Beaver VBRP mill

[Guineafowl]

Just picked it up from the Northwards depot, sold by @Theblackbox and arranged by @fizzy - thanks to both, and also to @Jelly_Sheffield for some advice. A good lad there put the long forks on and posted it in the back of the trailer. Didn’t even have to take the ramp off:

A quick wash with diesel and into the shop. The Quicke 3300 loader only just lifted it. Once outside the door, I found the engine hoist would lift it, but the wheels locked up so it wasn’t much help. In the end, I picked up just the back end with the hoist, and used a big pinch bar to move it along. Once in place, I used a die grinder and scotchbrite wheel to take the rust off the table:

Mark I?


It came with some tooling, ISO 30 I think:

First few jobs:

1. Bend the X axis handle back into shape.
2. Newman 1 hp motor - a bit piddly for this size of mill? Anyway, extract star point and inverterise. Maybe power the table feed motor with one of those DPS units.
3. Some play between drive pulley and spindle. Might look into that.

 

[Theblackbox]

Looking good you’ve done more to it than I have in the two years of ownership. Forgot to say to you.

I included an electric enclosure I made for it if you want to use it upto you. I planned to use a tv mount think the one bolted on it is a bit weak. The dro mount is on that box as well.

The electrics are what came with it all a bit rough really missing a lot

There’s a plate (think you’ve placed it on the bed on rhs ) it came with the mill I have absolutely no clue what it is or even if it is actually for the mill!

 

[Guineafowl]

There’s a plate (think you’ve placed it on the bed on rhs ) it came with the mill I have absolutely no clue what it is or even if it is actually for the mill!

Cheers, yes the plate looks like it’s for something else - dovetail ways underneath. I’ve had both motors running. Main drive motor has some play either in the pulley or bearings. Table feed runs fine, just hops out of gear quite easily.

Does anyone know what the boring head is mounted in? Is it just a holder for setting up?

Not sure about the tool third from the left either.

No drawbar that fits - would these toolholders be M12?

 

[dieselsamurai]

Cheers, yes the plate looks like it’s for something else - dovetail ways underneath. I’ve had both motors running. Main drive motor has some play either in the pulley or bearings. Table feed runs fine, just hops out of gear quite easily.

Does anyone know what the boring head is mounted in? Is it just a holder for setting up?

Not sure about the tool third from the left either.

No drawbar that fits - would these toolholders be M12?

The boring head looks like its just stuck in the tightening fixture should just need tapping out unless its rusted in there, will heve the int30 fitting on it im sure

 

[Seadog]

Not sure about the tool third from the left either.

For a shell mill, I'd have thought.

 

[Martin-Sy]

For a shell mill, I'd have thought.

Agreed.

 

[Gavlar]

That 'plate' looks like a Boxford boring table.

Genuine 8” Boxford Boring Table In Excellent Used Condition 99p 7 Day Auction | eBay UK

8” genuine Boxford boring table in really nice used condition

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[RichardM]

That 'plate' looks like a Boxford boring table.

Genuine 8” Boxford Boring Table In Excellent Used Condition 99p 7 Day Auction | eBay UK

8” genuine Boxford boring table in really nice used condition

www.ebay.co.uk

And if it is are quite sought after. If you know anyone with a Boxford I'd try it out.

 

[Guineafowl]

If you know anyone with a Boxford

I might…

 

[Guineafowl]

Looking to straighten that X-axis handle. I think the grip is ebonite, so I can’t heat it as is. Any tips on taking it apart? It’s mounted on the leadscrew with a taper pin.

 

[Martin-Sy]

I might…

Ohhhhhh, and its a vari-speed one too. I remember my school getting a brand new one in the late 1960's

 

[Guineafowl]

Ohhhhhh, and its a vari-speed one too. I remember my school getting a brand new one in the late 1960's

Very handy for speed change on the fly, if you’re getting chatter, or if parting off. I’ve even put it on power feed, then wound the speed up and down repeatedly to kill chatter on a tricky cut. Breaks the resonance.

Small swing and spindle bore let it down. Need to find a big old lathe for those bigger jobs.

 

[Martin-Sy]

Any tips on taking it apart?

Take it off the feedscrew and see if you can tell how it was assembled. I've come across screwed in and riveted over variants.
Screwed in ones probably use thread-lock for obvious reasons.
Worst case drill it out and make a new one on the Boxford.

 

[Guineafowl]

Take it off the feedscrew and see if you can tell how it was assembled. I've come across screwed in and riveted over variants.
Screwed in ones probably use thread-lock for obvious reasons.
Worst case drill it out and make a new one on the Boxford.

Cheers, it was riveted over, so I cut the other side off and punched it back through. Made a new one, heated the end red hot, shoved it in and peened over.