Old Bridgeport Gets New Lease On LIFE

[rb67mustang]

Then I installed the new hand crank and the screw on the clock spring shaft. Then I checked the head for Tram and I mounted my new Kurt look a like Chinese vise on the machine for the first time. Then I indicated in the shaft end that was centered in the lathe. I re-cut the center then I end for ended the shaft and held it in the V block by the same diameter I indicated to center drill the second end of the shaft. Now I can finish turn it between centers.
Checking the Head for Tram

Thanks tweinke for the like and for following my thread.

 

[tweinke]

Nice detail in your posts, keeps it interesting to me. A co worker of mine just bought a Bridgeport on an auction. That machine will be a real crapshoot. so anything i can learn here will help. I know for sure it has lots of wear in the table ways in x seems decent in y but shy of that who knows what the rest is like.

 

[rb67mustang]

Nice detail in your posts, keeps it interesting to me. A co worker of mine just bought a Bridgeport on an auction. That machine will be a real crapshoot. so anything i can learn here will help. I know for sure it has lots of wear in the table ways in x seems decent in y but shy of that who knows what the rest is like.

I agree with you, tweinke. The last machine shop I worked for when I was injured, their Bridgeport's were all old and abused. They bought an Acer (Bridgeport look a like) new that had a ProtoTrak CNC operator programmable control. That was a sweet machine to run and easy to program. That as well got the **** beat out of it, but it was still working OK when I lost my job.

My table has lots of nicks and a few circles engraved into it from end mills kissing the table. After I honed the table and cleaned it up, I can still see the swirl marks scrapped onto it when it was new in 1974. The ways have some wear, but the scrape marks are still visible but fading away. I know it will be more than good enough for what I'll do with it.

At least I can say, there will not be any new end mill marks on the table from me.

Many may know that Bridgeport is now owned by Hardinge. If anyone needs parts, I'd recommend to go there first so you get a quality made part that fits properly. https://www.shophardinge.com/kneemillparts.aspx

 

[rb67mustang]

Hi Everyone, I wanted to finish turn the power feed shaft extension I'm making over the weekend a couple of days ago. But my wife had other plans for my time. I think it was for the better because before Saturday ended, the 3/4" shaft coupling arrived. The first thing I did was measure the bore with a vernier caliper, and it was oversize by almost 0.004 thousandths. If I had turned the shaft to .750, I'd have to make another shaft due to the excessive run out. Usually all types of bearings and pulleys wouldn't be oversize more than a half thousandth. I was surprised to say the least and in a bad way.

So, I'll finish turn the shaft to fit the coupling. The only thing I have to measure a bore is a vernier caliper which isn't an accurate enough measuring tool. The next best measuring tool would be a telescoping gauge and an outside micrometer. The best would be an Intramic or a dial bore gauge. The last machine shop I worked at had everything piece of measuring equipment a machinist could want, but tools like that are quite expensive to be found in a home shop. Here's a link to a used Intramic on ebay so you can see what I'm talking about. (This listing is a B&S 1.2 to 1,4") https://www.ebay.com/itm/193585704671?hash=item2d129b6edf:g:yCkAAOSwo-VfFelA

Here's a new set of Telescoping Gauges that I should get for myself. https://www.ebay.com/itm/2827085993...Bj3iNl6FgQ%3D%3D|clp:2334524|tkp:BFBMlJHNq5xf

 

[rb67mustang]

Ok, so here's what I did to determine the bore size and to bore out one end to fit the 0.8115 Bridgeport X lead screw. First I took a piece of 1" aluminum shaft and cut two pieces about 2" long. I chucked the first piece in the lathe and I turned it down to 0.8115. Yes, I had to polish it just a bit to get what I wanted. Then I removed it and I chucked the second piece and I turned it down to .760, and then I took 1 thousand cuts until the coupling started to fit. Then I polished it until the coupling slid on with the least amount of play. The shaft diameter ended up at 0.753 thousandths in diameter. Next, I used my Dremel and ground two flat spots 90 degrees apart so I could secure the coupling to the shaft with its two set screws. Then I bored out the opposite end to fit the 0.08115 aluminum shaft I turned.

Yes, it seems like a long drawn out process. But now I know what size to finish turn the shaft extension, and the second end I bored out should run well within 1 thousandth to the 3/4" end of the coupling.

So, what if my 3 jaw chuck was big enough to grab the O.D. of the coupling? Well, if so, there's no way the 0.8115 bored end would run true to the existing 3/4" end of the coupling.

Now the images: 1. 13/16 poor mans gauge 2 & 3. 0.753 gauge/ boring arbor 4. Coupling mounted onto boring arbor 5. HS hand ground boring tool used taking light cuts because of the interrupted cut caused by the key way and a setscrew hole. 6. Finished bore 7. The 0.8115 gauge in the finished bore.

 

[rb67mustang]

Here's a short video of the altered shaft coupling.

 

[rb67mustang]

I've had a good run working on my Old Bridgeport. I have to break away from this project for a couple of days to do something else. But, I'll be back by the weekend.

So, what could be more important than the Bridgeport? In the very first post of this thread, I mentioned I have many interests and a few hobbies. So, I'll be cutting some coins. There are so many people doing this and selling their work, and some of the prices are low compared to the time they take to make. I make these as gifts for family & friends. Two of the coins I cut, I also make ear rings to match. Here a couple of images. The full cut coins take me about four hours to cutout, the ear rings take about an hour and a half. The gold tone coin is made out of aluminum bronze, and all the others are made of cupronickel and they are tough to cut and the blade wear out fast.

The big Lion coin is about the size of a Kennedy Half Dollar, the 3 String Lyre coin is about the size of a Quarter, and the small lion coin is about the size of a dime. Yes, I have to wear an Optivisor to cut these and it gets tiring after a while.

The fourth image shows one of the holder I make out of aluminum bar stock in the lathe, drill press and cutoff saw.

 

[rb67mustang]

Here's a short video of the altered shaft coupling.

Thanks again tweinke!

 

[rb67mustang]

Hi Everyone, I should have been back to the Old Bridgeport by now. I have all the parts to completely put the machine in working order. Two days after my last post, I was out doing a few errands, gas up the car & food shopping. Between the gas station and the supermarket I was going to I was rear ended at a traffic light. I was stopped with two vehicles in front of me. The light turned green and just before I started to move forward I was struck by a young woman paying more attention to her cell phone than the road. How do I know this? I have a dual dash cam system in my car.

Upon impact, I looked in my rear view mirror to see the shock of the woman's face. I hesitated for a second or two, and I pulled off to the side of the road. As I did so, this sweet woman backed up and sped past me and hooked a hard left. My forward camera caught that part of the action. I almost thought to chase the young fool, but I didn't. I called the Police so I could start a case against the woman, and my dash cam system caught all the evidence in living color. I wish I could have seen the look on the woman's face when the Police knocked on her door and presented her with the two tickets she earned herself. My back is hurting a lot more than it usually does and my car is already in the shop. Before long, I'll be back to my Hobbies.

 

[Steve-F]

Awesome job there !!!