Re: Bridgeport with 3 heads
Yep ! Worked on these in the early 1960¡¯s still in my apprenticeship, they used a master component to copy and machined two more on each pass. ?Yes punched tape had just arrived as well.
The machines were acquired by the company largely to machine fuel pod bases for AGR reactors. ?Of course used for manufacturing many other items as well
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Re: Bridgeport with 3 heads
Here's a bit about these tracer models on this website:
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Re: Bridgeport with 3 heads
These machines were a platform for production.? They were generally always at the cutting edge of performance and imagination.? Creating things that were almost more sculpture than mere components. The "TRACER" Mills and Lathes made this a process of precision and repeatability , never previously possible. My entry into the industry ,now nearly 50 years ago, saw the beginning of the next transition. The CNC , which I ran as a mere introduction in 1975. It was a * Punch Tape Drive" on a Bridgeport of this same platform.? Easily half of the machining done at one of my FIRST employer's , was done on TRACER Lathes. None on the milling machines yet. Well ,we did have ONE Tracer Mill. I ran two others in other shops over time. We made -Rockets- , as in Missiles mostly in that factory. From the? shoulder fired *Stinger* to the Submarine launched C4 . The Trident and it's successor. The multiple heads at the time made the identical process on multiple parts simultaneously. I had seen several Multiple Head DRILL PRESSES over the years,but never saw them in use. See them all the time at auctions. My pic here was at a " TURBINE Factory " auction about 4 years ago. This Bridgeport weighed about 5000 lbs. 
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Re: Bridgeport with 3 heads
It's a production rig.? Three parts, all getting the? ?same? operation at the same time
Cliff Rohrabacher Esq.
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Feb 24, 2024, 8:04 AM by hhoogendoorn@...:
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In a marketplace advertisement I saw a Bridgeport with tree heads, i have never seen such a version, anyone of you?
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Re: Bridgeport with 3 heads
That's sort of what I was thinking. I don't see how it would have been beneficial unless it was something with, "one hole", or holes using the same tooling/ drilling operations.?
On Saturday, February 24, 2024 at 06:20:11 AM PST, Adrian Nicol <adrian@...> wrote:
No, never have - I'm guessing a special for some production process
pre-dating CNC machines with tool-changers!
On 24/02/2024 13:04, Huib Hoogendoorn
wrote:
In a marketplace advertisement I saw a Bridgeport with tree heads,
i have never seen such a version, anyone of you?
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Re: Bridgeport with 3 heads
No, never have - I'm guessing a special for some production process
pre-dating CNC machines with tool-changers!
On 24/02/2024 13:04, Huib Hoogendoorn
wrote:
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Show quoted text
In a marketplace advertisement I saw a Bridgeport with tree heads,
i have never seen such a version, anyone of you?
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Re: Bridgeport with 3 heads
What kind of milling do you do with that set up? A different tool chucked in each head? Looks like more of a P.I.T.A than anything else.
On Saturday, February 24, 2024 at 05:04:35 AM PST, Huib Hoogendoorn <hhoogendoorn@...> wrote:
In a marketplace advertisement I saw a Bridgeport with tree heads, i have never seen such a version, anyone of you?
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In a marketplace advertisement I saw a Bridgeport with tree heads, i have never seen such a version, anyone of you?
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Re: Dial indicator crystals (new rabbit hole for me!)
Thanks for the idea. ?I was thinking about just plunging into the flat sheet with a?mini fly cutter. ?I can see a benefit to using the lathe though. ?Quicker to just?dial into the right O.D. Instead of?trying to?adjust?the fly cutter.
Thanks, George H. Meinschein, P.E.
Firearm and Ballistics Engineering LLC 150 Brittany Drive Freehold, NJ 07728 gmeinschein@... Cell#: 732-580-1736
On Fri, Dec 15, 2023 at 9:11 AM, telecentric33 < mbostonsprint@...> wrote: The lathe is the way to go. Brittle materials like acrylic don't respond well to punching. Sharp tool bit with zero rake angle and a little nose radius works very well. The rubber padding is completely unnecessary as long as the acrylic is flat and you have a back-up surface that supports the diameter and is also flat. If the material has no masking, use blue painter's masking tape for low-tack protection.
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-George M.
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Re: Dial indicator crystals (new rabbit hole for me!)
The lathe is the way to go. Brittle materials like acrylic don't respond well to punching. Sharp tool bit with zero rake angle and a little nose radius works very well. The rubber padding is completely unnecessary as long as the acrylic is flat and you have a back-up surface that supports the diameter and is also flat. If the material has no masking, use blue painter's masking tape for low-tack protection.
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Dial indicator crystals (new rabbit hole for me!)
Hello all, First off, I apologize for any cross posts. ?Lately, I¡¯ve been fixing a few ¡°parts only¡±?dial and dial test indicators that I picked up on eBay. ?I¡¯m thinking about getting some 1/25¡± clear?acrylic sheet and making some nice new?dial crystals. ?Anyone ever worked with acrylic sheet? ?Is this something I¡¯d?knock out with a punch and die setup? ?I did see one guy on YouTube make?his dial crystal on a lathe. Clamped the acrylic sheet between two silicone rubber pads and turned the O.D. ?The Mitutoyo crystals have a beveled edge, so maybe the lathe is the way to go. ?Thoughts and comments from the the collective group?brain power please!
Thanks, George H. Meinschein, P.E.
Firearm and Ballistics Engineering LLC 150 Brittany Drive Freehold, NJ 07728 gmeinschein@... Cell#: 732-580-1736
-- -George M.
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Hey David....
Finally found & replied !
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Thanks for the pictures Marty.
I am thinking that I could make a similar bracket out of 16 gage sheet steel or sheet aluminum to fit the SHARS 4¡± DRO. ? If I extrapolate the 6¡± scale drawing, I think I can fit the 4¡± scale but I might have to shorten it a 1/2¡± or so. ? Like your bracket, I would try to use the existing scale screws.
I sent you an email about your DRO. ? Did you receive it?
Dave
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Well David .... I wasn't even looking for it , but there it was staring up at me from the drawer. Kind of stunned me that it still sells for $250 + new ,with all the $20 dollar alternatives these days. But this thing just plugs in to that boss on the quill , it appears the M Head uses the same apparatus , other than it has 3.5" of travel rather than 5" . I HAD removed the SR44 battery when I put this back in the drawer. Put it back in? and still works like new .? I don't think there's room for -IT- and the Crank Wheel on the M Head. A space adapter , or boring a new hole and rotating the DRO to left could accomplish the goal ? Just a couple pics for thoughts.   ?
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disposal of some tools, cutters etc
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The M head is quite a bit smaller than the J head and there is a lot less room due to the sheave cover extending beyond the main casting.? ?I have attached some pictures. I am thinking I will make a bracket out of sheet metal and attach it under the #8 screws.? I am looking at the Shars 4" scale: I need to get the real print on the size of the Shars's scale.   
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Quill Scale on J-head Was: [BridgeportMill] M Head quill dro
I made my own brackets to fit a scale on my J-head.? ?My brackets move the scale off to the right.? I still have access to the nuts to tram the head, to use the fine feed hand wheel and to be able to use the quick stop nut.? ? The only way I was able to package
a scale that satisfied all three requirements was to use a small form factor magnetic scale.? ?I started off trying to sketch my needed brackets - gave up rapidly.? I used very small scraps of wood, a band saw and a hot melt glue gun - took a couple of hours
to develop both bracket patterns.? Image attached (I hope) of the scale on my head.
NOTE:? ?I bought the 1u (micron resolution) scales - they were very finicky to get the magnetic gap so that the head would read consistently.? ?For my lathe I used the 5u scales and they have been rock solid.? ?I bought the Ditron / Reeson D80 DRO and scales.
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I had actually acquired one years ago on a package deal ,but for a J-Head of course.?
Only for me to realize that I -DO- use the STOP that's there. And have a QUICK CLAMP for the one time use jobs.? The DRO bolts into that area , eliminating the screw and it's threaded stops.
So I have never installed it , it's a Mitutoyo unit.
I don't have an immediate recollection on what the M head uses there.
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David,
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I have one of these IP54 Digital Scale kits fitted to my 'J-Head' Bridgeport. I find it very good for those occasions where I advance the quill instead of the knee.
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I had to order mine from the USA and it cost $168.36 back in August 2022. It is well made and the instructions are good (not 'Chinglish' !).
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If you look on e-bay there are a load of similar units available, some with remote displays. You have a wide choice.
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Bob.
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On 17/11/2023 05:00 GMT David Pidwerbecki <dpidwerbecki@...> wrote:
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Thanks for the reply Marty.
I¡¯ve seen you tube videos and articles about adding the DRI¡¯s to J heads, but haven¡¯t seen anything about adding these to M heads.
I don¡¯t want to jury rig a caliper head, but am thinking I¡¯d like an actual DRO made for this purpose.
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Thanks for the reply Marty.
I¡¯ve seen you tube videos and articles about adding the DRI¡¯s to J heads, but haven¡¯t seen anything about adding these to M heads.
I don¡¯t want to jury rig a caliper head, but am thinking I¡¯d like an actual DRO made for this purpose.
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I had actually acquired one years ago on a package deal ,but for a J-Head of course.?
Only for me to realize that I -DO- use the STOP that's there. And have a QUICK CLAMP for the one time use jobs.? The DRO bolts into that area , eliminating the screw and it's threaded stops.
So I have never installed it , it's a Mitutoyo unit.
I don't have an immediate recollection on what the M head uses there.
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Marty
Huib Hoogendoorn
Lew Hartswick
