Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Re: Slotting

munro@... wrote:

> Hi, John,
>
> Bridgeport sold a slotting head (also known as a shaper head) for
> their mills. They come up on eBay from time to time. The fit on the
> tang on the back of the ram, and you would rotate the ram 180 degrees
> to use it. I was tempted to buy one a couple of months ago for 1000
> usd, but I'm glad I didn't because with my manual mill in it's new
> position to make room for the CNC, I would't have room for it, let
> alone have the room to swing the ram around.
>
> They were mostly used for cutting keyways in internal bores, like gear
> hubs. This sort of thing is widely done with wire EDM these days.
> These are obsolete and not supported by Bridgeport. They are often in
> quite beat up condition.

Slotting attachments for the J head also exist. they have a 'wobble track'
in a drum on the end of the R-8 arbor, and the member that makes the
linear stroke rides this track with a roller bearing. A pretty simple
mechanism, really. You could also just use the quill feed, with the
spindle locked, to do very occasional slotting jobs, like a keyway
in a pulley.

Jon