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IndustryArena Forum > MetalWorking Machines > Bridgeport Machines > Bridgeport / Hardinge Mills > Tramming the rigid ram head - how? Need to R&R...
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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
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    80

    Tramming the rigid ram head - how? Need to R&R...

    I have a Series 1 Mk1 rigid ram Interact. I am rebuilding the upper head to try to get rid of the racket. To remove the motor, you need to remove the head from the ram. In the instructions, there is nothing said about alignment when reinstalling. Is there any alignment procedure? Are there hidden keys or dowels that align it? There is something vaguely shown in the cross section, but no part numbers or descriptions.

    On mine, I notice there are brass shims under the top two fixing bolts. Would these be factory or some later attempt to correct alignment? Also on the lower right side fixing bolt, there is a hex washer or nut or something underneath the socket head cap screw. Is that an eccentric or adjustment of some kind?

    Any help from someone who has had this apart would be greatly appreciated!

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
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    3028
    If you have a Interact 1 (not Interact 1 MK2), you take off the belt housing and you can get the motor out that way.
    In theory, a rigid ram was scraped in and was square to the table. There was some adjustment left and right by the 4 screws holding the head to the ram. One of those 4 was an eccentric that facilitated this adjustment. Same for the BOSS 8 and 9.

    George
    (Note: The opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not necessarily those of CNCzone and its management)

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
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    80
    Thanks for that info.

    I am a little confused by Bridgeport's naming conventions, but the manual and plaque say Series 1 Interact. It has the same motor as the manual mill but is mounted upside down. It looks like either the head has to come off, or the top end above the quill housing has to come off in order to gain clearance from the ram so that the long motor shaft will thread out. The manual says take the whole head off to change the motor. If there is an easier way I'd sure like to know. But now that I have everything else off, taking the head off doesn't seem that bad. Just wondered if anything special needed to be done to realign it. There doesn't seem to be a compelling reason for any left to right position in particular. I probably should check the tram before I remove it to see what the shimming was supposed to accomplish. Based on other work apparently done to this by the previous owner, almost anything is possible.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Posts
    1121
    avoid taking it apart. I have never trammed any of the 3 I have, and they don't need it

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Posts
    80
    Quote Originally Posted by gus View Post
    avoid taking it apart. I have never trammed any of the 3 I have, and they don't need it
    Good advice, I think, but then how do you get the motor off?

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Posts
    1121

    re

    I don't think you need to. Pulleys will come off without and nothing else makes noise.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Posts
    161
    Why are you trying to remove the motor? Is it damaged? I have a Boss 6 Rigid Ram and have removed the motor when I replaced the Z-Axis drive belt. You will need to remove the entire top half of the head to get the motor off, because of the extra long shaft on it. The top half comes-off in sections. It is not very hard, but the sections are pretty heavy. I did it myself, but I recommend you have somebody help you with lifting. Here is link that I outlined the belt replacement. Perhaps it will help you!!

    http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=24423

    If you have any questions, just ask!! Good Luck!!

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Posts
    80
    Gus,

    The motor shaft is shot. Someone let it go too long, and the key groove is spectacularly worn. Should be 3/8, bigger than 5/8 in spots and ugly too. Then they removed it and cut a new key groove at 90 degrees to the first. This left very little metal for the moving pulley bushing to slide on, it is now worn out. I have a rebuilt motor rotor with a new shaft, but that requires removing the motor to put it in. In addition, I have discovered that the spindle pulley hub (that the driven pulley slides on) is worn at the upper bearing and does the hula in the bearing bore. On the same shaft, at the bottom is a bearing that rides in the brake bearing cap. This is now a hand sliding fit, seems like it should be a press fit. This cap slides into a machined pocket in the aluminum housing, seems like that should be a fairly tight hand press fit, but has about 0.005 clearance. Anyone know how these parts are supposed to fit? I'm not sure how many parts I need to replace, but it is more than I had hoped. The good news is everything seems to be the same as a standard J2 head, some of it is just mounted upside-down.

    Snakebit,

    Thanks for that link. I have it apart to the point that I either must remove the top housing like you did, or the whole head. Either will get the motor out. The instructions talk of a somewhat fiddley alignment procedure if you unbolt the upper half from the quill housing. Did you go through that, or just bolt it back up? On the other hand nothing at all is mentioned about alignment of bolting the whole head back on, so either it is well keyed or you are just supposed to know.

    In addition to all that, there seems to be a special tool required to get the retaining nut out of the speed changing sleeve if you are going to change those bearings. Fortunately I kept the manual mill to make the tool!

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Posts
    3028
    Like I said, you have to remove the belt housing and then the motor can come out. Get a BALANCED rotor assembly with bearings from Fife Pearce. Here is the link.

    http://www.fifepearce.com/index.php/...rer/8/Group/65

    George
    (Note: The opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not necessarily those of CNCzone and its management)

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Posts
    161
    If memory serves me correctly, there is a ridge along the perimeter of the sections that help to align the pieces as you set them in-place. I started all of the bolts, turned the spindle by hand a few good turns to make sure everything turned freely, and then tightened the bolts. I have been running it for a few months without any problems. I do not have a service manual for mine, but have gained a lot of help from members on this forum; especially George AKA Machintek. He is a true asset, and am very glad he helps members here for free!! These machines are pretty easy to work on though, compared to some of the "Banjo Work" under the hood of my wife's Durango.

    As for removing the entire head, I did not even consider that!! WAY TOO MUCH WORK!! WAY TOO MUCH COULD GO WRONG!!!

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Posts
    80
    Machintek,

    The housing on the rigid ram is in three pieces. The motor is trapped between the bottom piece and the upper half of the head. It cannot be separated without removing the upper half of the head, because the bolts are inserted from the bottom and not accessible. Therefore either the upper housing must be removed from the quill housing, or the whole head removed to get the motor out. I don't see any other way, and the manual says the head comes off to do it.

    I did get a balanced assembly from Mataco. Don't know where they get it.

    Snakebit,

    The manuals suggest a procedure similar to what you did: snug the bolts then run the ball screw up and down until a minimum torque is achieved over the travel, then tighten. But in looking at it, the head comes off with just four bolts, and actually I only have to loosen it and tilt it forward a bit to get the motor out I think. Looks heavy though.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Posts
    80

    How close should the tram be?

    I checked the tram on the head, it is within about 0.002 in a 10 inch circle. Low on the left rear, high on the right front. There are 0.0015 brass shims under the top two bolts, which seem to me to be causing much of the out of tram condition. But I don't know how close one of these machines is supposed to be. I know on my manual I can get it closer than a thou pretty easily. Has anybody checked their rigid ram, and how close was it?

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Posts
    161
    .002" on a 10" circle?? I would leave it alone if it were me; unless you think you are going to be cutting with some really large cutters or really long endmills. That is pretty good in my opinion for a machine that age.

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