Bridgeport ways and wear

[Ian McVickersParticipant @ianmcvickers56553]

I`ve just got my Omnimill back from Joe. Had the ways and table reground. Looks superb now and is spot on when checked with my most accurate dial gauge.

I`ll post some photos when I get a chance.

[inlineParticipant @inline]

Hi just a quick update, got all the castings back (knee, saddle and table) and they all look spot on. He charged me £900+vat for grinding all they ways except the column ways. Turcite on the gibs that needed building up, fit and scape/flake the gibs and ways. Fill some holes in the table done before i bought the machine and regrind top and sides.

Nearly all back together now, all fits are good and putting a clock and measuring the rock between each mating surface getting in-between 0.00 and 0.01mm on the clock. Don’t have a clock that reads lower. Used this method of measuring, more of a idea of what is happening than a measurement.

No complaints about the work or service i received, only downside was he was very busy so i had to wait a while but he was upfront about that from the beginning.

Also when I picked the castings up I spent a couple of hours with a list of bits i needed and searching for them with him in his spare parts collection. Quite enjoyed looking for stuff and chatting tbh.

please find some pics, included the machine when first purchased.

Cheers, Ian

[Neil LickfoldParticipant @neillickfold44316]

A very nice job of the scraping/flaking.  I hope you flushed out the oil galleries. Keep oiling every 2 hours or before each use and it will last a lifetime.

[inlineParticipant @inline]

Yeah all flushed out, also changed the oil, lube lines, metering units, cleaned the filter and new way wipers made from TPU with a bit of a squish fit. Don’t want to ever have to do it again. The lube tank will be pumped before every use and it also has an electric motor to automatically pump oil every hour or so. Tested on the bench but I’ve not wired it in yet.

If anybody has a recommendation on a hopefully cheep but decent set of way covers that fit a bridgeport series 1 a link would be much appreciated

 

Cheers

[David George 1Participant @davidgeorge1]

It look a great job nearly finished. I have fitted sheets of 3mm thick neoprene sheet to cover the Y axis ways the rear was fitted between two strips of metal one on the back of the cross slide casting and another on the column so that when the way was forward it was almost taught. the other was also fastened to the cross slide casting but at the front with the neoprene with a piece cut out to miss the handwheel when wound forward. You just have to keep the swarf building up at the back of the saddle and bed.

David

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