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P&W 3C Bench Miller

SWBrooks

Cast Iron
Joined
Jun 12, 2003
Location
North Carolina
Disclaimer - no connection to seller. Just a current 3C owner.

From Ebay:
pratt & whitney 3C universal bench miller,horizontal
Item number: 250217570912

Looks like this little mill is still available on ebone and the seller keeps dropping the price. If I recall it started out around $1000, then went to $850, now to $600. Someone who lives nearby needs to snag this puppy. The collets alone are worth half the price of the machine and I've never seen an original manual for a 3C. The bench and electricals appear to be all original. Not much tooling but the basic machine appears to be all there (Drawbar, crank handle, overarm, arbor). Too bad there was no vertical head with it. I don't think the vise is original though. Regards, Steve
 
I am sort of surprised nobody has bought it yet. I have been tempted by the last few times it's been listed, but managed to resist.
You're right, the vise isn't original. The original set of P&W t bolts is cool, though, as are the manual and catalogs with it.
Andy
 
I'm surprised too.

It's on an original bench, there's the speedranger control on top, so I assume the motor is underneath. It has arbors, and that documentation is great. He's got 21 collets, which means he has most of the 32nds.

If anyone does get it, please scan the documentation for the rest of us!

Steve
 
Hello
Please excuse the questions about trivia, but as an owner of one of these mills, I've always wondered what the round wood disk with the three holes in the drawer was meant for. Anyone know? None of my tooling matches up with it.

Is that long lever-type item on the right side of the drawer P&W mill tooling or something unrelated tossed in the drawer?

Rick
 

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Mystery Wooden Disk

It sounds like RRB56 may have a similar wooden disk in one of his drawers so that may be original?? It appears to be of the same wood type and color but I haven't a clue as to the use for it. If P&W put it there, it definitely had a purpose. Do the holes go all the way through the drawer? The chest I have for my P&W dividing head was custom fitted with drawers and small holes inside the box to hold all of the T-bolts and other hardware so I thought for a moment about covers or something removable so that the hardware would not be lost but the only thing I could think of would be the clamps or vertical head (too large), the rear belt cover and screws (didn't make much sense) or a chuck of some type. I have the enclosed cabinet on my 3C instead of the open bench type and there is no such disk in either of the lower drawers or cabinet through there are identical wooden stops that hold the collet rack in the back of the drawer. I was hoping someone here bought the mill so that we can get a look at the manuals but I have not seen a tool gloat yet. Oh well... Regards, Steve
 
Just a idea for one of you, you mite E-mail him through his ebay address and invite him aboard the group. It Is a neat machine. Of course the cost to join would be of scan the maual :-)
David/toledo
 
I sent a message thru ebay to the seller to ask the buyer to contact me.

Haven't heard back.

Hey, maybe we can have our own machine-specific forum. There must be, what, 10 of us?

Steve
 
Rick (rammerc)

I don't have the companion lathe, but always looking of course. I have the enclosed cabinet base for the mill and one of the drawers has that same wood disk with the three holes.


Has anyone delved into the spindle bearing(s) on their mill? I'm wondering how long the original grease from 1940 will last.

Rick
 
Has anyone delved into the spindle bearing(s) on their mill? I'm wondering how long the original grease from 1940 will last.

I haven't, but the manual says "permament".

So far, almost 70 years...

Then again, the person who wrote that probably isn't around.

Steve
 
Spindle Bearings

On the spindle bearings... I can attest first hand that the grease is not permanent. I think it must have been a relative term and they probably had no idea that these mills would still be running 65 years later. When I tore mine down for the first time, the bearing grease had solidified in the bearings and collected in the bottom of the bearing housing since it had not been run in about 25 years. A real hardened mess. After removing the spindle and soaking the bearings in one of the one gallon cans of Gunk Carb and parts cleaner for a few hours, they came out clean and pristine. Repacked them with a high performance grease that resists breaking down...and it now runs smooth as silk. I can barely measure the runout on the inner taper of the spindle... approx 0.0002" It's actually VERY easy to pull the spindle on these machines so I would strongly recommend it as necessary maintenance after the 1st 50 years or 25,000 miles. Those bearings are VERY expensive to replace and all it would take to damage would be to run them in dried gunk for a few hours to potentially score them. Regards, Steve
 
I'll second that that the disk is for the cam lock on the lathe... I used to have a set of both. Also as I recall the dividing head has a three holes in it but no cam lock...... so maybe something else fit too....
 
Spindle Bearings

Steve (SWBrooks)

Thanks for the advice on the grease. May I impose upon you for a step by step spindle removal procedure? Is there a pre-load to set after installation? So far I've removed the rear belt guard casting and knurled dust cap.




Rivett608 - Thanks for the info on the wood disk & the P&W brochures you sent.


Rick
 
SWBrooks,

Can you tell us how to remove the spindle and the bearings?

Mine turns smooth, but it might be worth taking a look (as long as I knew how to pull it apart, and more importantly, how to put it back together).


BTW, does anyone know what grease to use in the vertical head?

It says:
"use only safco ball bearing grease no. 424 from Swan Finch Oil Co. NYC."

I posted the question two years ago and there were no replies and only one view (probably me).
http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/showthread.php?t=113223

The head has some plain gears, bevel gears and ball bearings in it.

Steve
 
I sent a message thru ebay to the seller to ask the buyer to contact me.

Haven't heard back.

Hey, maybe we can have our own machine-specific forum. There must be, what, 10 of us?

Steve

There's 11 of us Steve. I have a P&W 3C bench miller and the matching lathe.
 
There's 11 of us Steve. I have a P&W 3C bench miller and the matching lathe.

Cool! I wonder if you are the only one with the matching set! You have to post some pictures.

Here's who I know / think have a 3C:

The following are known or reasonably suspect to have one:
rammerc (Rick)
adh2000
rrb56 (Rick Brucken)
bralex (Scott)
SWBrooks (Steve Brooks)
belvoir_guns
jpeter
jackolope
dustin
Joe Scope
SteveM (that would be me)

The following are possibles
Bill Wetzel
Windjammer

My dad has one too (I guess it's hereditary)

I know another 4 or 5 people not on this group that have one.

Note that this is for the later model 3/4" capacity model.

If anyone else not listed has one, let us know. Also might be good to know who has the earlier ones, both mills and lathes.

Steve
 
Steve M,

remember I told you I have the 4PN matching set. Unfortunately because of lack of room and a shallow promise to my better half

" No more machines ! "

mine is in pieces stashed everywhere. I keep hoping someone will try to talk me out of it as it is pretty far down on my to - do list.

I also have a little 3PN mill set up on a roll around cabinet with a home brewed power feed to the table. Great little machines.

Rick
 








 
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