Van Norman No 16 - Just Picked Up

M

makerkid

Registered
Registered
Joined
Feb 21, 2016
Messages
21
image.png Hi All,

I'm new to the forum. I'm a hobbyist and I enjoy working on old equipment and machinery and in general makin stuff. I've wanted a mill for years but never made it happen...but I stumbled on an opportunity to pick up a Van Norman no 16, the price was decent so I went for it. Glad I did. Been wanting a Van Norman. I think it's in decent shape. It's missing the Overarm support, had no tooling, so I've been hunting for collets, and agonizing over the Hardinge 5v prices. I cleaned it up a bit, the Y axis was pretty tight, and put new fluids in...will wire it up today and try to make some chips, need to mill a spindle key for it.

image.png
 
Last edited:
Welcome to the forum. Looks like a nice score on the Van Norman. You can make the overarm support if you can't find one. Sorry, I know nothing about the collets for that machine, or much else for that matter. I do know from other old machines that if you can get a couple collets to fit it, then you can make or otherwise acquire more reasonably priced tool holding systems with straight shanks to fit the collets you have.
 
Thanks Bob, I don't know if I will ever find the overarm support, but I found a few Collets on Ebay.
Thats a start. I hope to be able to do what you suggested, and run other straight shank tools in the spindle if I can find the larger collets say 1/2 to 3/4 inch. I may try to make some tooling as well. Could be a fun projects.
 
You won't find the over ram support. As for collects and other stuff, eBay is about your best choice. They seem to show up in bursts. The 3/4" collet is expensive, the only one to come up on eBay in the last year sold for $145, Hardinge will sell you a new one for $155. It will take time, but you'll find what you need.

Jason
 
So I wired up the no 16. Seems like everything worked. I milled a good spindle key after shaping one by hand with the angle grinder just to get an end mill in the spindle. I noticed however that it did not take long for the top of the spindle head to get warm. Then as I changed speeds etc, the motor had a hard time driving the spindle and finally the either an over current or over heat shut off kicked in. Yikes ! Now the spindle won't even start up unless it is on a low gear. I guess I will be tearing apart the spindle head and gearbox. Darn I was hoping even thing would be fine. . .oh well...
 
Cool, another VN HM member!
Good score on the VN16.

When you are ready I'll be happy to work with you on giving you some ideas for making one of steel.
Or, I'm working on casting a support for a VN16 for another HM member, if you'd like one.

Daryl
MN
 
Jason Annen said:
You won't find the over ram support. As for collects and other stuff, eBay is about your best choice. They seem to show up in bursts. The 3/4" collet is expensive, the only one to come up on eBay in the last year sold for $145, Hardinge will sell you a new one for $155. It will take time, but you'll find what you need.

Jason
Click to expand...
Thanks Jason. I'm shocked I found several on ebay already. 3 came in last week and 3 more arrive next week. I will probably just bite the bullet and buy a 3/4 from Hardinge at some point. I am going to try to turn some horizontal arbors and a shell mill arbor and slitting saw arbor. We shall see. I'm just getting started, so no rush.
 
Uglydog said:
Cool, another VN HM member!
Good score on the VN16.

When you are ready I'll be happy to work with you on giving you some ideas for making one of steel.
Or, I'm working on casting a support for a VN16 for another HM member, if you'd like one.

Daryl
MN
Click to expand...
Daryl, Thanks very much ! Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I think I would be interested in a casting. I think the support is made of several components correct? I called RPI last week, they claimed to have a casting for a no 16 support, I did not ask for a quote. . .probably need to re-mortgage first...
 
image.jpeg I pulled the spindle head to check to see if the heat at the top bearing was causing a lot of resistance and straining the motor. To my surprise the spindle spun easily by hand and it was surprisingly clean inside the head. Turns out the pulley set screw was loose and the pulley was rubbing up against the gear box. So I adjusted the pulley and put the head back on. Started it back up, running through the gears, everything sounds good and quiet, but on the highest speed setting it took a lot of time to spool up and sounded like the motor was struggling. It shut down again after a few seconds.... So I will do some electrical troubleshootin next.
 
That gear looks fantastic. May just have a bad motor.

Jason
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top