This weekend my Dad and I moved my new to me Index 645 vertical mill. It has a B&S #9 spindle taper, two axis Mitutoyo DRO, factory power feeds, a complete set of collets, 0-3/8 keyless Albrecht drill chuck, Criterion boring head, 15in rotab, and two 6in vices.
Out of all of my machines, this little mill (only weighs 2100 lbs) was the most work to move. Getting that head and ram positioned so that the machine wouldn't turn turtle took a while, and it was about 110 degrees in the shade.
Soon this mill is going to be moved from the farm to the garage with my Sheldon model L. With these two machines, I plan on trying to make some small engines which is going to serve as my summer pseudo-apprenticeship.
It was lifted off the trailer with a Case W-11 pay-loader that has numerous user friendly features like no brakes....:rolleyes5: But the most annoying is when the diesel level gets low, gunk in the fuel tank starves the engine. (we just got it a few weeks ago and it needs some maintenance). The gunk is what caused the W-11 to die just as the trailer was pulled out. :wall:
Lowering the mill was no problem, just played with releasing the hydraulic pressure, but the dead machine was stuck with it's forks over the mill and had to be drug away. Well the truck couldn't pull it, so we had to get the tractor (a 1968 Case 930). Well the farm got broken into a few weeks ago and the thieves stole the two tractor batteries that were charging in the kitchen (there is a short or something in the electrical system of the tractor so it drains batteries so we cant leave any batteries in the machine). Thank God the old 930 is in REALLY nice shape and with the two hot batteries we got from NAPA that morning, she fired right up. But the thieves also stole the air compressor, so we had to run the tractor with a really low tire, but it was enough to move the W-11 a few 100 yards away. But since the W-11 is totally hydraulically controlled, steering it without any hydraulic pressure, was a bit of an upper body workout...
So when your running stuff that has been labeled obsolete/junk/crap/scrap, you have to get used to little adventures like that. :o
But back to the mill, can anyone date it? And would anyone know if I can get a manual for it from Wells-Index? It is eventually going to need the quill return/balancing spring replaced (or what ever that mechanism is). Currently when unlocked or not under power feed, the quill just drops. It also needs the mounting bracket for the power feed motor repaired.
But other than that, it's in pretty nice shape, lots of flaking visible, not much backlash and very very quiet.
Oh, and can you get replacement cables for the DRO? The ones with the mill work, but they are cracked and kinda in poor shape.
Out of all of my machines, this little mill (only weighs 2100 lbs) was the most work to move. Getting that head and ram positioned so that the machine wouldn't turn turtle took a while, and it was about 110 degrees in the shade.
Soon this mill is going to be moved from the farm to the garage with my Sheldon model L. With these two machines, I plan on trying to make some small engines which is going to serve as my summer pseudo-apprenticeship.
It was lifted off the trailer with a Case W-11 pay-loader that has numerous user friendly features like no brakes....:rolleyes5: But the most annoying is when the diesel level gets low, gunk in the fuel tank starves the engine. (we just got it a few weeks ago and it needs some maintenance). The gunk is what caused the W-11 to die just as the trailer was pulled out. :wall:
Lowering the mill was no problem, just played with releasing the hydraulic pressure, but the dead machine was stuck with it's forks over the mill and had to be drug away. Well the truck couldn't pull it, so we had to get the tractor (a 1968 Case 930). Well the farm got broken into a few weeks ago and the thieves stole the two tractor batteries that were charging in the kitchen (there is a short or something in the electrical system of the tractor so it drains batteries so we cant leave any batteries in the machine). Thank God the old 930 is in REALLY nice shape and with the two hot batteries we got from NAPA that morning, she fired right up. But the thieves also stole the air compressor, so we had to run the tractor with a really low tire, but it was enough to move the W-11 a few 100 yards away. But since the W-11 is totally hydraulically controlled, steering it without any hydraulic pressure, was a bit of an upper body workout...
So when your running stuff that has been labeled obsolete/junk/crap/scrap, you have to get used to little adventures like that. :o
But back to the mill, can anyone date it? And would anyone know if I can get a manual for it from Wells-Index? It is eventually going to need the quill return/balancing spring replaced (or what ever that mechanism is). Currently when unlocked or not under power feed, the quill just drops. It also needs the mounting bracket for the power feed motor repaired.
But other than that, it's in pretty nice shape, lots of flaking visible, not much backlash and very very quiet.
Oh, and can you get replacement cables for the DRO? The ones with the mill work, but they are cracked and kinda in poor shape.