Re: Tree Mill Journeyman 300 retrofit

Hey Dan How are you? When will we see pictures of the Tree?

aka Halfnutz



--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com, "Dan Mauch" <dmauch@s...>
wrote:

> I am nearly done with the finals details on the Tree mill retrofit.

The last

> big problem that I ran into was there was more than normal noise

coming from

> the two speed gear and pulley driven spindle drive. So I took it

apart and

> was surprised to see fiberglas insulation packed around the inside

of the

> casting. There is a lube system that pumps oil to the countershaft

pinon

> gear and the spindle backgear. Of course the fiberglass was

saturated with

> oil. So I figured that it was added as a sound dampening. I removed

it.

> While cleaning the spindle gear case I also noticed two things. 1.

there was

> groove in the lower casting that looked like it was machined 2.

there were

> metal chips at the tangent of the pinion and bull gear. When I

removed the

> bull gear and cleaned it I found some significant pitting of some

of the

> pressure side of the teeth caused apparently by water entering

into the

> upper casting. This pitting was only on about 1/3 of the teeth. I

checked

> and found that there were no replacement gears to be had. I also

noticed

> that the back side of each tooth was fairly smooth. So I cleaned up

the gear

> and decided to mount it upside down since the gear was nearly

symetical

> from top to bottom thus I would have a new and better condition

teeth in

> contact with the pinion that was in great shape.
> I ascertained that the groove in the bottom of the casting was

caused by

> the machine not being properly reassembled at some point in its

history. I

> noticed that the upper bearing retaining lock nut wasn't all the

way on the

> shaft threads. While I had it diassembled I lapped the threads in

so I

> could bottom the nut. When I reassembled the unit and test ran it I

found it

> to be a lot quieter. In the high speed position where the bull gear

is

> disengaged the only noise was normal motor noise. At 6600 RPM it

really

> sounds like there is small turbine running. In low speed at about

1800 the

> gear noise is still there but drastically reduced.
> I only plan to use the machine about 10 hours a week so I think I

will pass

> on having a new gear made.
> The only things left to do is to do some more cleaning and

painting. I plan

> retain the existing electrial enclosures and after removing all the
> electronics weld in shelves for tool holders, cutters and other

supplies. I

> think my $750 Ebay milling machine was worth the work put into it

and I

> enjoyed and looked forward to getting all the "rode hard and put

away wet

> problems" repaired and working like a good used but still with

plenty of

> life left in it.
>
> Dan
> Camtronics Inc
> www.seanet.com/~dmauch