Hi Everyone,
I've been lurking for a bit, trying to read as much as I could before posting.
I picked up a little BB4 mill at a local scrap yard type place earlier this summer.
Other than loosing half the paint on the drive home it's been in pretty decent shape as I've been cleaning it up.
The only downside has been it was modified to use an air-hydraulic feed on the X axis.
Now that winter has settled in I've got some time to attack that part.
My assumption is that replacement screws and nuts are pretty rare, and if they are like other Hardinge machines the nuts were cut in place anyway.
Unfortunately, while the old nut is still present, it was bored out and threaded for the actuator.
My current plan of attack is to make a replacement ACME screw and nut.
I know the old screws were square thread, other than originality is there a functional reason not to use an ACME screw instead?
Also I found a listing for a cataract compound screw assembly, while the screw seems much too short. It looks like the mounting plate that screws into the end of the table with half of the dial assembly is the same. Any idea if it would fit?
The other part that's been bugging me, the headstock has only one oil cup, the one in the front. Everything I've read indicates it should have 2. In the process of cleaning it up I removed most of the old pealing paint and couldn't find a hole where one should be. Any thoughts?
Sorry for the lack of photos, I left the camera at the shop and haven't gotten a chance to run back for it yet.
Thanks for any advise you might have.
I've been lurking for a bit, trying to read as much as I could before posting.
I picked up a little BB4 mill at a local scrap yard type place earlier this summer.
Other than loosing half the paint on the drive home it's been in pretty decent shape as I've been cleaning it up.
The only downside has been it was modified to use an air-hydraulic feed on the X axis.
Now that winter has settled in I've got some time to attack that part.
My assumption is that replacement screws and nuts are pretty rare, and if they are like other Hardinge machines the nuts were cut in place anyway.
Unfortunately, while the old nut is still present, it was bored out and threaded for the actuator.
My current plan of attack is to make a replacement ACME screw and nut.
I know the old screws were square thread, other than originality is there a functional reason not to use an ACME screw instead?
Also I found a listing for a cataract compound screw assembly, while the screw seems much too short. It looks like the mounting plate that screws into the end of the table with half of the dial assembly is the same. Any idea if it would fit?
The other part that's been bugging me, the headstock has only one oil cup, the one in the front. Everything I've read indicates it should have 2. In the process of cleaning it up I removed most of the old pealing paint and couldn't find a hole where one should be. Any thoughts?
Sorry for the lack of photos, I left the camera at the shop and haven't gotten a chance to run back for it yet.
Thanks for any advise you might have.