Deckel FP1 Spiral Head

Are there any Deckel FP1 spiral milling attachments available to buy or rent?

Deckel spiral milling attachments turn up on German Ebay and Ebay Kleinanzeige on a regular basis at prices from 1000-3000 Euros depending upon condition and the seller. If you are patient, you can sometimes find them for less. For example a few years ago (Ebay Kleinanzeige) I bought a complete FP2 unit in very good shape with all gears and a tailstock for about 800 Euro.

Because it is heavy, shipping to the USA will not be cheap, but since it is compact, that will probably be less than 400 Euro.

German Ebay (ebay.de) query: "Deckel Spiralfräseinrichtung". Note that you need one for the FP1; the drive box for the for FP2+ versions are not compatible with the FP1.

https://www.ebay.de/sch/i.html?_fro...13&_nkw=deckel+spiralfräseinrichtung&_sacat=0

ballen said:

Note that you need one for the FP1; the drive box for the for FP2+ versions are not compatible with the FP1.

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Worse than that...There are early and late (square head) FP2/FP3 versions and same i believe for the early and late FP1 ...
All has to do with the gearbox and the spacing for mounting and input gear alignment.
My point , be sure what you are buying....

Oh and there is also a "universal" gear case that i am told works with all the FP manual machines (FP1,FP2 and FP3)

Cheers Ross

For an exorbitant amount of money you can even buy one new: The manual machine tools from FPS with digital display -

The advantage being you get all the accessories. The FPS 300M is the same as your FP1 if you have a later model version of the FP1.

Just wondering about your quest to acquire a spiral milling attachment.
Is this an accessory that you have work/projects that require its use?
Or is this a case of wishing to complete your collection of Deckel accessories for when that just in case job crops up?

Either case is fine, just curious....Been reading/posting on this board for years and to my best recollection i am the only member here that has ever posted about any real
work using the spiral milling setup.....( I have used the setup on my FP2 perhaps 3 or 4 times in 10 years)

Its an expensive and space consuming bit of kit, and one that seems to get used rarely if postings here are any gauge.

Some photos here...along with some turning and engine photos....
https://www.practicalmachinist.com/...-lots-photos-250323/?highlight=Spiral+milling

At any rate, good luck with your search.
Cheers Ross

AlfaGTA said:

...

Its an expensive and space consuming bit of kit, and one that seems to get used rarely if postings here are any gauge.

...
Cheers Ross

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Well, Ross that's how I feel about this as well, bar the 'expensive'. We've seen a few in Europe for next to nothing, I guess the owners get bored of loosing all that shop-space for this tool.

In any case, just my 2 cents: I would, indeed, like to have 'spiral milling' capabilities but don't want a spiral milling attachment due to size mostly. So, somewhere in my future-projects list is a mechatronics approach to this: a servo/stepper motor driving the indexing head, controlled by a small microprocessor (even an arduino). The input to the system will be an encoder connected on the X screw if we are to emulate the spiral milling attachment. However, it would be even better if one could use the output of the DRO scales as input to the spiral milling controller, so that the spiral feature can be extended to any axis. Even an encoder on the spindle would be useful as input to allow for gear hobbing.
The motor will be mounted on a fixture that allow for easy mounting on the indexing head or the rotary table.

So, with a bit of work one can have a much more versatile spiral milling system without having to store that huge thing.

Only thing missing is actually building it.

BR,
Thanos

Ross, It is for a specific project. I have the machine. I just lack the attachment and would jump on a deal. Collectors irritate me. They tie up resources and drive up prices.

Without collectors, do you think Ross would be in business? Personally I’m happy he is so I can learn from him.

If you don’t like the price of something, figure out another way to do your task.

L7

Ps- you don’t like collectors, I don’t care for whining.

thanvg said:

Well, Ross that's how I feel about this as well, bar the 'expensive'. We've seen a few in Europe for next to nothing, I guess the owners get bored of loosing all that shop-space for this tool.

In any case, just my 2 cents: I would, indeed, like to have 'spiral milling' capabilities but don't want a spiral milling attachment due to size mostly. So, somewhere in my future-projects list is a mechatronics approach to this: a servo/stepper motor driving the indexing head, controlled by a small microprocessor (even an arduino). The input to the system will be an encoder connected on the X screw if we are to emulate the spiral milling attachment. However, it would be even better if one could use the output of the DRO scales as input to the spiral milling controller, so that the spiral feature can be extended to any axis. Even an encoder on the spindle would be useful as input to allow for gear hobbing.
The motor will be mounted on a fixture that allow for easy mounting on the indexing head or the rotary table.

So, with a bit of work one can have a much more versatile spiral milling system without having to store that huge thing.

Only thing missing is actually building it.

BR,
Thanos

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There is merit for your mechatronics idea, which along with spiral milling could also be used for making gears.

I have one for my FP3, doesn't get much work, but the minute I sell it, I would get a good job for it, Murphy's law! Also I have a unique S.N.!
When I purchased machine in 88 I was fortunate to get most of the attachments.

Hi everyone new member here and just happened to come across this post. I recently purchased a fp1 and it actually came with the spiral attachment. Does anyone know exactly everything that comes with one. I have been considering selling it as it does look way to complicated for my pee brain to operate lol. Any comments welcome thanks Mike.

Mayhemmike said:

Hi everyone new member here and just happened to come across this post. I recently purchased a fp1 and it actually came with the spiral attachment. Does anyone know exactly everything that comes with one. I have been considering selling it as it does look way to complicated for my pee brain to operate lol. Any comments welcome thanks Mike.

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Mayhem,

I looked at one a guy in town has. He has not run it but believes it is complete. What I saw was the attachment, a box of 15 or 20 change gears with some other hardware and an extended crank handle on the left hand x axis screw.

Thanks for the information, I did get a wood box with it full of gears and plates. AIso some kind of what looks like some sort of centering device. But I really can't find anything really helpful as how to operate it though! Any idea as how much they go for just in case someone needs one. Thanks Mike

The operators manual for your machine will have a bit of a breakdown as to how to set up the spiral setup, as well as a chart showing the gearing setup to produce a given lead...
The dividing part is standard 40:1 dividing so no mystery there...There is no quick or direct indexing on the spiral head.
The chart will be different for a metric machine vrs an inch dial version for available leads.

Overall parts needed are a set of gears to produce the needed lead.
My FP2 setup has 16 gears and three dividing plates (which interchange with the dividing head and the rotary table)

Factory box has a slot for each gear and plate. The gear slots are numbered as to the tooth count that should reside in that slot...
Your FP1 setup should be similar.

Besides the gears, you need the gearbox that houses the gear combinations. Has adjustable position axles to accommodate different gears...
The gearboxes are model and generation specific.....
With the gearbox there are also a set of spacers with drive dogs on their ends to couple the gears together in the box, along with required "T" bolts to put it all together.

Besides the gearbox and spiral head with tail stock there is a drive shaft that connects the output of the gear box with the spiral head.


As to value...quite variable...Years back when Deckels were sort of first discovered by the home and hobby users, all things Deckel including accessories were in high demand and i have seen spiral setups go for
around $3500.00 here in the US...Have also seen them sit unsold at considerably lower asking.....Its a crap shoot. If you have to have one, then you will pay...If its just a curiosity,then
not so much.


Cheers Ross

Thanks Ross for so much detailed information. Mine came with a wooden box with only 14 gears in it with no empty spaces for more so I guess each machine is different. I really wish I could post a picture of one of the parts that came with it as it is painted the same color as the rest of it and have never seen one on here or maybe its used on the mill for other purposes. But its 2 tubular pieces with one end that has two alan head bolts into a collar and the other tube slides along it with an adjustable tube that houses a double sided small dead center. That was probably the worst description ever of what this part is lol. Its definitely not homemade as all the pieces are casted. Dang if I only can get a picture of it I know someone knows exactly what it does. Thanks for everyone's help much appreciated. Mike

Apologies for reviving a dormant thread. However, I've acquired a Deckel Universal Spiral Milling attachment, alas the gearbox is missing.

I would be most grateful if someone could advise me as to the Module of the change wheels and the face width.

Also, it might be wishful thinking, but I thought someone posted drawings for such a gearbox on this forum sometime ago? (I've searched with no good result)

Thanks in anticipation.

There are different gear fox housings to suit different machines ( model and build)
I have a solid works model that I did of a gear box that fits my first gen FP2 if you can read Solid Works.
Cheers Ross

AlfaGTA said:

There are different gear fox housings to suit different machines ( model and build)
I have a solid works model that I did of a gear box that fits my first gen FP2 if you can read Solid Works.
Cheers Ross

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Ross,

Thank you for your kind offer. Alas, I am running TurboCad and although it can import a number of different file formats, as far as I'm aware it doesn't support the Solid Works file format.

Thanks

Tim

What formats can you translate?
Cheers Ross

AlfaGTA said:

What formats can you translate?
Cheers Ross

Click to expand...

Ross,
According to the documentation - the following file formats can be imported -
CGM
DC, DCD:
DGN:
DWF:
DWG:
DXF:
EPS:
FCD:
FCW:
Thanks

Tim