Just got an Index 645...

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When you decide to unload another piece of machinery, place your strap as low to the bottom as you can. Where it is now, if it had got away from you going down that ramp, it would have flipped on it's back before you could blink an eye! Try to be safe. We don't like to hear about the one that got away. You can't beat that trailer, they are nice. Ken
 
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I see now what you are referring to. The end of the gib looks as it has been broken off. W-I did not finish the end of the gibs. What you are looking at is the "as cast" surface. Its fine. Mine are the same way. Ken
 
Interesting that the end housing seems to be broken on everyone's machine. I guess i'll stop worrying about it.

TJ, I found your thread when I was researching the mill before I bought it, and have been following along for sure. I actually recounted your mill retrieval debacle to the guy I bought mine from, and he said "is that why you asked twice if I had a machine that could load it on a trailer?" Sure was! Strangely, on eBay the seller listed it as a Model 55, but it was clear in the pictures it was a 645, most notably the pic showing the mfr plate with "Model 645" on the top.

Anyway, thanks for the info on the gib adjustment. I will do a little YouTube hunting and start playing with that. I thought I could see when watching carefully from underneath that the table had a bit of a wavy motion as I cranked it along. I imagine it hasn't been adjusted in ... a decade at least.

Ken, thanks for the word of caution on unloading. I never really let it go "down" the ramp exactly, once the front started to show light I used some wedges to keep it basically level until it was clear. Then I used a pry bar to gradually pull the wedges and get it on the pipes, so it was never more than a few degrees off of upright. But duly noted. I suppose the best approach would be a pair of straps - one low as you suggested, and one high where I have it.
 
I've had some time over the last few days to spend a little more time w/ the 645. First off was, is, and shall be for a while - cleaning. I mean, at least below the saddle, this thing clearly hasn't seen a rag since, well, possibly when it was made. Step one was a scraper. I'd say that's a good 1/16" thick layer of yuck.

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After some scraping, shop vac'ing, and Goof-Off'ing (not to be confused with goofing off), I got it a bit more presentable.

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Obviously not done, but ran out of paper towels!

After that, I started poking around a bit more. The head nod seems to work swell - I took it over to 15-20* in each direction and it was no problem. The head tilt was great in one direction, but seemed a bit wonky in the other. I'll have to play with that a bit more.

Which brings up my next question - how do you adjust the ram travel fore/aft and the ram rotation about the turret? The top looks like this:

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I assumed I needed to loosen the two nuts near the front and back, and then twist the shaft that sticks out towards the back of the pic. But with the two nuts loose, the shaft didn't want to turn. I loosened that 3rd nut (under the power cable in the pic) but that didn't make any difference, and the stud it was on seemed to turn as well. I was also expecting to find a pair of corresponding nuts on the other side of the ram, but they weren't there. I can see the chain on the underside of the ram, so I know there's something to turn to move it in/out.

To rotate the ram on the turret I assume I need to loosen all 4 bolts on the underside of the top of the turret (you can see the indent for one in the above pic), but then is rotating a manual operation? Or is that the shaft I see towards the back in the above pic?

Here is the collection of stuff that came with the mill (not including a heavy duty but very beat up drill vise).

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So there's a bunch of drill chucks, more chuck keys than I'll ever use in a lifetime, a set of collets (1/8-5/8 in 1/8 inc), a couple of T-nuts that were holding the vise, and then the stuff on the right. Okay, the one is for mounting a chuck into a Morse taper, but the two on the far right I'm clueless on. The 2nd from right appears to be just a big as f*** drill bit for boring, or maybe it's for threading said enormous holes? Really no idea, but I don't see me using that. What is it mounted in though? And then the thing on the far right, no idea. I can turn the lower "bowl" part maybe 45* separate from the top part, but that's it. Doesn't obviously come apart, or loosen it's grip on anything.

Finally, is a drawbar really just as simple as a threaded rod? I'm reasonably certain this particular one was not stock! The dark part directly under the nut is threaded, is that what the real drawbar is supposed to thread to?

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First, the ram not moving in or out. There should be four studs with nuts clamping the ram to the column. I only see three and a hole where there should be a fourth bolt. It's no big deal, should work fine with just three bolts. Next clean up the dovetails the best you can on the ram and rub oil on the dovetails and under neath too by hand. Loosen the nuts and back off about two turns. Next, get you a 4 x 4 block about 12" and a 12 lb. sledge. This is where you need a third hand to hold the block. Give the ram a few hits on the sides. This should break it loose where it will slide. Next, give it a couple hits on each end and see if it moves. If it does, put a wrench on the square shaft about midways down the base of the ram and crank it in and out. Run it all the way it will go from one direction, clean the dovetails and oil. Crank it to the other end and do the same.
 
I see two problems with the drawbar, chop it off to where it only sticks out about 2 to 3". Next, it is missing the backup nut that screws onto the spindle. The true drawbar that originally came with that mill had a shoulder that would be trapped under this nut. This would aid in getting the collets loose from the spindle.
Those are Brown & Sharpe style collets your mill uses. Don't over tighten them! If you do, they will be a bear to get loose.
 
i think i have a manual
but here is something until i find it
 

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For the ram - do what Ken said. Be careful, I broke the shaft on mine by trying to turn it with a big wrench without getting it broke free first!

To rotate the turret - loosen the four bolts, then rotate it by hand.
 
As for these:
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The left one might be a large reamer or milling bit, but the end looks broken off.
Also, cannot tell what it's mounted in.

The right one might be either:
1) a tapping head like these: https://duckduckgo.com/?q=procunier+tapping+head&t=hb&iax=images&ia=images
2) or a high-speed/low-torque to low speed/high torque converter....basically a planetary gear system in a housing....like this old Versamatic: http://collectiblehardware-tools.com/products/versamatic-drill-speed, but a drill-press version.....

If it was a tapping head, I'd expect it to have a threaded blind hole on the outside for a bar that rests against the drill-press/mill column to keep the housing from rotating during use. Also, it should have a little 4-jaw collet system for grabbing taps.

Better pictures would help for sure.

-brino
 
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