it was to much for my 2 ton capacity truck, each load I took to the car wash before taking it to the shop.
The above style mill was built in Taiwan and sold in America under several brand names Hurco, Sharp, Yamatake and several others.
 
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