Restoration and modifications to a Tom Senior light vertical mill

[Miles HellonParticipant @mileshellon]

[Miles HellonParticipant @mileshellon]

I bought a Tom Senior light vertical mill last week. It hasn't arrived yet but already I'm thinking about how I could modify it I'd like to make it easier to move the head in and out and also to retain the registration when doing so . This is the mechanism that I designed for my Dore Westbury mill to achieve the same function. The pressure angle on the rack maintains the contact with the registration bearing. Working from the inverse of this design seems a good starting point. Any thoughts?

[VicParticipant @vic]

Sorry no thoughts Miles, but I do like that mod on the Dore Westbury. Very nicely done!

[Miles HellonParticipant @mileshellon]

Thanks Vic! The Dore Westbury has been a really useful machine for me – it's very versatile. It is a bit of a lightweight though…. Now I've upgraded my Myford Super 7 to a 254, I wanted a mill on the same scale which is why I bought the Tom Senior. I'll keep the Dore Westbury as a 'radial' drill for woodworking.

[davebParticipant @daveb17630]

Very nice work on the rack. You could probably buy a Bridgeport for the cost of the Tom Senior and get it ready made.

[Miles HellonParticipant @mileshellon]

Thanks Dave. A Bridgeport would rather dominate my 'living room'!

[Miles HellonParticipant @mileshellon]

My new toy has arrived

Edited By Miles Hellon on 29/12/2018 15:18:09

[Miles HellonParticipant @mileshellon]

[Dave HalfordParticipant @davehalford22513]

Shame the top half will be in the bedroom :O)

[Miles HellonParticipant @mileshellon]

No problem. I've already dug a pit for the base

Edited By Miles Hellon on 29/12/2018 17:46:52

[VicParticipant @vic]

Nice looking machine Miles, I’m sure you’ll have fun with that.

[Miles HellonParticipant @mileshellon]

Thanks Vic. I think I will

Here's a shot of the ram head with the cover removed. Nice machined surface on the top of the clamping blocks – perfect for fixing to…..

[Miles HellonParticipant @mileshellon]

Made a start, this evening, by modelling the column and ram shaft.

[VicParticipant @vic]

It will be an interesting project, looking forward to see how you get on. I wonder how the original manufacturers envisioned users would move the head in and out?

[Miles HellonParticipant @mileshellon]

Posted by Vic on 30/12/2018 22:26:24:

I wonder how the original manufacturers envisioned users would move the head in and out?

Rock it clockwise/anticlockwise while pulling or pushing, I guess. That works ok, the problem is more in the loss of angular registration. Even the use of the angular scale is lost as you pull the ram away from its 'home' position, as the pointer for it is on the head cover (or on the proximal clamping block for earlier machines without the cover).

[Nick ThorpeParticipant @nickthorpe64546]

Hi Miles. For alignment after moving the head out, I would wind the table up, put a large square on it and align the vertical part of the square with the machined slot on the left side of the head. For complete accuracy I would trammel the head with a dial indicator.

Regards, Nick.

 

 

Edited By Nick Thorpe on 31/12/2018 11:45:51

[fishy-steveParticipant @fishy-steve]

Very nice. I was following that very machine on ebay!

I've noticed a steady increase in value over the years. Yours is a particularly nice example.

Have fun.

Steve.

[Miles HellonParticipant @mileshellon]

Thanks Nick,

I clocked the machined slot yesterday but its obvious purpose didn't register!

What year is your L.V.? Mine is 1978.

[Miles HellonParticipant @mileshellon]

Thanks Steve,

Yes, I think I was really lucky to get it. The paintwork doesn't need much more than a clean (apart from the N.V. switch) and it seems to have had an easy life at the school…..

[Miles HellonParticipant @mileshellon]

It's interesting that they made a few with a mechanism for rotating the head…..

[Nick ThorpeParticipant @nickthorpe64546]

Hi Miles. I am not sure that the slot was intended for that purpose but it works! I think mine is circa 1978, from memory.

Picture below is of the old Tom Senior factory in Liversedge. Only a small photo I'm afraid as that is all all I could find on-line.

Regards, Nick.

.

Edited By Nick Thorpe on 31/12/2018 12:46:12

[Miles HellonParticipant @mileshellon]

Hi Nick,

I remember seeing some photos showing the inside of Atlas Works but can't find them again…

[ANDY CAWLEYParticipant @andycawley24921]

Posted by Nick Thorpe on 31/12/2018 11:32:04:

Hi Miles. For alignment after moving the head out, I would wind the table up, put a large square on it and align the vertical part of the square with the machined slot on the left side of the head. For complete accuracy I would trammel the head with a dial indicator.

Regards, Nick.

Edited By Nick Thorpe on 31/12/2018 11:45:51

Just had a thought whilst reading this post. Why not weld a suitable size disc to a shaft and true it off in the lathe. Transfer the assembly to the mill and put the shaft in the chuck. Raise the table to the disc and slacken the head arrangement and allow the table and the disc to align. Bingo one trammed in head.

Its probably an old idea or there's something I haven't thought of, happy new year anyway.

[Miles HellonParticipant @mileshellon]

Thanks Andy,

Yes, that's a good method.

I realise this isn't a serious drawback of the machine. I'm just somewhat addicted to modifying things

[ANDY CAWLEYParticipant @andycawley24921]

Posted by Miles Hellon on 31/12/2018 18:03:58:

Thanks Andy,

Yes, that's a good method.

I realise this isn't a serious drawback of the machine. I'm just somewhat addicted to modifying things

Aren't we all?

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