Vertical boring mill repair

todd goff · Jun 9, 2014

Next weekend I will be moving an 84" boring mill that needs some tlc. It was made in Pennsylvania but I can't remember the name of it to save my life but I think it is a clement??? Anyway, here is my question; the pinion gear is stripped out and I am wondering if it can be repaired or???? I am thinking of fabricating a housing that would let me use a ring and pinion and make it where it would be submerged in oil. Does anyone know of a fix for this or not. I only paid 500 bucks for it so I am not really hurt. It was a good friend of mines that died 2 years ago and I owe it to him to get it back in working order. The table drive is what I am talking about and it uses a ring and pinion; sorry I didn't mention that earlier.

alskdjfhg · Jun 9, 2014

Disclaimer; I don't know crap, so this is just a bump to the top.

Is the pinon stripped or the ring gear stripped?

This one sounds like an oldie...

stonehaven · Jun 9, 2014

Looking forward to seeing your mill, and especially the pinion gear. Pictures of the gear and dimensions would probably help in determining an answer to your question.

todd goff · Jun 9, 2014

I will post some pics of it when I get it moved; it is a beast. The pinion gear is stripped on the table drive; the table and motor are both off but I wonder what this beast would weigh without the table and motor. I will get the dimensions on the gear once she is moved. I hope it is repairable but who knows, right?

timvercoe · Jun 9, 2014

I believe any machine is fixable. If you look at some of the forums here you can see the amazing things creative minds do when they want to fix an old machine. I too am looking forward to the pictures and in the process of obtaining a gear generating mach. Maybe we should get together might be my first project..............

Tim

alskdjfhg · Jun 9, 2014

I repeat my disclaimer, so if this idea is stupid please say so.

I am assuming that this gear is going to be rather large. And that just milling a new one would be hard because of it's size or possibly an odd ball tooth form.

What I would think about doing is, (if there is enough of the tooth left) make a from tool, and cut the new gear on a shaper. (assuming a straight, simple gear)

Again, this is from someone who is clueless, so there may be a better solution.

stonehaven · Jun 9, 2014

I worked on an old vertical mill 30 years ago. It was ancient then, can't remember name. It had a 84 or 96 table. Could rip figure 9 chips that were the biggest chips you have ever seen. Hand levers that you had to squeeze to move the head, remember they were hard on hands. It was a heavy beast with 2 vertical slides, no side head. There was deep pit that the spindle went down in bushings I believe. These machines are heavy, very heavy. Cheers

johnoder · Jun 9, 2014

Good bevel gears are cut on GENERATING machines such as a Gleason Bevel Gear Planer. Tooth is tapered, and has an involute profile. The tooth has big and little ends - but the same shape.

Half baked bevel gears for slow speeds are cut on milling machines and or shapers with form tools and lots of clever moves described in deep detail in such books as A Treatise On Milling and Milling Machines. Still, to get the taper, one has to do some file work.

stonehaven · Jun 9, 2014

Your not clueless alskdjfhg, rather smarter than any teenager I know. The type of gear and material it's made of, size of gear, and machinery available for repair or making new gear are gonna determine method. I am thinking new gear myself, depends how bad it is and where it is located, because you don't want to have a repaired gear crapping out after all the work to disassemble and reassemble gear in machine. Cheers

4GSR · Jun 9, 2014

I'm guessing the weight of the machine around 35,000-50,000 lbs...

I bet that bevel pinion gear at around 5" OD with a 4-6" face width.

Make a integral shaft and gear from a piece of 4140HT. After cutting gear, send out and flame harden the gear teeth. Leave the rest in the 285-341 BHN range. Just my two bits worth!

Robert Lang · Jun 10, 2014

todd goff said:
It was made in Pennsylvania but I can't remember the name of it to save my life but I think it is a clement???

Sounds like a Bement.
As has been said, pictures of the boring mill and gear are needed to determine age of mill and proper repair.
Early Bement's had a bevel pinion gear. Later ones had a straight pinion gear. It sounds like yours could be a straight pinion gear. That should make the repair or replacement easier.

Rob

etard · Jun 10, 2014

What Thermite is saying is that if you get this beast into working order, he will make the pinion gear at no charge. :stirthepot:

How does one go about moving such a heavy machine anyway? Please take plenty of pics of this move, nevermind the pinion gear.

todd goff · Jun 10, 2014

I am puzzled as to how I am going to move it BUT on the same note have an idea. The cheapest and easiest way to move it is to probably hire a semi wrecker, lift it up and then load it on a trailer. Then, when I get it home take it off of the trailer and set it in place. As of now I am fixing to add on a 16x30 addition to the shop but am planning to pour the slab, set the machine and build around it. The semi wrecker concept worked on another machine( niles horizontal boring mill) and everything went fine; she was heavy too, though.

Jim Christie · Jun 10, 2014

There are a few threads by Frrenchriverland about moving and repairing a 120” Niles VBM.
Here are links to 2 of them.
http://www.practicalmachinist.com/v...y/what-i-had-do-120-niles-get-running-214855/
http://www.practicalmachinist.com/v...tory/120-inch-nikes-boring-mill-redux-209312/
Maybe you will find some useful ideas there if you didn’t see it before.
Regards,
Jim

Vernon Tuck · Jun 10, 2014

4GSR said:
I'm guessing the weight of the machine around 35,000-50,000 lbs...

.... Just my two bits worth!

Man! That weighs more than the shit in the trunk of my car!

stonehaven · Jun 10, 2014

you are building an addition to house this machine, so you need to see the pit it came from and measure it, and duplicate it in your shop addition. pour a slab that is capable of holding 50,000 lb. You are probably going to need a good size overhead crane for lifting work onto table. hope there is work in your area for this size of machine, cause even though you got it cheap, you are going to be racking up expenses to get it working. cheers

todd goff · Jun 10, 2014

It doesn't sit in a pit; I do know that, but man making a pit for these machines is a royal pain. The niles horizontal boring mill had to have 2 pits for the elevation screws. I measured it but was off slightly. Point is I got lucky; but it was a nightmare to get it set over the 2 pits grrrrr! I had to nudge it with my forklift to get it lined up.

4GSR · Jun 10, 2014

I would suggest taking the cross rail off, then the uprights or columns off. That would lighten the load a bit. Make it easier to pick up and load the base/table onto the truck. Probably still have to use a lowboy trailer to load onto though.

todd goff · Jun 14, 2014

Well, here is an update on the vertical boring mill; I put the forms down for the concrete and leveled the ground. I finished that up yesterday at about 3:00. I called the concrete company about getting the concrete sand was told that the last delivery was at 1:30. No one understands that this is a trickle down effect; if I don't get the concrete then I can't get it poured. If I can't get it poured I can't let it sit up. If it can't sit up then I can't set the machine on it. As it stands right now I am planning the move next Saturday and will probably set it on railroad ties. The bad thing is I will have to get the heavy wrecker out again ( more money) to set it on the slab. I could partially disassemble it and set it with my yard lift I guess, but I really don't want more work. Frustrating, very frustrating!

Tyrone Shoelaces · Jun 14, 2014

The joys of engineering Todd. Regards Tyrone.

Vertical boring mill repair

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