Elliott Omnimill modification

[Wade BeattyParticipant @wadebeatty78296]

Nigel McBurney was kind enough to send me some photos of the modification plate that he added to his Omnimill 00 to improve the rigidity of the vertical head. I have added this (in my own way but based on his photos) and can attest that the mill can now take deeper cuts and the cutting is chatter free. I can even climb cut where i could not do that previously.

This plate ties the bottom of the vertical head spindle housing to the horizontal milling bar

Thank you Nigel!

Happy New Year all!

[SteviegtrParticipant @steviegtr]

Always nice to see mods that work out well.

Steve.

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Interesting that this has only just come to light after 50 years or so the mill has been around. I wonder if a version using the vertical Vs xan be applied to the likes of  the VMC?

I take it that is not a transistor radio attached to the left of the quill.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

A very nice demonstration of the fact that even a substantial machine is far from rigid.

Respect to both Nigel and Wade.

MichaelG.

 

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

Even small mods can make a surprisingly big difference

That one’s a big mod, but well worth the effort

[old martParticipant @oldmart]

I love seeing well thought out modifications, now I will be looking at the head of the Tom Senior light vertical at the museum, which might benefit from similar work.

[old martParticipant @oldmart]

I did have a look at the museum’s Tom Senior light vertical the other day and it would not be easy to add a brace, there is no place for one to be attached. The spindle is not too far below the horizontal bar which is solid 4″ diameter steel, so I am not going to worry about it.

[old mart]

On old mart Said:

I did have a look at the museum’s Tom Senior light vertical the other day and it would not be easy to add a brace, there is no place for one to be attached. The spindle is not too far below the horizontal bar which is solid 4″ diameter steel, so I am not going to worry about it.

I must say old mart that i have never had any issues with the vertical light & i only have the MT2. You have the R8. I guess it is what it is . A light milling machine.

Steve.

[45chopParticipant @45chop]

Hello everybody, we recently acquired an Elliott Omnimill, during our haste to clean and reassemble, we inadvertently greased every point with car type grease. Can anyone please shed light on the recommended next course of action, should we be dismantling, cleaning out all grease and re-oil correctly or can we just pump in oil and hope for the best ?

Thanks,

Stefan

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

I don’t think grease is a problem in slow moving parts. Spindles will experience more drag and possibly overheat. Longer term it will dry out and go thick in the areas exposed to air, but normal oiling in a machine that is being used should clear the ways. Left sitting that drying out might be more significant.

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Agreed. Pump plenty of thin hydraulic oil such as ISO32 through there and it should dissolve/flush out the grease. Grease is still a lubricant, just not the best lubricant so no damage will be done if a bit remains mixed with the oil after flushing.

[45chopParticipant @45chop]

Thanks for the reassurance re the over exuberant greasing. I now have some electrical questions if anyone can help please. Just need some guidance as to what to connect to what.

[Nigel McBurney 1Participant @nigelmcburney1]

I think that the omimill has been around since the early1960s they did not come into home ownership until much later when they came available to the modeller when so many factories and training facilities were closed down,from the 1990s,.When new they were quite expensive,the advertising literature and handbook came with the machine with the prices hand written on it,the mill was £730 plus the slotting attachment at£45  in the mid 1960s this was approx price of a new Ford Cortina,so it is only in the last few years that 00s have been in the home workshop. and they have to cope with all the jobs that come up in thehome workshop,the small toolroom where my machine came from also hade a Tom Senior M1 Mill and very rigid vertical head which unfortuneatly has a minimal space under the cutter.and a Bridgeport so if a job for  the 00 was likely to be a problem with lack of rigity it would be put on the Bridgeport.At home there is most likely for the average modeller only one mill so it has to be adapted to cope with the job, and there are now many people who may use an 00 but have never worked on a larger heavier mill so perhaps may not realise the limits of smaller machines and soldier on with say the oo or ther small mill and not realise how a more rigid mill works so much better. When I downsized my workshop and was given my 00 by a neighbour I knew that vertical heads mounted on round columns are not very rigid and also can loose tram ,so I added my stiffener which works well.though I do miss the turret mill with 50 inch table and the Adcock and Shipley universal which could really shift metal.

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