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Brown and Sharpe #2A Universal Mill question

Boblor

Plastic
Joined
Nov 3, 2008
Location
Michigan USA
I have a Brown and Sharpe 2A Standard Mill, I would call it a universal as it has a swivel table on the knee, Serial number 5510. I think it is from the 1940's by the way the feed and speed dials look. It runs very well.
I do not have a operators manual. It has a silent chain drive for the spindle and I would like to know what type and or grade oil is to be used to lubricate the chain and gears? It does leak a bit and the leaked oil looks pretty much like motor oil.

I have a lot of tooling for it but it only sees occasional light hobby use, right now it is being used to mill a octagon on a heavy round rifle barrel.

I would like to find out what vintage the mill is also. A good friend and toolmaker, now passed away, reconditioned the mill in the 1980's.

thanks
Bob L
 
motor oil should never be used in machines as a lubricant due to the "scrubbing" additives, however pure petroleum oils work just fine in older machines. you should check vintagemachinery.org for the manuals on your machine, you can downloadthem from there, or flee bay, somebody may have some there, the manuals are a wealth of info for beginners of a particular machine. good luck.
 
I would like to find out what vintage the mill is also

5510 is about 1936

I do not have a operators manual

Another great read is the company's Practical Treatise On Milling and Milling Machines

If it was mine I would be using the spray-on sticky / tacky lubes made for open gearing
 
Thanks for the tip to go to vintagemachinery.org. The 1936 4B standard Brown and Sharpe plain milling machine looks the closest to what I have. Actually just looks larger than mine and no universal table. I would guess mine is the same vintage just the 2A Standard universal machine. And thanks for the tip of not using motor oil.
bob L
 
no problem, another tip for leaking old gear boxes, I have used NEW clean, quality chainsaw bar oil as a climbing oil in boxes that have no pump. lubricates and quiets chattery gears and chains, older equipment was usually designed for heavier oils, so light stuff often leaks out even with good seals. enjoy that machine and keep it lubed up and it'll last several more generations.
 
Thanks 1936 appears to the vintage. Yes it would be nice to have a operators manual. I will look for the Brown and Sharp Practical Treatise on Milling and Milling Machines. Actually I may have a copy of that book stuffed away in a box from a move 14 years ago. 14 years and I am now just getting that machine up and running again. It has been in my heated pole barn all that time I am just now getting back into using my lathes and mills, still have to hook power up to my Norton hyd.6x18 surface grinder and my South Bend Vertical mill. I have forgotten so much over the 14 years but it is slowly coming back.
 
BobL,
My B&S 2A Light #7681 Has a factory tag on the side above a big oil cup. Says 20 weight. I've run mine many hours and had no trouble using non detergent straight 30 weight cheap oil. Great machines and very versatile, I'm looking for the slotting head that fits my machine.
spaeth
DSCN2598.jpgDSCN2578.jpgDSCN2059.jpgMVC-096S.JPG
 
My B&S 2A Universal came with a Spanish copy of a Bridgeport head on the overarm supports. So I can use the Brown and Sharp as a horizontal or Vertical mill. The Bridgeport head comes off fairly easily so I can use the overarm supports for the outboard arbor support when horizontal milling.
I did decide to get some mobile med heavy DTE 26 oil for the machine. I really enjoy these old machines and am glad I am getting back into using them again. I also have an old 1910 era 16 inch swing Lodge and Shipley lathe that I have working but needs some TLC. SouthBend heavy 10 lathe gets the most use of my old machines.
 








 
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