Craftex B1977

WCraig

WCraig

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I posted in another thread that I bought an RF-30 type mill through an online auction. There doesn't seem to be that much information out there online about this model of machine so I thought I'd start a thread with my questions and what I figure out.

The machine was built in 2008 and sold by Busy Bee in Canada. They labelled it "B1977" but in the manual [1], it is shown as "MD-30B". I guess this means it is a copy of the Rong Fu RF-30.

[1] B1977

Basic specs are:

Manual specs page.jpg

My machine got home and looks like this, currently:

front.jpg

left.jpg motor plate.jpg

It came with a BT-3 digital readout from Shooting Star Technology and an AL-25 power feed by Align. Haven't reinstalled the power feed since I got it home.

I did not get a proper milling vise with it and I only have a single R8 collet (1/4 inch) that was in the spindle. I did get clamping kit with the machine. Other than that and the one collet, I have no work-holding or tool-holding! As you can imagine, I'm scratching a list of what I think I want.

There is some surface rust on the table and pulleys. There is a considerable amount of dirt and grime that suggests the machine hasn't been run for a couple of years or more. Several of the handles are bent but everything that should move seems to move OK. I need to rig up a 240V extension cord into the garage before I can apply power. I need to reorganize my basement shop before I can move this (in pieces) to its home.

Craig
 
My first question is lubrication. The manual says nothing about which lubes to use, where to apply them and how often!

Y slides: I can get at either end. Do I just squirt in some light machine oil? Or should I be using Way Oil like on the lathe?

X slides: Do I have to remove the table to clean and lube these slides? I don't see any way to apply oil, otherwise?!?

Spindle: The sliding portion of the spindle is visible behind the DRO scale. Do I just smear some oil on there? Anything special?

Column: After I clean some of the rust off, should I apply grease or oil? Or a dry lube?

Power feed: At least the gears need some lube, right? Oil, grease or something else?

Any other areas that I should address?

Thanks,

Craig
 
Here's the manual for similar model:

It explains how to lubricate. I just use a light oil like 0-20 and a toothbrush to the it on the ways.

I would check the lower spindle bearing area for over heating. Mine was sitting for a few years too and overheated so I pulled the spindle apart and cleaned it up, has been fine ever since.

Consider a set of ER25 collets and chuck - about $45 on ebay for a full set. This will hold all drill bit sizes and end mills up to 5/8"
 
Craig, I am attaching the manual for the Emco RF-30/31. It should essentially be the same machine and most of the info you need is in there.

I will tell you what I used for lube.
  • X and Y ways: way oil. I removed the tables but you should be able to adequately lube the ways by moving the tables to their extreme limits and applying oil to the ways directly. There are also several oil fittings on the tables that you can use.
  • Quill: I used hydraulic oil. I removed the quill but you can access most of the quill by removing the cover on the front of the head. I also used grease in back of the quill - there are teeth in the back that engage the downfeed pinion. Remove the downfeed pinion and grease those teeth and the pinion and reassemble.
  • Column: I used hydraulic oil. You can access the entire column by moving the head up and down.
  • Power feed: this uses grease on the drive gears that hook up to the table.
 

Attachments

  • RF-31 Manual.pdf
    1.9 MB · Views: 18
From the tag on the motor, you ought to be able to run it on 120, unless you want 240, or course.
 
@martik777 & @mikey Thanks to both of you. Those manuals are far more extensive than the one specific to my model. I'll study them in more detail. I appreciate the other suggestions, too.

Craig
 
T Bredehoft said:
From the tag on the motor, you ought to be able to run it on 120, unless you want 240, or course.
Click to expand...
It is wired for 240 right now and has a magnetic starter. I think the starter coil is 240V, as well. Anyway, I have the parts for a 240V extension cord so I'm going to give that a go tomorrow. Hopefully no magic smoke will be released!

Craig
 
The good -- my homemade 240 volt extension cord worked fine and the mill fired up with no drama. Nice and quiet. Also found a guy selling some machining tools and picked up 10 R8 collets so I can actually hold a tool in the machine! Plus an R8-to-Jacobs taper that I think will fit one of my drill chucks.

The not-so-good -- the X axis scale for the DRO was bent. The Shooting Star DRO scales are just a thin steel rod with fine teeth milled in one side. Some clod must have grabbed it as a handle to drag the machine around and put a significant bend in one end. I removed it and spend quite a bit of time trying to coax it back straight. Two spots are defying me. The encoder head sticks on the one spot and simply won't go past the other. The worst spot seems to have a kink in the rod and may be distorted out of round. Looks like I'm going to have to order a replacement ($100).

The other -- as mentioned above, I don't have a proper milling vise. The various postings I've seen essentially boil down to:

"Nothing but a true Kurt is acceptable. Fork over your $800 or live in shame forever!!*"
"My offshore vise is great and cost less than a dinner out."

I have a couple of drill presses vises so I'm going to limp along that way while I watch for deals and get a better handle on what I want.

I really want to make some chips with this thing but I also feel that I ought to pull the table off and make sure everything is clean and lubed. And the spindle definitely needs a clean-and-lube treatment although I don't expect to pull it apart.

Craig

* The love of your life will forgive, eventually. Probably.
 
Following up from my last post, Shooting Star Technologies [1] got me the needed replacement parts quite quickly and my X axis DRO is now working. "Now" is a key word there. I have no idea how the previous owner could have made it work. The scale and the reader head were misaligned both horizontally and vertically. I had to make new standoffs for the scale and elongate the mounting holes in the bracket on the reader head to get anywhere close. Lot of futzing to figure out the alignment.

[1] http://www.star-techno.com/index.htm

The Z axis readout isn't right, either. If I feed down, the readout jumps 5-10 thous when I start the machine. I think the head is binding and the vibration on startup lets it release. Doesn't happen when adjusting upwards, however. Hopefully it just needs a washer or two in the right spot.

The power feed needs attention, as well. It works...but only at max speed! I'm hoping the Rapid Switch is stuck. Does anybody have an Align power feed? I don't feel any action when I press the rapid switch. Mine is a model AL-200S which I believe was replaced by the AL-500D a few years ago.

Craig
 
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