DANG! RF-30 PROBLEM!

[mikey]

To be honest, I don't know a whole lot about the pros and cons of sealed bearings. I do know that when people rebuild their Bridgeports they use the same type of open structure manufacturer spec'd bearings that they took out. I've never seen mentioned that they switched out to sealed bearings. That leads me to believe that there must be some disadvantage to using sealed bearings in a mill head. I might be wrong in my thinking, but original mill bearings last an awfully long time.

Bridgeport bearings run inside a sealed cartridge where debris cannot enter. Not so with an RF-30/31. There are openings in the head that allow dirt, dust and chips to access both upper and lower spindle bearings. In my view, using a sealed bearing is just smart. Moreover, you can install a higher accuracy class of bearing at the same time if you choose and improve the accuracy of your spindle. I don't really see a disadvantage to a sealed for life, permanently lubricated angular contact bearing in this application.

 

[Silverbullet]

Could be the added weight of the boring head with the off set is making a vibration . Any vibrations will really make items self destruct . Just my observations over fifty years of fixing engines and machines.