My Milling Quest - Assembling my Beaver Mill

[Tiggy_dorset]

Motor mount old mash-up. Motor mount new mash-up

Below is the mash-up of a drawbar. I was suspicious when I saw the shiny nut on top; suspicion confirmed when I took it out. M10 studding half screwed into the chuck taper and tightened with a nyloc. Another job on the list...

 

[Tiggy_dorset]

Bit of a headache.
Spend all last night reasearching tapers to identify and source a new holder for my machine. I have concluded that I have a 30INT taper, and the holder I have at the moment has a 3/8 drawbar thread. In all my searching I cannot find any holders with 3/8 or m10 drawbar thread, it's like gold dust. All 30INT holders seem to come with m12 or larger thread. My machine can only accept a maximum of m10. As an alternative I have sourced an adaptor to allow me the use of 2MT tooling with m10 thread. This will get me by, just with extended reach, which is not totally ideal but hey...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/141768846244?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&var=440876773172&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

My other alternative (correct me if I'm wrong): BT30 is the same taper with maybe some slight differences on the holder, but should fit. These are also m12, but without the extra length on the end that the INT has. This (in theory) will allow me to threadlock an m12 - m10 adaptor into the taper end, for my drawbar to locate.
Any flaws in my cunning plan?

 

[Tiggy_dorset]

Winner!

Bagged me a collet holder with 3/8 thread, and some collets.
A couple of cutters too....and some chocolate.
All free.
Happy days

 

[Tiggy_dorset]

Motor mounted.
Previous owner had flipped the swinging motor bracket around, and had the motor mounted on the side of the machine. I ummed and erred but decided to have the motor where it originally was at the back. Therefore I had to find a new home and bust a gut moving the machine again...now in the corner. Having the motor at the back means I can fabricate a new belt cover without the motor getting in the way; and it looks better.
I really hope the motor is up to the job, I really really dont want to take it off again

Will measure up and get the belts ordered tonight.

 

[brightspark]

Winner!

Bagged me a collet holder with 3/8 thread, and some collets.
A couple of cutters too....and some chocolate.
All free.
Happy days

View attachment 79195

Clarkson autolock chuck

 

[Tiggy_dorset]

Autolock yes...and it's not Clarksons anymore, its mine!

Bit of spit on a rag, it'll come up with a chrome finish

 

[Tiggy_dorset]

There used to be a hand knob for tightening the drive pulleys. Whats left is this brass insert which just spins.
Wrenched it off, managed to loosen the pulley with the aid of a split pin. Cleaned up and greased the slideway and now moves lovely. I have a new shiny hand knob on order which I will fit.
Belts are on order.
A couple of BT30 holders are also on order, which I will make some adaptors for, to use with the new drawbar I will fabricate (when the 3/8 studding arrives).

Still a lot more work to do, but I might be able to make my first cut sometime next week

 

[Tiggy_dorset]

Couple hours in the citric acid....

Suitably clean

 

[Tiggy_dorset]

Belts on. I had to take half the head apart to fit the belts over the front drive pulleys, but yet another challenge overcome. Fabricated/fixed the motor tensioner-- needs tidying up, but still works a treat.
Clocked up the head and vice, spot on.
Still need to fabricate a proper drawbar, but mashed something up in the meantime to allow me to eagerly make my first cut.............



Went steady with the first cut : 4 flute cutter, 500 rpm, no coolant feed. Ideally I would normally use a 2/3 flute cutter for aly, about 1200 rpm for this size cut and coolant. That considered I am very pleased with the finish, and measures up perfectly.

Happy days!

The quest is not yet over however....

 

[Agroshield]

In all my searching I cannot find any holders with 3/8 or m10 drawbar thread, it's like gold dust. All 30INT holders seem to come with m12 or larger thread. My machine can only accept a maximum of m10.

Standardise on an M8 drawbar with a top hat bush at the top to centralise it and then use one of an M8 to M10, M12 or 3/8 BSW bush at the tool holder end.

 

[Tiggy_dorset]

Standardise on an M8 drawbar with a top hat bush at the top to centralise it and then use one of an M8 to M10, M12 or 3/8 BSW bush at the tool holder end.

I have some 3/8 studding that I am converting into a drawbar.
I attempted milling/turning some bar to make the tophat bush as part of the drawbar, using my rotary chuck. Unfortunately the chuck is too hobby and shakes without any decent rigidity. I will finish the job on a lathe.



The adaptors I will be making also. I have bought a couple of BT30 holders for that specific purpose because it gives room to fit the adaptor on the end.

 

[Agroshield]

I have some 3/8 studding that I am converting into a drawbar.

Will that not be too big? If you have an M12 toolholder, your bush would need 3/8" female thread and M12 male leaving a very thin wall. That's why I suggested M8. It gives you maximum flexibility to use any 30 taper tooling you might pick up.

 

[Tiggy_dorset]

Will that not be too big? If you have an M12 toolholder, your bush would need 3/8" female thread and M12 male leaving a very thin wall. That's why I suggested M8. It gives you maximum flexibility to use any 30 taper tooling you might pick up.

Left is the BT30 holder, right is INT30. I am basically converting the BT to mimic the INT. The threads do not overlap so avoiding the problem of thin wall between threads. I might need to shorten the adaptor slightly (few mm too long). Still yet to cut the threads.

 

[squazy84]

oh dear! i never even knew there was a difference between 30 int and bt30! ive been hapily using both with no bloody idea I think lol

 

[Tiggy_dorset]

oh dear! i never even knew there was a difference between 30 int and bt30! ive been hapily using both with no bloody idea I think lol

from what I have read and understand, you can get away using either. If my BT30 had a 3/8 thread, I could use it in my machine as is, but would require a longer drawbar. How important the extra bit on the end of the INt30 is, I cannot answer though.

 

[Tiggy_dorset]

Found an old tool made from some hex bar...stole a bit off it for making a nut.
Machined the threaded tophat bush.
Brought them together and welded up to complete my drawbar.

 

[Shox Dr]

BT series are for use multi tool machines. They use a stub the machine locks onto.

 

[Tiggy_dorset]

Bought a new £15 jobbie chinese rev-counter. Nothing more really than curiosity to see if the speeds correspond to what they ought to be. Speeds are within 20-50 rpm of what they should, which I can live with.

Bit of a headache to work out the connections as any markings were in chinese, but found some info on another forum.

 

[Tiggy_dorset]

Holder adaptors tapped and complete. Fits, works and I didn't need to shorten them as thought.