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Lagun tips & tricks?

akjeff

Aluminum
Joined
Nov 17, 2008
Location
AK
Finally took delivery of a circa 1978 Lagun FTV-1. Any Lagun users out there have any "gotcha's" or "must do" things to look out for? Have already discovered that the Hi-Lo range selector knob is at the perfect height to center punch my forehead......so I've got that going for me! Yarded out all the 40 year old electrical, and will be rewiring and running off a Lenze VFD. Some cleaning up to do as well. IMG_7454.jpg
 
Did that pronghorn get lost? I would have expected a hoofibou or sidehill salmon. ;)

I have an an FT-2. Laguns are fine mills, you'll love it. That one doesn't even look beat up.

No tricks that don't apply to all BP clones. Follow the lube schedule.

Think I've got the PDF manual, PM me with your email if you need a copy.
 
:)That pronghorn is definitely lost!

This machine is basically in really nice shape. I got it on ebay, and had it sent to A&D Machine Rebuilders, who were just a few hours away from the seller, luckily. They looked it over, fixed a few things, and did a very light surface grind on the rusty, but no pockmarks table. The 40 year old wiring was a mess, but expected. The oil pump that's built into the saddle works, and I modified a grease gun, to pump oil in the Zerk fittings for the knee slides. If the on board pump ever craps out, will probably put in a one shot that lubes everything, but for now, the factory set up works just fine.

I've got a manual in hand, but thanks for the offer!
 
I haven’t had any good experiences with them...

My first step would of been to find something else.

I’ve been in places were everything was beat up wore out and abused....

I imagine if its in good shape.

You’ve found a gold nugget...

Don’t use an oversized face mill in the machine.

The one That died at work suffered from it...
 
Got the Lagun up and running and real happy with it. Cut a test block of aluminum this evening, and all dimensions are within a half thou for length, width, and thickness no matter where I checked it. And I deliberately left the table locks off, just to see if it would drift. The vise is in really good shape dimensionally. After indicating in the fixed jaw, I swept across the bottom and it’s dead parallel to the table. Only time the needle wiggled was going over some pitting. Next task is to get the DRO cleaned up and mounted. For my motorcycle and gun related tinkering, and the occasional odd job for my employer, I think its going to be perfect.
IMG_7538.jpg
 
I've got an early 80's FTV-1.
They're good beasts.
Two tips:
A) save your pennies for a power feed for the knee. Trust me on this.
B) Late 70's, early 80's was when they switched over to the one-shot oilers for the knee. The early ones didn't also oil the thrust washers at the bottom of the Z lead screw.
Check to see if you have a pair of zerks sticking out of the bottom support for the Z lead screw, on the base casting, under the knee. If you do, become religious about greasing them.
Watch for zerks on the Z ways under there. I think the early oneshots skipped those too.

Regards,
Brian
 
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Thanks Brian,

Already in the process of making a redneck power feed for the knee, with an extra hand crank(broken) that came with the mill. Cut off the handle and turned it down, and going to braze a socket to it, so I can use a cordless drill motor. Hope to eventually put a real power feed on Z, but it'll do for now.

My factory one shot only oils the saddle ways and nut. Zerks on the knee slides. I oil them with a grease gun I modified to use way lube.

I'll look for those Zerks on the Z lead screw, thanks!
 
Did that pronghorn get lost? I would have expected a hoofibou or sidehill salmon. ;)

I have an an FT-2. Laguns are fine mills, you'll love it. That one doesn't even look beat up.

No tricks that don't apply to all BP clones. Follow the lube schedule.

Think I've got the PDF manual, PM me with your email if you need a copy.

Could I please have a copy. Thanks in advance. [email protected]
 








 
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