It's been about 5 years since I updated this (optimistic) post.
Things went well on moving it thru the shop door door with a hired fork lift. From there I put it on 2" ips rollers and just barred it along the floor, about 25', into position. Roughly leveled it and want to wait and see if the floor settles any.
Within a couple weeks, I had 3 phase power to it. Turned it on and when I engaged the clutch, the spindle only move slightly. Then nothing, no matter what gear I put it in, no table travel, nothing. %^$&()_*__)% ;0{
I took the cover off the gear box and found the Stromag clutch was engaging but not transmitting power beyond the drum. Over the next couple days I removed the motor, disassembled the upper gears to get the clutch assembly out.
When I opened it up, what mess I found. This is a disc pack type of clutch with the drum being driven by the motor, a alternating series of inter and outer discs. The outer discs are "tabbed" to three slots in the drum interior, while the inter discs are "tabbed" to the center hub, which is keyed to the output shaft. The outer discs tabs were stripped to shreds and the drum slot mangled beyond use. The inter disc tabs/hub were fine, just normal ware. The clutch pack 3 release levers had suffered some serious damage as well.
Why?
It became obvious when I remove the clutch output shaft and hub from the drum. Someone had recently worked on the clutch. The pilot bearing that seats inside the drum, to receive/support the end of the output shaft was missing all together. Why again?
Well I didn't need a micrometer to tell that the end of the shaft was mushrooned from someone hammering on it, to the point it wouldn't have fit into the pilot bearing.
Just ran long enough for the shop demonstration. Stopped by to see what the seller had to say. He admitted that he had a mechanic adjust the clutch, felt bad, but only offered to take it back if I would load and haul it. I didn't want to do that and if I had to load and haul it, I would get more money at the scrap yard. I didn't want to do that either.
I eventually contacted Scharmann, the German Mfg., and the told me the Stromag clutch was out of production and that a replacement was only available if Stromag were to build a "one-off" for around $6,000 US. No offer of parts.
Over the next 4 years, my (late) friend Roy worked on various clutch components. The most difficult was the clutch discs and we weren't happy with those we made. Were talking about machining ~ .0020" sheet metal (normally die cut). The release levers were interesting but tedious but do-able. The drum was too far gone for repair so we made a new one and still have to cut the internal slots. I now have a Bridgeport slotter on the back end of the ram on my Jet vert. mill.
As I mentioned in another post, Roy passed away a year ago. All work had stopped about a year earlier. I managed to purchase his mill and a lot of other equipment from his estate. I also searched out the shop and found all of the old and new and partially competed parts that Roy had been working on.
About that time I found that Stromag, the clutch maker, had a US presents. I contacted them and gave them the model number of my clutch to see if they had any parts support. Sure enough were able to get 'clutch pack' assembles on special order from their supplier. This would be the 7 internal discs, 7 external discs, 7 spreader springs rings and pressure disk. Price $640 with 4 week delivery time. Expensive but better than hauling this mill to the scrap dealer. The clutch release levers cost $399 but the ones we were making are near completion.
I'm going forward with the order of the clutch pack. Some thing, you just have to buy. I just have to reflect, I was in my 60s when I bought this HBM and now I'm in my mid 70s. Life is tooooooo short.
I'll try to keep you all posted.
Steve
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