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Removing Bridgeport Head,Ram & Turret as one unit?

jshank

Plastic
Joined
Jun 7, 2011
Location
southeast PA
Hi,
I would like to remove the head, ram, and turret off of my Bridgeport series 1 machine as one unit.
Can this assembly be lifted by hooking into the eye bolt? I realize I may have to adjust the position of the ram to achieve a balance point at the eye bolt.
 
Hi,
I would like to remove the head, ram, and turret off of my Bridgeport series 1 machine as one unit.
Can this assembly be lifted by hooking into the eye bolt? I realize I may have to adjust the position of the ram to achieve a balance point at the eye bolt.

Are you removing it to add a spacer? If so the easy way to do it is put a 3/4" bar in a collet in your quill, then clamp it in the vice. Then toe clamp a 2" 1/4" wall tube to the table on each side of the column. Bolt another piece to the tubes behind the column, under the shaper mounting hole, stand another piece of tubing between the cross tube and the shaper mount. Put a piece of 1/2" threaded rod through the shaper mount, the vertical tube and the horizontal tube behind the column with washers and nuts tighten it up. then remove the 4 bolts holding the turret and use the knee to lift the whole works at once, BONUS! when you lower it on the spacer everything will line right up! I have done this and know it works.
 
Are you removing it to add a spacer? If so the easy way to do it is put a 3/4" bar in a collet in your quill, then clamp it in the vice. Then toe clamp a 2" 1/4" wall tube to the table on each side of the column. Bolt another piece to the tubes behind the column, under the shaper mounting hole, stand another piece of tubing between the cross tube and the shaper mount. Put a piece of 1/2" threaded rod through the shaper mount, the vertical tube and the horizontal tube behind the column with washers and nuts tighten it up. then remove the 4 bolts holding the turret and use the knee to lift the whole works at once, BONUS! when you lower it on the spacer everything will line right up! I have done this and know it works.
Do you have a picture or drawing to show this method? Thanks
 
Hi,
I would like to remove the head, ram, and turret off of my Bridgeport series 1 machine as one unit.
Can this assembly be lifted by hooking into the eye bolt? I realize I may have to adjust the position of the ram to achieve a balance point at the eye bolt.
IIRC, you won't be able to adjust the ram enough to offset the weight of the head.

If you have a forklift, you can pick from the side of the machine with one fork under the front of ram and put a spacer block on the shaper end of the ram, use a c-clamp to hold the shaper end of the ram to the fork, lift straight up and lower back in place when the spacer has been installed.

One more thing I try to do, have the machine on 4 x 4s so when you drop the spider you can get to it without having to try and reach into the bottom of the base, two pieces of 1/2 13 threaded rod helps as well with lining up the spider.

Kevin
 
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Fork lift, engine crane, traveling crane, chain fall, Jack Armstrong, been there done that. Nothing is as easy as the way I posted in post #3. That mill was under a low ceiling with no access for a fork lift. I did the job alone in a few hours, easy peasy.
 
Are you removing it to add a spacer? If so the easy way to do it is put a 3/4" bar in a collet in your quill, then clamp it in the vice. Then toe clamp a 2" 1/4" wall tube to the table on each side of the column. Bolt another piece to the tubes behind the column, under the shaper mounting hole, stand another piece of tubing between the cross tube and the shaper mount. Put a piece of 1/2" threaded rod through the shaper mount, the vertical tube and the horizontal tube behind the column with washers and nuts tighten it up. then remove the 4 bolts holding the turret and use the knee to lift the whole works at once, BONUS! when you lower it on the spacer everything will line right up! I have done this and know it works.
sounds like a good tip moonlight.
only thing I'd add is no reason to limit this to 2 X 2 X 1/4". could be whatever square or rectangular steel tube is handy. like 3 x 3 x 1/4, 2 x 4 x11ga, 2.5 x 2.5 x 3/16 etc. , and I think you could omit the threaded rod.
If you cut the tube up to the shaper mount a tad long, it will be held in just fine and preload the horizontals a bit, you can shim it there also for the same fit.
 
sounds like a good tip moonlight.
only thing I'd add is no reason to limit this to 2 X 2 X 1/4". could be whatever square or rectangular steel tube is handy. like 3 x 3 x 1/4, 2 x 4 x11ga, 2.5 x 2.5 x 3/16 etc. , and I think you could omit the threaded rod.
If you cut the tube up to the shaper mount a tad long, it will be held in just fine and preload the horizontals a bit, you can shim it there also for the same fit.
I feel better with the threaded rod. Or use a vice jaw with a "v" notch for the 3/4 rod in the spindle, this will prevent the head tilting to the side without the threaded rod. Yes most any substantial box tube will work. I used 2" 1/4" wall because I had it.
 








 
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