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Pratt & Whitney 2A comes to Doozer's Shop

Wonderful little brother to my 3B - about 9600 Lbs on the 2A

Good luck on collets - it takes the "medium" size - same as my 3B

Probably have 2A manuals - I'll look - yep have Parts and Op

Hope you got the ball roll quill - mine is a '49 so missed it about a year

You may know these are strictly twirl the hand wheels to position - with rapid on both axis - but nary any feed. Genius brother Harry removed the rapid motors and fixed me up with a pair of servos - with their drive - so I have adjustable feeds
 
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Great video, I really enjoyed watching. Very nice machine that I'm sure will suit you well. Nice shop also. Please keep us updated.
 
My interest in Pratt and Whitney jig borers can be traced to our friend John Oder. Years ago (maybe 20 years ago ?) I remember his picture in Photobucket of the hole cut in the wall of his shop to receive his new P&W 3B. I thought a machine like that was just cream of the crop. I knew about Moore jig borers and grinders, I have read both of Moore's books, I knew about their leadscrews, all that. But even a #3 Moore does not have the commanding presence of the awesome P&W machine.
Not too long after I first saw John Oder's machine, I still lived in Buffalo, and I saw a SouthBend lathe in the Buffalo newspaper. I drove out and looked it it, and the guy had some machines in an airplane hanger. He had a (very crusty) SouthBend lathe, that I was NOT interested in. But he had (not for sale) a Pratt & Whitney jig borer. Just like John Oder's machine. It was kind of a disgrace. The airplane hanger had a dirt floor and it was cold and wet. The machines were dripping with moisture. What a totally inhospitable environment for a P&W. The owner told me that he got it from work for pennies. I think he said that he worked for MOOG, but my memory is hazy.
Anyhow, some 20 years later, I finally own one. One of these machines has always been in the back of my mind ever since I seen John's machine and then that one I saw in the airplane hanger.
Fast forward some years, now I live in Charlotte NC. I have 5 acres of land, and I built a shop (with air conditioning) to be able to have the machines I have always wanted. I built my shop with a 9' ceiling for the climate controlled area, and a 14' ceiling for the high bay. This machine is 115", so I have to keep it in the high bay area of my shop.
Air conditioning and heat are not a problem, as I just open the sliding door that separates the two rooms. I have a 10' wide and 12' tall overhead door that I am making sure is insulated well and free of air leaks. I might add on another 30' long grinding room to my shop, and it will have another a/c and heat system, which will help feed the high bay.
So enough about my shop. My machine is a 1959, so it has the ball roller quill.
The table is the larger, 22" x 44". As mentioned, it measures 115" tall. According to the brochure that I found online, the 3B is supposed to be 115" tall and the 2A is supposed to be 104". The seller said that the machine came from a Navy training facility, and was ordered with extra height. There are no spacers under the column. Maybe it was "raised in sand" so to speak. The brochure online shows plain quill machines, so maybe the height specs are dated, and later machines were taller. Maybe someone can comment.
But as far as I can tell, my machine has perfect ways and was not used much. It came with a 4MT collet and a 4" Flynn boring head. I would like a 1" straight shank collet if I can find one. I have no manuals.
One day I was thinking I might want to convert it to CNC. Possibly retrofit ball screws. I think that would be awesome.
For now, the Teledyne-Gulery DRO is shot, going to get a Newall or Sony or Mititoyo or something half way decent. I still have the honeymoon butterflies from just getting this machine. It should be a wonderful addition to my shop. And thanks to John Oder for fueling my inspiration, so many years ago.

--Doozer
 
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I may have an exra 1" straight collet - I'll look

I am willing to mail manuals (which are more like 1945) if you are willing to return them after scanning

Mine is still impressing me - but hasn't the luxury of A/C - I just have to keep after it on those cold nights followed by humid January days

Mine bumps into the top case cover if I try to move it under trusses that are 120" from slab, and has a 4" shop built riser some one added under the column
 
John Oder --

That is super nice of you to offer me your extra collet.
If you find it, I insist on paying you something for it.

Thanks for the manual offer. I did find someone on ebay
selling one, and I photo-snipped some of the pages that
shows the major parts break downs. And not like parts
are available anyways. So I will pass on the offer of copying
the manual, but I appreciate the kind thought.

My email is [email protected]
if you find the collet and want my address.

I do have a question about the machine...
So I have a 4 Morse taper collet.
I was thinking of using a 4MT to ER40 adapter,
as I have one and a few of my machine I use ER40
collets on.
My question is, how well does the 4MT collet
(which has one split) grip the tapered shaft???
Can I do light side milling with out the Morse
taper falling out ? What's the holding power of
such a beast ? Usually I like a drawbaw on side
loaded Morse taper tooling.
Thanks for any wisdom on this.

--Doozer

Post Script-
I measured the height of my machine with much care
last night. It is exactly 111" from the floor to the
bump in the top gearbox cover for the spindle.
Still taller than the 108" ceiling in my main ship,
but I just mention this as a data point.
I still wonder if my machine was made with 6 extra inches
or it is a stock height. --D
 
Another rambling....


Man, I sure wish this machine had a drawbar and NMTB40 taper.
I know it was made before power drawbars were invented (Ha ! ! !)
because you would need one because it is so tall.
So I get it why they have a cap that tightens the collet.

I have seen the 40 flash change adapters on Ebay.
Uses Devliege tooling and the like.
Not sure this appeals to me or not.
Kinda not for right now. But it gets the creative thoughts flowing.

So I have a small Giddings & Lewis 25T horizontal boring mill.
It has 4 Morse taper spindle nose, but has a draw-key wedge to
retain the taper. Most modern HBMs have NMTB40 (or 50) tapers
with a (perhaps power) drawbar.
Man I sure would like to send my main spindle off to have it
gun drilled so I could use a drawbar. I know it might make
the spindle less rigid, but maybe not ? ? Oh well, a guy can
dream, right ? ?

Oh, I wanted to add,
My motor on the 2A is
3hp at the highest speed and
1-1/2 hp at the lowest speed.

--D
 
how well does the 4MT collet

Well enough to satisfy their statement that the machine can be used for light milling - with a big enough pin spanner you can get some impressive tightening on the threaded spindle nose cap that is shoving the collet home - and it helps to put some moly type lube on those hefty threads. In the 18 years i have used my 3B, nothing ever loosened up - never mind falling out

A way to look at this is that unless you are using a threaded (for spindle nose) boring head you can get some fairly impressive side loading just boring a good size bore

You can pay whatever you like for the collet - when I first got the (collet-less) machine I foolishly had Hardinge make two collets - the bill with shipping was $1150.00

Man, I sure wish this machine had a drawbar

Man that would be WAY up there on the 3B! :D
 
3B

I used 3B in Israel, 1974 to 1977, in a small air conditioned unit inside a machine shop that covered several acres. Had a SIP No.6, a Schaublin 53, and a Maho in there as well. The 3B had a 30 inch P&W rotary table permanently on the machine, it was as accurate as a ten inch sine bar, wonderful tool. No read out or optics on the 3B.
Ray.
 








 
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