Henry Milnes Milling Machine Restoration

[Rhyolith]

Now cleaning up all the parts for the table reassemble, my bench is now a sea of grease and paraffin :mrgreen:

R0000018 by Rhyolith, on Flickr

Also been checking all the oil points, the compressor was useful again (now with pressure gauge)!

R0000018 by Rhyolith, on Flickr
R0000018 by Rhyolith, on Flickr

I plan to linseed up the table bits (the painted surfaces) and then reassemble. Hopefully it will all be a bit smoother for the clean.

I got some NUTO 32, once i have found a suitable oil can it will be unleashed on all the table parts :mrgreen:

R0000020 by Rhyolith, on Flickr

 

[Rorschach]

Coming along well.

Regarding painting, a nicely painted machine looks lovely, but it's an awful lot of work for no functional gain. Personally I just like to clean things up and oil them, tools are only painted for rust protection if wax/oil is not a good choice.

 

[Rhyolith]

I did a test coat with thinned linseed on the table mount. I am pretty happy with the look... if it ever drys! I think my weird environmental white spirit plus cold is hindering that.

R0000001 by Rhyolith, on Flickr

I have been trying this high pressure oil can on the nipples... it seems to work, though makes quit a mess! Might have find something that actually fits over the domes.

R0000001 by Rhyolith, on Flickr

 

[AndyT]

I have been trying this high pressure oil can on the nipples... it seems to work, though makes quit a mess! Might have find something that actually fits over the domes.

Isn't it wonderful, the way one old tool means you have to find another!

 

[Rhyolith]

I know, such a shame that

 

[Rhyolith]

Found an oil gun in a pile that works and has the correct fitting for the nipples! This is why hording stuff from car boots it a good thing :lol: :roll:

As you can see it took me a few tries and spills to master it.

R0000012 by Rhyolith, on Flickr

All the bearings got a paraffin soak and clean and a grease up (found another grease gun with nice grease still in it).

R0000012 by Rhyolith, on Flickr

All put back the depth adjuster it intoxicatingly smooth =P~

R0000012 by Rhyolith, on Flickr

The height one still is not perfect, might have to take that out again at some point... mind it does have to lift something like 50kg.

Next the horizontal adjuster, which is probably the prettiest. Spent a while remembering how it all went together... then trying to get the lubricating pipes to work probably. The oil just came out then dribbled back down the outside of the pipe. Bending the ends so they faced down fixed that in the end.

R0000012 by Rhyolith, on Flickr
R0000012 by Rhyolith, on Flickr

With that all working I got a willing helper to get the table itself back in place (it weighs about a much as a small myford :shock: ).

Now its finally all back together! And everything works notably smoother than before!

R0000012 by Rhyolith, on Flickr

Next I took a quick look at the gearbox and its oilers. What I found was an oily wonderland...

R0000010 by Rhyolith, on Flickr
R0000010 by Rhyolith, on Flickr

It all looks like it was put in yesterday :shock: So I think I will leave it alone... the oilers were great, like a cast iron cloud raining oil (literally like rain in there!). It comes from a load of little feeders at the top:

R0000010 by Rhyolith, on Flickr

Having cleaned the little window at the top (which Initially thought there would a big oil tank behind), its only a big drip feeder that does from somewhere else, yet unknown where.

R0000017 by Rhyolith, on Flickr

Considering that there was oil dripping is such quantity from the the top of the gearbox I think it must have a powered means of getting the oil to the top of the machine constantly (then letting it drip back through). No idea where this is yet.

 

[TFrench]

I'm guessing there will be a little piston type pump driven from a cam or gear somewhere in it! Lovely old machine.

 

[MusicMan]

Might even rely on the churning from the gears. There is such a thing as a gear pump.

 

[Rhyolith]

Think I'll take a closer look once the heads done to find out for sure.

 

[Rhyolith]

On to the head!

R0000004 by Rhyolith, on Flickr

First thing was removing all the gubbins all over the head, including several parts than look a bit bodged to me... there function is also not clear. example:

R0000004 by Rhyolith, on Flickr
R0000004 by Rhyolith, on Flickr

Also I finally managed to free the little adjuster on the side (can be seen on the left of the head, top picture).

With all that off I decided to start with the gearbox for the powered feed, which does not work at all. Pretty obvious why when I took the top off!

R0000004 by Rhyolith, on Flickr

Least I know for sure what these gears are for now!

R0000004 by Rhyolith, on Flickr

No sign of the shaft for the middle set though. Might have to attempt to make one one the myford at some point. Its not a system I see myself needing to might save that for when the rest is done.

I was wondering if those weird extras were part of some lever system that engaged and disengaged the powered (there is a mechanism to this end with no clear way of triggering above the spindle in the powered gearbox). There is a lever in the spares box with no clear function which could be part of this, however there don't seem to be enough parts to make it work... (will photograph later).

I also took a look inside the spindle housing.

R0000004 by Rhyolith, on Flickr
R0000004 by Rhyolith, on Flickr
R0000004 by Rhyolith, on Flickr

The grease in there looks to me to have a slight 'sparkle' which could be metal dust, so think I would like to replace all of it. Going to be hard to clean out I think.

Finally what sort of fitting is this?

R0000004 by Rhyolith, on Flickr

I am thinking of getting an adapter of some sort suitable for smaller bits on a previous recommendation. I need to know what to search for.

 

[TFrench]

Looks like a bt30 taper? Should be able to find dimensions if you search that. I could be wrong though!

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

 

[AndyT]

This catalogue page might help

 

[AES]

Agree with the others, it looks like a collet adaptor. The one on my pillar drill is B16 and your taper looks a steeper (angle) than that, but what size yours is exactly I dunno sorry. If you measure the taper (either the angle OR the top & bottom diameters versus the length (so that you have the incline) you should be able to look it up - either in Zeuss or on the ME website references (e.g. ME Handbook).

>HTH

AES

 

[Rhyolith]

After a few attempts to flush the head with paraffin in situ, I have decide it has to come off. Theres just too much metal dust filled grease in there to leave.

I really have no idea how it comes off so have just started taking things apart (hammer)

R0000007 by Rhyolith, on Flickr
R0000007 by Rhyolith, on Flickr

You may have noticed, I raised the table up really high. This is so if the spindle falls out (at this point I don't really know whats holding it in there) it only has to falls a few inches.

R0000047 by Rhyolith, on Flickr

Also made the mistake of taking this off without something to catch the oil... there was a lot in there!

I need come C-clip pliers to progress (need that side gearbox off), got those recently so hopefully be moving on with this soon.

 

[TFrench]

Great photos as always! Have you got the manual? Looking at the lathes.co.uk site it looks like it has exploded diagrams, could be a help in getting it to pieces!

 

[Rhyolith]

Finally got some C-clip pliers. The vertical movement gearbox is now removed!

R0000001 by Rhyolith, on Flickr

Unfortunately the head still won't come off for some reason... upon a look down a new hole I found at the back of the head, it appears the spindle (which the cutters mount in) must be removed for the head to come off, as it passes through both the main casting and that of the head.

Trouble is I cannot see how it can come off, its too big both ends to slide out... its like one of those damn mechanical puzzles!

 

[Rhyolith]

Found these on Lathes.co.uk, looks to me like part of the body of the head might come out to allow the spindle to be removed.

Lathes.co.uk by Rhyolith, on Flickr
Lathes.co.uk by Rhyolith, on Flickr

Will have to take another look see if I can see how they come out.

 

[delaney001]

Fair play to you, that is a mammoth operation your undertaking. Though there isnt a huge amount of chatter on this thread, just wanted to say thanks for documenting the process. Hope you continue with the updates.

 

[AES]

+1 for the comments above. Looks a great machine and you're documenting the work very well. Very interesting. "Keep it up" (as the actress said to the bishop)!

 

[DTR]

+2, I'm following your progress with interest but I don't have anything useful to say. Keep up the good work