bridgeport handwheel clutch collar - ball stuck

Discussion on all milling machines vertical & horizontal, including but not limited to Bridgeports, Hardinge, South Bend, Clausing, Van Norman, including imports.

Moderators: GlennW, Harold_V

spro
Posts: 8016
Joined: Mon Feb 20, 2006 11:04 pm
Location: mid atlantic

Re: bridgeport handwheel clutch collar - ball stuck

Post by spro »

Way above my small experiences. BTW.I didn't mention shoving anything and you know better than I. If anyone is going to crack this problem , it will be you. I should say beneficial to all but what are words?
Even if you do it and don't tell how. It is done and forward to the J head rebuild. That itself is a serious project.
spro
Posts: 8016
Joined: Mon Feb 20, 2006 11:04 pm
Location: mid atlantic

Re: bridgeport handwheel clutch collar - ball stuck

Post by spro »

I have to say something else. Your link went to other links and found other information about the J heads. Videos about they could be damaged as soon as a person thinks they know but don't. There was a lot to the power down feed, interaction of controls.., Important information which should be right there, in face of the operator. Lots of ways to screw this up by wearing out the mill head.
User avatar
BadDog
Posts: 5131
Joined: Wed May 17, 2006 8:21 pm
Location: Phoenix, AZ

Re: bridgeport handwheel clutch collar - ball stuck

Post by BadDog »

LOL, yes, shoving was my word, brought to mind from my mental image of me trying to quickly get an electrode down the hole before it arced to the side.

If I get it out, I'll update. My biggest hopes at the moment (short of the small TIG electrode through hose) are the cyanoacrylate option.

Yes, it is a big project. I've done other lesser projects from rebuilding drill press reeves drive recently, to repairing my big lathe's apron when I got it, remaking traverse shafts/wheels on my surface grinder (that had a minor forklift accident), and many others. But I realized I was a bit out of my depth with the varispeed 2J after researching various related topics online and found note after note about critical details such as you mention, most that I had no idea about. But one of the things I found was a reference book called "A guide to renovating the Bridgeport 2J" (Link: ISBN 1482367912). Online can be found a few notes about a few inaccuracies, but compared to all that I didn't know before hand, this book appears to be gem. It's more than a bit premature for me to suggest that it's an invaluable aid to anyone on such a project, but I'm leaning hard that way...

Oh, and I've known about and been preaching the limitations of the BP power quill feed and even using the back gear pushing larger drills (etc) for years. And once you look deep inside, you have no doubt about the reality of those limitations. It is absolutely a light mill, not a big drill press.
Russ
Master Floor Sweeper
User avatar
BadDog
Posts: 5131
Joined: Wed May 17, 2006 8:21 pm
Location: Phoenix, AZ

Re: bridgeport handwheel clutch collar - ball stuck

Post by BadDog »

Oh, and if anyone is watching interested in the outcome after me stating I would be making my next attempt applying the various great ideas offered on Saturday, I must amend that it will likely be Sunday before I do anything else with the 2J quill casting.

The reason? I've been casually looking for about 9 months (since I got mostly functional after 2 new knees last summer) for my next off-road build. I'm retiring the expedition rock rig K5 (with not a single straight panel left) for a more sedate Suburban which should be a lot more comfortable for the multi-day expeditions far from pavement, though no longer nimble among the rock washes and waterfalls (legal trails only). And a LOT fewer breakages without needing to constantly replace high dollar alloy axle shafts and $250 ujoints. Anyway, I digress. But my point is I finally found an (mostly) unmolested rust free straight original paint example with OEM diesel (dead, I already have a TD ready to go in that I want to use) within range. So everything else got put on hold. It's still a bit of a trip and will take a big part of the day (if everything works out, so for me, figure all day...). But if it is as presented, I'll be dragging a dead Sub home tomorrow, and finally starting on the first project in quite a while that wasn't either one of my machines, or someone else's truck...
Russ
Master Floor Sweeper
pete
Posts: 2518
Joined: Tue Feb 10, 2009 6:04 am

Re: bridgeport handwheel clutch collar - ball stuck

Post by pete »

It just so happens I have a broken off just below flush Fwd / N /Rec knob as well Russ. Can I ask how you got yours out?
John Evans
Posts: 2366
Joined: Tue Jan 20, 2009 9:33 pm
Location: Phoenix ,AZ

Re: bridgeport handwheel clutch collar - ball stuck

Post by John Evans »

pete wrote:It just so happens I have a broken off just below flush Fwd / N /Rec knob as well
I just removed one broken off the same at my Dealer friend's shop. Left hand drill !!!! Instant out !!
www.chaski.com
pete
Posts: 2518
Joined: Tue Feb 10, 2009 6:04 am

Re: bridgeport handwheel clutch collar - ball stuck

Post by pete »

That just might do it John thanks. I get the impression it's not tight, but small enough and broken off just enough below the surface to make it a real pita. I did check with a professional mill rebuilder and to get in and replace the whole shaft requires pretty much a full head disassembly. Mines a BP clone and one would think you'd not copy the weak points of any machines design. Not so in this case. I do have a brand new replacement knurled knob so just need to somehow get that piece out and I'm then good.
John Evans
Posts: 2366
Joined: Tue Jan 20, 2009 9:33 pm
Location: Phoenix ,AZ

Re: bridgeport handwheel clutch collar - ball stuck

Post by John Evans »

I bought these just for these kinda jobs. seem to be decent quality and at $15 shipped can't go to far wrong.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Industrial-Inde ... 2749.l2649
www.chaski.com
User avatar
BadDog
Posts: 5131
Joined: Wed May 17, 2006 8:21 pm
Location: Phoenix, AZ

Re: bridgeport handwheel clutch collar - ball stuck

Post by BadDog »

That left hand drill would have been my next option, but it was broken at a bit of an angle, so would have needed bur work first. But it came out fairly easily with just a pick.
Russ
Master Floor Sweeper
JackF
Posts: 1616
Joined: Mon Jan 26, 2009 3:56 pm
Location: Caldwell, Idaho

Re: bridgeport handwheel clutch collar - ball stuck

Post by JackF »

If you don't have it out yet, do you have anything you can put down into the socket that holds the ball that will enlarge the hole just enough to get the ball out? Maybe some small bit in a Dremel tool or die grinder. Just a thought. :roll: :wink:


Jack,
John Hasler
Posts: 1852
Joined: Tue Dec 06, 2016 4:05 pm
Location: Elmwood, Wisconsin

Re: bridgeport handwheel clutch collar - ball stuck

Post by John Hasler »

Wouldn't it be better to use a piece of steel wire such as acetylene welding rod rather than a TiG electrode? Steel sticks to steel better than tungsten does.
User avatar
BadDog
Posts: 5131
Joined: Wed May 17, 2006 8:21 pm
Location: Phoenix, AZ

Re: bridgeport handwheel clutch collar - ball stuck

Post by BadDog »

Just getting started on it today.

I don't think it's possible to cut around the ball to let it out. More likely to raise still more burs, and the 3/16 ball is proud of the hole in the inner sleeve at the bottom of a 5/16 hole, so not much to work with there.

Steel might be a better choice, but I'm pretty good at sticking a TIG electrode to steel. :oops: Never thought about running a steel filler rod through a TIG torch, but I don't see why it wouldn't work. Something to think about, but I've got a few other things I want to try first, but something along those lines will be my last try before the angle grinder...

Notice I said "will be", not "might be", which should provide a good insight into my expectations at this point. But still more things to try before I get to that.
Russ
Master Floor Sweeper
Post Reply