Table cleaning and collet holding

[robhumble]

Two questions for new to me Bridgeport

1. I want to clean and true up the table, take out the burrs, etc. Should I just flat file it?

2. I’m missing the key in the spindle that keeps the collet from rotating. I think I can live without it, because I certainly don’t want to pull the whole spindle to replace it. What’s the community consensus?

Update… I found the procedure to replace the screws (T & U), but now where do I buy the parts?

 

[projectnut]

The parts are available from H&W machine repair. The "key" is actually a setscrew. It's 1/4" in diameter but has a proprietary thread. I replaced the one in my machine about 20 years ago. It isn't a big project. H&W has a video on their website detailing how it's done.

Here's a link to their website:

Home

Your trusted source for Bridgeport Machine Replacement Parts and Services. We're the best place to get metalworking parts & services online!

machinerypartsdepot.com

 

[wachuko]

Flat file!? I believe folks recommend using a flat stone… not a file. Just going by memory, so I could be wrong.

 

[GT-6 Racer]

Oh yes only use properly ground precision flat stones. Don't use a file.

Precision Benchstones – Stefan Gotteswinter

 

[GL]

Will be interested in other comments about the collet stop. Been using my mill for 15 y without a stop, always meant to fix it but didn’t get around to it. Haven’t seen an issue without the stop, but don’t lean on it either.
For precision ground flat stones went to Lance Balzey at 26acremaker for mine - nice product, been impressed with how they work. Kind of interesting what the table surface looks like after stoning. Old school machinist said flat files were the flattest way to get things fixed, but flat stones are way better.

 

[mmcmdl]

I recommend a Blanchard Burr Buster .

https://us.amazon.com/Sticks-Stones-Abrasives-Blanchard-Scratches/dp/B00QGRYZBQ

 

[durableoreo]

I don't think you'll need a file. If you have a bad spot, apply the corner of a precision-ground flat stone with heavy pressure. They normally cut with very light pressure because the burr is so small. If you have a big ding, you need to press hard.

A sharp file is a precision tool in good hands. Just don't let the welder drag that file backwards!

 

[Chipper5783]

The precision ground flat stones are great, but not really necessary on a mill table that has been used / abused for several decades. Think about what you are trying to accomplish - you need to confirm that there are no appreciable high points (you are not trying to make it pretty, you are making it functional). If you want to make the table pretty, that is a whole nother topic. You could use a stone right out of the box (you want it to be clean, no imbedded particles ). The significant point has to do with your stoning technique - don’t attack the table like a wild man. Simply first clean the table (ie wipes and WD40), then run the stone evenly over the entire table with modest pressure. Basically you will be able to feel the stone catch on high points, if you don’t feel anything catch, then don’t keep stoning. If there is a catch, pass over it a couple times until the catch is gone.

If the table has seen a lot of abuse, you may need to draw file a bit. Stoning and filing are an order of magnitude different in material removal (like a bulldozer vs a shovel - each tool will move dirt, but different applications).

The diamond treated stones are good, because the high points are knocked off so the stone will tend to glide on the flat tops. A poor man’s version of precision ground stones are to take a regular stone and work it with a diamond ”stone” (mine is a 3M product). It won’t be as deadly flat as a precision ground stone, but you will still take off the sharp peaks and give you the glide effect (a regular stone that you have worked on a diamond stone is much less aggressive than the same stone before you worked it on the diamond).

 

[GL]

Agree with Chipper5783. A flat bar with 400-600 emery and wd-40 would be pretty close for many clean up purposes. And, yes, I still like my precision ground flat stones, but know they are a luxury not a necessity. We have to remember sometimes that the price for precision has been reduced considerably of late, but that doesn’t mean there’s necessarily a requirement. As hobby guys, it’s easy to chase tenths, but there’s really few reasons to, for most projects we engage in. Even with the accuracy we think we can measure, we really don’t have the means to achieve it reliably. A vertical mill isn’t that accurate. Our shops aren’t temperature controlled close enough - real accuracy is a whole rabbit hole most of us have minimal understanding of, and at the end of the day don’t really need. Get rid of the obvious issues, by whatever means at your disposal. Make parts and tools, have fun. You will still be more clever than most people will understand.