Wanna-Be
Aluminum
- Joined
- Oct 5, 2009
- Location
- Western WA, USA
I found this old machine gathering dust and grime in a machine shop in Aberdeen WA. It had previously been in one other shop all it's life and with the same operator (so I'm told). When he retired, no one else used it.
Since it can only cut spur gears there hasn't been much demand or need. I couldn't pass it up and brought it into my shop (museum) of old machines. If I need anything for these old machines, it is spur gears for the missing, broken or worn out gears. Most I could make on a milling machine but the idea of having a automatic machine got my imagination working. Without any manual or mentor, I was intially over whelmed. I did have a faded old wall chart of the gear change combinations for the indexer. After sorting and inventorying the drive, feed and indexer gears I found I was only missing one of the approx. 35 gear required to index gear teeth counts from 12 to 400 teeth (less the couple that are not possible). I have no idea of what I might be missing in the drive and feed gear sets but I'm confident I can make what ever is missing with what I have on hand. (An old machine-repairing and old machine. Self perpetuatiing hobby!)
After a year or so of research and playing around with it, it seems to be about 98% complete, only missing that one index gear and a most of the oiler caps. The cutting oil return gutter is broken in one area that will need to be repaired. Otherwise, I feel fortunate that is has survived this long, to serve again.
So far I have found this machine illustrated in a couple old books and someone sent me an illustration and spec. sheet for this machine.
I have uploaded a few pictures with my comments on each at Pictures by SteveWlf - Photobucket
I will find a way to post the illustration and spec and add that link later.
If anyone has any further history or experience on this machine, I would be interested. Without an operators manual or mentor it will be trial and perhaps error.
Steve
Since it can only cut spur gears there hasn't been much demand or need. I couldn't pass it up and brought it into my shop (museum) of old machines. If I need anything for these old machines, it is spur gears for the missing, broken or worn out gears. Most I could make on a milling machine but the idea of having a automatic machine got my imagination working. Without any manual or mentor, I was intially over whelmed. I did have a faded old wall chart of the gear change combinations for the indexer. After sorting and inventorying the drive, feed and indexer gears I found I was only missing one of the approx. 35 gear required to index gear teeth counts from 12 to 400 teeth (less the couple that are not possible). I have no idea of what I might be missing in the drive and feed gear sets but I'm confident I can make what ever is missing with what I have on hand. (An old machine-repairing and old machine. Self perpetuatiing hobby!)
After a year or so of research and playing around with it, it seems to be about 98% complete, only missing that one index gear and a most of the oiler caps. The cutting oil return gutter is broken in one area that will need to be repaired. Otherwise, I feel fortunate that is has survived this long, to serve again.
So far I have found this machine illustrated in a couple old books and someone sent me an illustration and spec. sheet for this machine.
I have uploaded a few pictures with my comments on each at Pictures by SteveWlf - Photobucket
I will find a way to post the illustration and spec and add that link later.
If anyone has any further history or experience on this machine, I would be interested. Without an operators manual or mentor it will be trial and perhaps error.
Steve