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VN26 new purchase

raven007

Aluminum
Joined
Dec 7, 2010
Location
georgia, usa
I recently bought my first really big iron. A VN 26 from the looks of pics and consulting manuals available on the web. The plate on the base is a little mangled. It looks slightly different from other 26s I have seen.

I bought it for below scrap price. It is somewhat of a fixer upper. At some point it was tipped over and some levers got damaged. The most grievous damages being the end of the table's leadscrew getting broken on the left end of the table, and the cast over arm getting broken into two places. Neither of these cause me a terrible lot of concern, the leadscrew is smooth from stop to stop and broken past the bearing. I will counterbore then press and pin an extension for a dial and handwheel back on. The overarm did not shatter, it is cleanly broken into two pieces and should be repairable.

The most concerning thing about the machine is the layshaft in the base is seized. I can rock the splined shaft going up into the knee and turn the sprocket on the feed motor back and forth, taking up slack in the chain. The right side knee cover was removed as well as the right side column cover and chain guard. Before purchase I turned the gear train and inspected everything I could in the knee and found nothing amiss. Will need to pull the layshaft and repair things. And fabricate missing covers. All in all, I am happy. Required pics:

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More pics:

Since I am a home user, and i have facilities to make a few replacement bits, this machine will suit me fine. It needs a bit of repair but I am willing to put the time in. Last pic is kinda worthlessly fuzzy.

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You've found one of the differences between the 26 and most of the other models in that lineage of VN mills. Most of them mount the feed motor on the right side of the knee, rather than bring feed power from a motor in the bottom of the column using bevel gears and that splined shaft.
 
Congrats!

You can verify the model number by looking for the number stamped at the top of the vertical way. Look in the upper right of the front, vertical surface. (You'll probably have to scrub the grease off with mineral spirits and steel wool to see it.) If the number is 26-xxxx, it's a No. 26.

Cal
 
I will take a look today. I am planning on investigating the powerfeed issue if possible.

Does anyone see an issue with a fabricated 1/4" steel knee cover? I can kind of figure out where the sight glass goes from pictures. I was gonna grab a premade filler bung and cap, then weld on at an angle for filling the knee.

I am just so happy to have a machine that can turn modern tooling of a serious size.

Anything else i should do while I am in the knee? I plan on pulling the oil pump and making sure everything looks good there. I don't expect any issues, but while I have it open I about as well hit the bases. Hopefully I will have a RPC built in a couple of weeks and can test the spindle drive and transmission. Since I do not use the truck it is currently living in except for oddball things like this, I can leave the mill inside until I have it working and a place prepared for it.
 
I have to pull the layshaft housing. :(

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Which is bad because the housing comes out of the bottom. Which means the column will need to be tilted over or raised high enough to drop the layshaft housing out. I think the gears can be cleaned up and will last for forever. Perhaps they will whine a little but, given the amount of straight cut spur gears in this machine, I am pretty sure I will never know. I will need to replace the bearings though.

I found the serial! It is a 1939 model. Which explains some of the things not like the manual. My machine does not have a rear hand crank shaft for the knee or saddle feeds. Only power feed is available. It also doesnt have the little square plate on the back of the column. The dovetail on my overarm is also inverted versus the drawings in the manual. Which means finding an original arbor support will be impossible. My only option is a weldment.
 
raven007, I think it was here on PM (there's a slight possibility it was on the Yahoo Van Norman group) that someone discussed the same issue you've got. IIRC, they were able to do what they needed without dropping the housing out of the bottom. See if the PM search function turns up anything. Pretty sure that thread did not use the keyword "layshaft", so search on model number and maybe "feed". And, quite possibly, the machine under discussion was a more recent vintage so production details might be a bit different.
 
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Were you planning on building your own RPC? I built my own years back, but if I needed one now I would just buy a panel from WNY Supply (no association to me). I've sent a number of people there and they are all happy. You can get parts, kits or full panels from them.

Looking at this manual: http://www.machinistweb.com/manuals/VN 26_36 Installation and Operation Manual.pdf, plate No. 4,
I guess that you need to remove casting 26-200 and everything associated with it, is that correct? Can you jack the machine up on some 8x8x16 cinder blocks so that you can get at the bottom?

Cal
 
Most likely building my own. I am starting with procuring an idler locally. I may grab a panel from those guys though, looks like a good deal.

Yes! I think removing the entire assembly will be prudent. I am worried that I can not safely remove the layshaft (26-224) without removing the housing. Either cribbing it up on I beam and wooden blocks, Or lifting the machine up and sitting it on the back of a large truck frame to provide access. I think this is probably the safest as the risk of anything collapsing or falling on me is minimal.

I wish bearing dimensions were available. I would like to get a leg up on sourcing parts.

i will do a search. I honestly have been calling it the layshaft because I cant really figure out what to call it. :) I may work through the side of the column and remove the sprocket and retainer and give the shaft a nudge and see if it has any opinions about moving.

I have officially moved into "concrete slab" territory. My other smaller equipment has been living on a wooden floored portion of my shed. This one will require something a touch more heavy duty. :D I have been doing little things to the machine, inspecting, making a list of things which need to be repaired or adjusted. I hope my plan of pressing an extension into a hole bored into the leadscrew then pinning it in place will work out. Does anyone have any insight? The leadscrew is broken flush within the bearing holder on the left side of the table.I really want to get a handwheel and dial back on there. I also need to find a way to set the preload on the bearing there. As appears in plate 5, there should be a nut to preload the bearings (10328 x2) on the leadscrew. My leadscrew is broken flush with the outer washer (26-1408) :( Lacking a lathe of sufficient size to turn the entire screw, I was planning to turn a drill guide which fits over where the bearings live and drill the end of the leadscrew. I think I could possibly thread the leadscrew then screw an extension in and pin in place. Or chill the extension and press fit it, then pin.
 
Not a whole lot. I have been collecting bits for a RPC. And also investigating floor options. The mill is currently safely in my box truck :)

I have also been eyeing various handwheels on ebay and I have one of the dog clutch collars for the handwheel on my workbench. I will need to make some for the other crank and the two handwheels.

Do you know the leadscrew thread pitch? I can certainly go to the machine and measure. I need to find dials.
 
Nothing new on this. I did score an nmtb50 to KS 300 master recently, so I have the option to go that route for my more commonly swapped tooling. I have either been sick, its been monsooning, or I have been buried in work.
 
I am finally approaching a point in my life I can start back working on my machines. Life tends to get in the way when you aren't making money with these things. I also made some new friends with bigger machines that can help me repair the lead screw on the table.
 
You must be over 100 years old. These days life (my life, anyway) is so busy it seems like I will never get back to giving my machines the TLC they need.
Good luck with the VN, nice machines deserve a good home.
 
Today I purchased unobtanium. Got an outboard arbor support for this girl. I still need to buy or build a cover for the knee. And find the sleeve type arbor support.

I also purchased a 10 inch van norman dividing head to go with this. I need to source index plates and a tailstock and repair the locking mechanism that clamps the index plate. I will start a new thread on it.
 
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