Bridgeport Mill Head

I recently discovered the front to back "nod" on my mill was out of adjustment by almost a degree on the scale. The indicator reading was .125 when I swept the table. I am not the only person that uses this mill but no one will claim responsibility for moving the head. One person's possible theory was the head could move if the knee was cranked up against the head during an aggressive machining event. I think that this is total B.S. but was wondering if anyone else has experienced this problem with the head moving this much due to forces from machining. Any input will be greatly appreciated.

dlrand said:

I recently discovered the front to back "nod" on my mill was out of adjustment by almost a degree on the scale. The indicator reading was .125 when I swept the table. I am not the only person that uses this mill but no one will claim responsibility for moving the head. One person's possible theory was the head could move if the knee was cranked up against the head during an aggressive machining event. I think that this is total B.S. but was wondering if anyone else has experienced this problem with the head moving this much due to forces from machining. Any input will be greatly appreciated.

Click to expand...

I got over being shocked at toilets in gasoline stations being messy a long time ago. Suggest you class a BirdPort used by many unknown others in much the same category, and just clean it up yourself, EG: Tram the bitch, and make it a HABIT to check, going forward. That joint is also meant to be USED, too, and not engineered to sneakily put itself back right in the wee hours of night after all hands have gone away home.

ELSE go and use a different BirdPort?

Literally speaking? Shit happens. Why would one expect otherwise?

Not as if it was a decorator hermetically sealed into a Nitrogen-filled armoured-glass museum case, awaiting BOMARC launch-officers to agree Whiskey four-oh warshot release, is it?

I assume your talking about one of the J or 2J heads and not a round ram machine? In either case, it sounds feasible to me. While they CAN take a cut, they're not the most suited to it and you can expect things to shift or rattle if you're not staying on top of them. Also depends on how tight/loose the clamping bolts are.

thermite said:

I got over being shocked at toilets in gasoline stations being messy a long time ago. Suggest you class a BirdPort used by many unknown others in much the same category, and just clean it up yourself, EG: Tram the bitch, and make it a HABIT to check, going forward. That joint is also meant to be USED, too, and not engineered to sneakily put itself back right in the wee hours of night after all hands have gone away home.

ELSE go and use a different BirdPort?

Literally speaking? Shit happens. Why would one expect otherwise?

Not as if it was a decorator hermetically sealed into a Nitrogen-filled armoured-glass museum case, awaiting BOMARC launch-officers to agree Whiskey four-oh warshot release, is it?

Click to expand...

First off, I have the ability to limit access to my shop if needed. I don't have a problem with the machine being used properly and the head angles changed for a project. I am trying to determine if just using it could change the angle that much. I also have made it known to anyone using my shop that if they don't know how to put the head back then I will gladly teach them. I will not tolerate laziness!

dlrand said:

First off, I have the ability to limit access to my shop if needed. I don't have a problem with the machine being used properly and the head angles changed for a project. I am trying to determine if just using it could change the angle that much. I also have made it known to anyone using my shop that if they don't know how to put the head back then I will gladly teach them. I will not tolerate laziness!

Click to expand...

This is not "new news". The angles are not set with taper-pins. Clamp bolts of varying tightness, rather.

If users were NOT so trained BEFORE being allowed the keys? There is an open question as to whom is being so "lazy" as to have managed to MISS that awareness by a margin so wide as to justify the generation of an "international incident" over the surprise in it.

You also manage safety for "anyone using my shop"? Just HOW?

A BirdPort has neither the space for a less "lazy" clamp, nor the mass to anchor it to if attempted. It subcontracts the labour of periodic tramming, all-axis, to a "mill hand". Not just the one. ANY such that mess with it.
They ALL need to know this. It is not as simple as a drillpress, water fountain, light switch. Or hammer.

Most hands historically being PAID for that effort, else having a klew why it is wise to be cautious, there isn't anything resembling an armed revolt over that, nor even a noisy strike with bloodshed in the streets.

Snarky remarks about undernourished BirdPorts is all you get, and even that not reliably.

Just Deal With That, "run what you got", and check tram before making chip. The valiant little BeePee doesn't KNOW that stouter mills even exist, nor would give a shit if it did do. It just makes such chips as it can with what it has.

Surprise number two? That is true of ANY size or type of mill. Or any other Machine Tool.

If "always exactly the same as I LEFT last time" is your wont?

TiG welding the shop door shut wont help. The mill is what it is. A "flexible" mill, and of modest means.

Just TiG weld the Mike Foxtrot JOINTS on it if you cannot "tolerate" that need of at least paying attention to tram, in need of adjustment or not.

Or trade it for a horizontal mill.

They cannot move what they do not have to begin with.

Be aware that "lazy" so as to make use of a horizontal for some types of tasking easier done on a vertical mill can be an arcane form of laziness as has an uncanny resemblance to Old Skewl hard work.

Who'd ever ha' thunk it?

I did say "mill hand"?

Mayhap the shop door DOES need TiG welded shut?

From the OUTSIDE.

I've had similar issues trusting the tram of our mills. It's not an issue of being tool lazy to do it, it's that I have to do a 30 minute job in 5 minutes so we can next-day it to a customer.

It boils down to employee quality and expectations. I personally think it's every machinists job to re-tram a mills head and vise at the end of a job if he knows they moved (along with cleaning the machine and shutting it down), I don't always get my way though.

In the case where they made a heavy cut, I'd think they'd know it moved judging by how their parts are coming out of the machine.

M.B. Naegle said:

I've had similar issues trusting the tram of our mills. It's not an issue of being tool lazy to do it, it's that I have to do a 30 minute job in 5 minutes so we can next-day it to a customer.

It boils down to employee quality and expectations. I personally think it's every machinists job to re-tram a mills head and vise at the end of a job if he knows they moved (along with cleaning the machine and shutting it down), I don't always get my way though.

In the case where they made a heavy cut, I'd think they'd know it moved judging by how their parts are coming out of the machine.

Click to expand...

In the USA's liability and lawsterish environment? "I'd think" is not an attractive basis for a defense.

I would be one HELL of a lot more concerned that I had a shop being used by who-knows-whom of whom-knows-what degree of skill, or current reserves of give-a-shit - even sobriety - to wotever tasking as strikes their fancy, under low/no observation or even available limit-the-damage E-Stop, local first-aid, or call EMT's ass-is-stance in case of dis-assed-her!

I am not a Lawyer, but ISTR they class that an "attractive nuisance", and extract all the loot as can be found for the privilege of having operated such in what can be classed as a "contributory negligence" manner?

Do your own Due Diligence on that. Details aside, it strikes me as a great deal dumber than ass-u-me-ing the current state of tram of a poor tired and hungry whored-out BirdPort doing the best it can to survive off the hand dealt to it, however skilled or careless, by most-recent pronger in the raping line.

M.B. Naegle said:

I've had similar issues trusting the tram of our mills. It's not an issue of being tool lazy to do it, it's that I have to do a 30 minute job in 5 minutes so we can next-day it to a customer.

It boils down to employee quality and expectations. I personally think it's every machinists job to re-tram a mills head and vise at the end of a job if he knows they moved (along with cleaning the machine and shutting it down), I don't always get my way though.

In the case where they made a heavy cut, I'd think they'd know it moved judging by how their parts are coming out of the machine.

Click to expand...

Thank you sir for the concise and accurate response. I have rush jobs to enable testing in our facility to stay on schedule and constantly get urgent requests.

dlrand said:

Thank you sir for the concise and accurate response. I have rush jobs to enable testing in our facility to stay on schedule and constantly get urgent requests.

Click to expand...

Treat the "lack of awareness" as to whom, how, and when as a free wake-up call that could have been far more SERIOUS business.

See to the training of your STAFF or "user community", be aware of their reliability and trust earned, or NOT, MIND their efforts, LOG whom is on-deck, and for-damned-sure provide for their safety, then. A machine-tool is a poor substitute for a public toilet in a highway rest stop, custodian merely one more victim of circumstance.

This is not a Bridgeport problem, nor even technical issue at all.

thermite said:

Treat the "lack of awareness" as to whom, how, and when as a free wake-up call that could have been far more SERIOUS business.

See to the training of your STAFF or "user community", be aware of their reliability and trust earned, or NOT, MIND their efforts, LOG whom is on-deck, and for-damned-sure provide for their safety, then. A machine-tool is a poor substitute for a public toilet in a highway rest stop, custodian merely one more victim of circumstance.

This is not a Bridgeport problem, nor even technical issue at all.

Click to expand...

Safety is the top priority in my shop. No one is allowed to use any piece of equipment unless they have shown me that they know how to use it safely and in a non abusive manner. I make certain that they know all the functionality of the machine and understand the proper way to use them. Unfortunately some people have badge access to my shop after hours and on the weekend. I am in the process of changing that unlimited privilege.

dlrand said:

Unfortunately some people have badge access to my shop after hours and on the weekend. I am in the process of changing that unlimited privilege.

Click to expand...

"Badge access" has for fifty years and more implied LOGGED access. As said. It isn't a Bridgeport problem. That was just another warning flag.

car2 said:

I have never had an issue with mine moving out of tram once tightened down; granted, I don't abuse it or think it's a Cincinnati taking cuts and such, and the bolts and seating surfaces are in good shape.

Click to expand...

Obviously you have never tried a heavy climb cut on a Bridgeport, Ha Ha. Did that only once some 40 years ago...Boss thought it was funny, I had to go home and change.