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Wtb Volstro rotary milling head

78FMF

Plastic
Joined
May 29, 2020
Seeing if anyone has a Volstro rotary milling head for sale. Must be in good working condition with no missing major components. Thanks Jeff
 
Whatever head you buy make sure it comes with the collets. There real hard to find today and most want $80 each or more. I'd also advise doing a search here for past threads about these heads and the reasons for not to trying to push for high rates of feed or depths of cut. There were designed as a light finishing tool. Volsto used I believe Schaublin manufactured collets but later switched to using ER collets not all that long before they closed the doors for good.Both collet types appear to be the exact same taper but there not interchangeable since the nut and closing thread pitches are different.
 
Thanks for the info. neanderthal mach.
The project that I am looking at doing would use small end mills and light cuts.
 
NP, These Volstro heads don't have anything like a shear pin in the whole drive system. Going by those past posts here, it seem,s like they through drilled the cutting tool drive spindle and heat treated it a little too hard on purpose. Doing so acted like a cheapest part first weak link. That was just fine when they were still in business with spare parts. But there's at least one past post here showing a slight twist to the horizontal spline drive that might be fairly tough to build a new one from scratch. Some have said they didn't recommend using anything above a 3/8ths end mill in these heads. I got lucky and bought one last month that came with all the collets, power feed and Volsto supplied storage box. It was used once and they bought a cnc mill. Not a mark on mine so I got pretty lucky. :-) I also looked for one of these for over 10 years. Almost everything else on Ebay looks beat to hell with a far too high price. Also be careful, Volstro didn't just make these in R8. My research indicates they were also made up to a 40 taper. If your mill is R8 it does require a different drawbar since they used what looks to be about a 3/4 length R8 as the tool drive. The heads counter bore centers the drive to the spindle C/L and the R8 just provides that drive into the head. There's some Volstro user manuals here Volstro Mfg. Co., Inc - Publication Reprints | VintageMachinery.org in case you need them after you find one.
 
Kevin,
I need the one that goes on a Bridgeport. Pictures would be great. Thanks.
Neanderthal Mach,
Thank you for the info.
 
Here's the pictures of the one I have....it is the later model with ER style collets and R-8 spindle!
One 1/2 collet comes with it, everything that is included is in the pictures!

Everything turns smoothly, it has a repair to the bolt on portion of the casting that locates it against the flat on the Bridgeport head.

I'm asking $500 plus shipping.....

Kevin

1.jpg2.jpg3.jpg4.jpg5.jpg
 
Kevin,

I just wonder if the real ER collets can be used with it, or the collets just look like ER ones.

It is definitely an ER collet!

The nut does look custom, but the collet snaps in like a normal ER collet?

I will take it to work on Monday, I will see if I can find out the size of the collet?

Kevin
 
Kevin,
I am interested. Thank you for the pictures. How did the casting get broke? Dropped? Hammered on? I would like to know what collets work for sure. Do you know what it takes to convert this to a splined drive so I wouldn't need to take my power drawbar off to install?
Thanks
Jeff
 
Kevin,
I am interested. Thank you for the pictures. How did the casting get broke? Dropped? Hammered on? I would like to know what collets work for sure. Do you know what it takes to convert this to a splined drive so I wouldn't need to take my power drawbar off to install?
Thanks
Jeff

Don't know how it got broke, it was like that when I bought it several years ago, I have never used it!

Looking at it, it was probably left loose on the quill and it rotated while in use, or could have been dropped/mishandled?

Here's a link to a PDF of the parts breakdown, it looks like you could make/adapt a splined shaft in place of the R-8 section to work with a power drawbar?

http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/10989/24520.pdf

I will confirm collet size over the weekend!

Kevin
 
Kevin,
Please confirm collets
Not sure where you are located, unless you live close to Iowa will you get a shipping quote to zip code 50021.
Here is my phone#
563-608-zero313. Call me when you get a quote and know what collets. Leave a message if no answer.
Thanks
Jeff
 
I can confirm, this attachment takes ER-25 collets!
The collet nut looks like a custom part made by Volstro?

Here's a couple pictures.

IMG_4696.jpgIMG_4697.jpgIMG_4698.jpgIMG_4701.jpg

The collet looks like it's rusty, it's not, it's some sort of preservative?

Jeff, I will call later today.....

Kevin
 
I made two piece input shafts for both the Volstro and the RA Head.Not splined, just a notch in a collet for drive. The input shaft needs to be a slip fit into the collet, as the gears create a side loading on the input shaft.


0315211233a_HDR.jpg0315211233_HDR.jpg0315211232_HDR.jpg
 
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Hi I actually have a brand new one never used it but I could sell it. I'm not sure how to upload pictures but if you have an email I'd be happy to send pictures over.
 








 
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