Today's Adventure / Project

Discussion in 'Off-Topic Discussions' started by Frank Sanoica, Aug 8, 2017.

  1. Frank Sanoica

    Frank Sanoica Supreme Member
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    Set out to make a small, aluminum part. Lathe worked fine, as usual. The final operation was drilling four holes in the part. Hadn't used my Bridgeport Milling Machine in months. Set up part, started getting it centered, looked like this:

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    To my surprise, I couldn't turn the spindle by hand, to zero the dial indicator! Tried turning on power; spindle grunted, did not move hardly at all. I tried again, a bit too long, smoke began to come out of the motor! Realizing the trouble might be isolatable, I removed the drive belt. AHA! Motor would not turn. Figured old lubricant had become so congealed it simply became like cement in the bearings of the input shaft. Here's what it looked like after I crawled up on the mill, removed the motor and input shaft, laid it on it's side. That thing was heavy! And, 7 feet up in the air!
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    Close-up of that rascally motor. There are two big ball bearings inside the head; the motor is a single-phase drill press motor I jury-rigged to run the mill. It's original "pancake" 3-phase motor base is a part of the head containing the bearings. I spotted a small lubrication hole plug. Removed it with difficulty, squirted in a copious amount of oil, and lo and behold, I was able to get the big pulley to turn, tight at first, then freely, turning normally! Then I had to lift the thing back up and into it's hole. Tomorrow my shoulders will feel as though a truck ran over them!
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    Here's the finished part, a spacer to be used in conjunction with a clutch type fan I am retrofitting in my Mustang.
    [​IMG]

    The part will go on the water pump on the front of the engine as seen below:
    [​IMG]

    Aside from the above fiasco, between the lathe and mill operations, I took my wife to the Surgeon's office, as he had requested. He asked how she felt, any pain, and was preparing to walk out when she said "Don't you think you should check the incisions? He agreed. He spent less than 5 minutes with her.....busy man. His receptionist waived the $50 office visit fee! Good news abounded today!
    Frank
     
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  2. Gary Ridenour

    Gary Ridenour Veteran Member
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    I don't mess with cars anymore. it was me against them and they always won !!!
     
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  3. Bill Boggs

    Bill Boggs Supreme Member
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    Well, aren't you something else. My brother was right at home with any tool in a machine shop. Both Machine tools and auto engines were alien creatures to me.
     
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