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Bridgeport 'type' head recommendations for retrofit.

Miguels244

Diamond
Joined
Mar 27, 2011
Location
Denver, CO USA
So I want to put a bport type head on my KT 2K.
There seem to be a number of people building clones and similar units.
Eisan, HH, Gromax, Top One...

I'd like 40 taper spindle and at least 3 horse power...maybe 5.
The KT is plenty stiff enough to handle it.

I don't need variable speed because I'll put a vfd on it.

Any one have experience with these heads?
Recommendations, brand experience, support?
Fit finish and balls.

Thanks.
 
That's like putting a 5hp briggs on a Mack dump truck.

AFAIK, no BP or clone with 40 taper. No BP type heads over 1hp that were not variable speed.

Didn't K&T offer a vertical head for these?
JR
 
That's like putting a 5hp briggs on a Mack dump truck.

AFAIK, no BP or clone with 40 taper. No BP type heads over 1hp that were not variable speed.

Didn't K&T offer a vertical head for these?
JR
I have it...no quill, so no diagonal feed.

Plenty of people sell a bp like head with 30, 40 spindles.
 
If you use variable speed either through belts or gears your 5hp is not really needed.

If you dont need a quill, theres a lot of 40 taper spindle options that are integral motor, should be easy enough to make up a suitable mount.
 
If you use variable speed either through belts or gears your 5hp is not really needed.

If you dont need a quill, theres a lot of 40 taper spindle options that are integral motor, should be easy enough to make up a suitable mount.

I have a vertical...I want a quill and quill feed.
5 hp is just an indicator of the loads the head is built to take.
 
No 5hp is a function of speed and angular torque. A typical 5Hp 4 pole motor running on a vfd will be making way less torque and less hp than what a Bridgeport head will be in low range with a mear 2hp motor. That matters greatly if you want to drill big holes and presumably you do want to drill as you want a quill? You Do realise that a 5hp motor ran on a VFD at half line speed will in effect only be the same as a 2.5 hp motor running at that speed? Bridgeport’s are a 3hp 30 minute or 2hp continuous head.

A Bridgeport head in 30 taper is very much not limited by the head, but by the rest of the typical turret mill arrangement.

As to quill feed, IMHO you need to go really careful pretty much all the integral head quill feeds are fragile, hence inspect any second hand donor heads really carefully before buying or you may end up having to make bits. As i would imagine outside of bridgports parts are going to be a lot harder to find.
 
No 5hp is a function of speed and angular torque. A typical 5Hp 4 pole motor running on a vfd will be making way less torque and less hp than what a Bridgeport head will be in low range with a mear 2hp motor. That matters greatly if you want to drill big holes and presumably you do want to drill as you want a quill? You Do realise that a 5hp motor ran on a VFD at half line speed will in effect only be the same as a 2.5 hp motor running at that speed? Bridgeport’s are a 3hp 30 minute or 2hp continuous head.

A Bridgeport head in 30 taper is very much not limited by the head, but by the rest of the typical turret mill arrangement.

As to quill feed, IMHO you need to go really careful pretty much all the integral head quill feeds are fragile, hence inspect any second hand donor heads really carefully before buying or you may end up having to make bits. As i would imagine outside of bridgports parts are going to be a lot harder to find.

He still has the back gear for torque.
I understand torque.
I understand reduction.
I understand the limitations of a bport type head.
A head built for 5hp should be built heavier than a smaller head.

I'm interested in experiences with the fit finish build and service of rebuilders and alternate brands.
I want a bp type head with 40 tooling to match the KT.
I want a heavy one because the frame will handle it and I already own a drill press.
 
So I want to put a bport type head on my KT 2K.
There seem to be a number of people building clones and similar units.
Eisan, HH, Gromax, Top One...

I'd like 40 taper spindle and at least 3 horse power...maybe 5.
The KT is plenty stiff enough to handle it.

I don't need variable speed because I'll put a vfd on it.

Any one have experience with these heads?
Recommendations, brand experience, support?
Fit finish and balls.

Thanks.

Not only "stiff enough to handle it", proven in long use.

K&T had at least five bolt-on vertical heads of their own manufacture. Probably several would have been available with K&T's adapters to fit your mill. Drive is taken off the spindle, as they are more than heavy enough without adding a 5+ HP independent motor.

The 40-taper one I have is no featherweight, nor is the K&T slotter attachment. Serious metal. Very. I need tackle or the die-cart to lift either one.

Brochures with specs have been posted on PM. Prices have ranged from "free for the hauling" to over $3,000.

Sort out which one(s) fit your mill, then search here and on ebay?
 
ISTR K&T had at least five bolt-on vertical heads of their own. Probably several would have been available with K&T's adapters to fit your mill.

The 40-taper one I have is no featherweight, nor is the K&T slotter attachment. Serious metal. I need tackle or the die-cart to lift either one.
I have the vert in 40 tooling...and the vert head arm to store it.
I want the flexibility of a bp type head.
Since the machine is stiff enough I'd like a heavy version of the Bp head.
 
I have the vert in 40 tooling...and the vert head arm to store it.
I want the flexibility of a bp type head.
Since the machine is stiff enough I'd like a heavy version of the Bp head.

Any add-on head heavy enough to haul a 40-taper isn't going to be all that much lighter than K&T's own by the time you factor-in the flexibility of a powered advancing quill. Could even be heavier.

I don't think you want to import the BirdPort's more notorious "flexibility", moving about too easily from cutter loads.

Better examples might be part-outs off a Basque-county Republic-Lagun, or one of the Taiwanese verticals that look like a BirdPort, but are about a third larger and heavier.

US Burke / Houdaille / Powermatic you can find brochures of the 3 HP and 5 HP 40 and 50 taper heads for the Quartet, (mine is the smaller one with #9 B&S).

Problem with that is we aren't sure even a dozen Quartets, all types, were ever made.

You might find a Republic, left coast.

FWIW-not-much-dept. Placing a separate, complete, vertical mill under the same roof is the far more flexible road more traveled.
 
Any add-on head heavy enough to haul a 40-taper isn't going to be all that much lighter than K&T's own by tie time you add the flexibilty of a powered advancing quill.

Examples might be part-outs off a Basque-county Republic-Lagun, or one of the Taiwanese verticals that look like a BirdPort, but are about a third larger and heavier.

US Burke / Houdaille / Powermatic you can find brochures of the 3 HP and 5 HP 40 and 50 taper heads for the Quartet, (mine is the smaller one with #9 B&S).

Problem with that is we aren't sure even a dozen Quartets, all types, were ever made.

You might find a Republic, left coast.
Not worried about the weight...looking for flexibility.
Worried about fit, finish and balls.

Thought I made that clear.
 
What is your experience with the eisen?
I think they are Taiwan built.

No Idea.

Walked past one on display at HQTinc.com in their showroom
(or at least it appeared like the one I linked to)
HQT doesn't show it online, it may have been another brand

I would call them (on the telephone) and inquire, you might
be able to get one minus the vari speed drive.
 








 
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