I assume you have locked the head with the two handles at the back. You do not say how much the movement is but I have found that the head does move left/right under slight pressure. Although the column looks substantial I think it must be twisting. When milling I try to use the X (left/rigjt) movement rather than y (front/back).

Hi Paul,

Welcome to the forum, is this the manual you are looking for?

Thor

There are three allen screws on the base at the bottom of the column. The top and the bottom ones are the clamping screws. Make sure that the centre screw is loose as its job is to open the slot and so limit the clamping force of the other two screws. I have removed the centre screw completely and have had no problem at all with the head moving in 40 ish years of use.

Hope this helps,

Steve

This sounds like the problem on all round column mills. You have to take very light cuts or work at right angles to the bed.

Page 34 of the manual Thor linked to shows that there is a full length key mounted to the column that constrains the head casting, which has an "adjusting gib" and a "clamping gib". Difficult to see how the head could swivel on the column with that arrangement, so is the column rotating in the base due to inadequate clamping here ?

Nigel B.

I'm back from work.

The 'stand-alone' mill seems to be more often badged as a 'PRAZI' product, and was designated the BF400. It comprised the BFE65 Milling Head and column, mated to the KT160 x 450 Co-ordinate Table.

The cover of my copy is enscribed;

"PRAZI

BF400 – Mill Head

BF500 – Mill Head

KT450 – XY Table

Milling Machine"

It's probably most sensible if I PM you and tell you where I think I got it; the memory is a little treacherous and you'll have to send an enquiry, but at least you now know the name of the document you seek.