- Joined
- Jul 2, 2014
- Messages
- 107
Hello.
This thread will document a project in which two vintage horizontal milling machines will be combined to form a unique 'machining centre'. The project will be a long-term one, as I'll be developing it at my workshop in France. I only get over there three or four times a year, and when I do I have plenty of other things to keep me busy, so this thread will develop very slowly indeed.
The base of the Twin Dragon will be an old, heavy and very Gothic French cabinet. It can be seen in the picture of the second machine, below. The top of it will be reinforced by a slab of thick plywood (stained and varnished) upon which the machines will sit. From the front, the machine on the left will be the recently restored Burke No.0 which was the subject of another thread . Here it is:
To the right of the Burke will sit a very interesting antique Swiss seven-headed machine which I bought in England earlier this year. I believe it came from a watch or clock factory in Switzerland and I suspect it isn't far off two hundred years old. One of the beauties of this machine is that a workpiece can be run past seven different cutters - all set to different positions - in succession:
Both machines will be powered by one motor. Because the spindles of the seven-headed mill are in 'parallel' and are also adjustable in two axes, the drive for the system will be quite complicated and will involve numerous idler pulleys, a serpentine belt and a counterweighted tensioning arm. The oak post which is just visible in the above picture will be the main support for the motor and drive, and may be braced by fixing to the wall. Other cross-beams will also be required, and the whole thing will be quite a contraption. I'm not sure yet whether to use the old single-phase motor and countershaft that I have, or to add a touch of hi-tech with a three-phase motor and inverter.
When the Twin Dragon is complete it should be a versatile setup for the milling, grinding, drilling and goodness knows what else of small workpieces. But when it will be complete I do not know...
This thread will document a project in which two vintage horizontal milling machines will be combined to form a unique 'machining centre'. The project will be a long-term one, as I'll be developing it at my workshop in France. I only get over there three or four times a year, and when I do I have plenty of other things to keep me busy, so this thread will develop very slowly indeed.
The base of the Twin Dragon will be an old, heavy and very Gothic French cabinet. It can be seen in the picture of the second machine, below. The top of it will be reinforced by a slab of thick plywood (stained and varnished) upon which the machines will sit. From the front, the machine on the left will be the recently restored Burke No.0 which was the subject of another thread . Here it is:
To the right of the Burke will sit a very interesting antique Swiss seven-headed machine which I bought in England earlier this year. I believe it came from a watch or clock factory in Switzerland and I suspect it isn't far off two hundred years old. One of the beauties of this machine is that a workpiece can be run past seven different cutters - all set to different positions - in succession:
Both machines will be powered by one motor. Because the spindles of the seven-headed mill are in 'parallel' and are also adjustable in two axes, the drive for the system will be quite complicated and will involve numerous idler pulleys, a serpentine belt and a counterweighted tensioning arm. The oak post which is just visible in the above picture will be the main support for the motor and drive, and may be braced by fixing to the wall. Other cross-beams will also be required, and the whole thing will be quite a contraption. I'm not sure yet whether to use the old single-phase motor and countershaft that I have, or to add a touch of hi-tech with a three-phase motor and inverter.
When the Twin Dragon is complete it should be a versatile setup for the milling, grinding, drilling and goodness knows what else of small workpieces. But when it will be complete I do not know...
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