How To Plane a Bridgeport Mill Table: Part 1

[@SirWhiteRabbit-gr5so]

It's tragic that so few younger guys are preserving these old treasures ...and the knowledge and wisdom.

[@10swatkins]

Well when I was younger I had no time for this either.. Girls were the main focus :)

[@mythril4]

I am younger but I can only spend so much, I have restored a Fadal VMC 4020, a nice 1989 Acra mill and a lathe. I always want more machines to rebuild but out where I live, they are all gold so they don't come cheap.

[@danneumann3274]

amazing how the best way to do this job hasnt changed in almost 200 years.

[@jackrichards1863]

Well maybe seventy or eighty years?

[@danneumann3274]

@@jackrichards1863 planers similar to this were around in the early to mid eighteen hundreds

[@roylucas4414]

What a great video. Thanks for allowing me to look over your shoulder.

[@10swatkins]

Thanks for watching and helping my channel grow!

[@benkeller3]

Just found your channel. After watching this video it looks like I will be spending a bunch of time watching your videos. Very nice job!

[@10swatkins]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@larsrodbok1285]

Mezmerizing, Steve! I agree with the “measure twice, cut once” ethos! Thanks for the great video, again!

[@10swatkins]

Thanks Lars.....

[@trevorjarvis3050]

@@10swatkins good morning! Sir. How wide is your cutting bit, and how much step over did you use? Is there a certain… “percentage” of overlap from pass to pass you were shooting for? Thanks.

[@10swatkins]

@@trevorjarvis3050 That bit is 5/8" wide and I was taking about a .250 step over... IN this case I was having to play with the settings to eliminate chatter... When I hit upon something that worked I stay with it :) Sometimes you can go wider, sometimes you have to narrow it up... All depends on the casting and hardness of the iron..

[@trevorjarvis3050]

@@10swatkins yes Sir, if it works don’t fix it. I’ve run a small shaper like Mr Pete has. That must be a rather powerful planer. I didn’t think the step over would be that much. I kinda thought it would more like an 1/8 with a 1/2” tool bit. Great video, looking forward to the dovetails being cut.

[@10swatkins]

@@trevorjarvis3050 I have taken 3/4 inch step overs :) This thing will peal metal! IT will also do surgical strikes... When the casting cost 2000.00 to replace, which would you do?

[@michaelrandle4128]

Beautiful finish., slow and steady wins the race. I think Don has a little planer envy. Thanks for sharing.

[@10swatkins]

I caught him one sleeping on the table!

[@tonyray91]

The other reason for using the full stroke of the planer is to help to keep bead wear even.

[@thecanadiantradesman7916]

As a hobby shop for sure, no doubt. I would bet as a professional shop just to keep costs down on machine time they would go for the shortest stroke and machine run time to stay competitive, that being said they probably wouldn't be doing this with a planer either lol

[@Sketch1994]

@@thecanadiantradesman7916 In that case they probably would. Shaping introduces much less residual stresses in the material than milling, thus allowing to machine the table without warping it all over the place

[@Unrivaledanime]

I don’t know about anybody else but the rhythm of that machine is so relaxing. Love the job guys thank you for sharing and taking us on this journey

[@10swatkins]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@digitalmagic101]

I really dont know any thing about this type of work I am a Animator by trade but I found this so relaxing thank you for the video and time to relax and enjoy some thing different, have a great day.

[@10swatkins]

You're very welcome!

[@GeorgeWMays]

That is slicker than snail snot. Thanks for sharing the video. Super cool.

[@10swatkins]

Thanks for watching!

[@jerrywilson9730]

Thanks for the time you take to show these great machines at work.

[@10swatkins]

You bet

[@paulcooper2897]

I am 1/10,000th of your goal! Loved watching and learning about the planer! Thanks for sharing 🇨🇦

[@10swatkins]

You da MAN!

[@carltonlane8931]

Thanks for the video,enjoyed the set up.made a brilliant surfaced bed.

[@10swatkins]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@carltonlane8931]

The tapered ways ,they are going to be very interesting to see the set up,thanks again for the videos.

[@10swatkins]

@@carltonlane8931 Very soon :)

[@scruffy6151]

Nice job setting up the work piece for planning.

[@10swatkins]

Thank you Sir....

[@stacy6014]

I wish you were a couple thousand miles closer. I would have mine sitting on your door step to do. I have an older Gorton mill that could use some love like this. I enjoy your videos Steve. Joe

[@10swatkins]

Thanks Joe... I always like Gorton mills :)

[@johnlee8231]

Been looking forward to seeing this since you first showed us the planer. Its a good day plus a Don sighting

[@10swatkins]

Thanks for watching....

[@garyknight3019]

Looks great guys….not something you see in Australia….not sure what they used back in the day…certainly something I would live to own👍👍👍👍

[@10swatkins]

Thanks for watching!

[@paulmackintosh3171]

Hi Steve, thanks for yet another enjoyable video. You have grown to become one of my favorite machine video providers :-) Best regards from Denmark

[@10swatkins]

Wow, thanks!

[@tonyray91]

Your videos are the ones I take my time over to watch to ensure II’m not going to be disturbed or distracted .

[@TricksterJ97]

It is always interesting to see the machines that make the machines that make machines.

[@jerrellkull5347]

That is a nice machine to have, the possibilities are endless. Take care Steve, and Don....

[@10swatkins]

Thanks

[@3434dustin]

This is so satisfying! Ive never seen a scrapper that big!

[@tomeyssen9674]

Beautiful job. Enjoyed watching perfection! 😊

[@10swatkins]

Thank you so much 😊

[@coreyb4073]

Very nice, to the people who think your not going fast enough, you can hear it howling in the middle from being un supported, but int needs to be unsupported so its flat in "free state", also the same reason you would fight it on a grinder; the chuck wants to suck the bow out of the table, then it comes back on the surface plate

[@10swatkins]

Yes and by using a positive rake tool there is less down force... Sometimes supporting it make chatter....

[@oldnick4707]

@@10swatkins why not just have it Blanchard ground?

[@danieloberloh8656]

Really enjoyed watching this antiquated but oh so effective process. Thanks Steve!

[@10swatkins]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@cameronlilly4814]

Very useful tool. I like seeing historic production pictures showing rows of parts being cut simultaneously. I also like the idea of a milling head on one too; the long-travel stable bed with a milling head would be quite a contraption.

[@10swatkins]

On this planer a mill head would be problematic. With the bed being moved by a large cylinder there is not absolute travel speed as with something with a screw. Thus I can see lots of mill bits being snapped in half ! Mill bits use rotary movement to cut and are sensitive to speed.

[@Jeremy-iv9bc]

You have to admit it's pretty impressive how well those Pakistani guys do with the most basic tools possible. Great video Steve!

[@10swatkins]

Thanks 👍 I am also impressed that they work so hard... Of course their repairs always fail but damn they do the best they can with what they have!

[@Jeremy-iv9bc]

@@10swatkins job security! Lol!

[@trentbain4988]

ahh shucks Steve i am happy your happy, really like your video's. was an automotive machinist for 16 years, really enjoyed doing the work.

[@10swatkins]

Thanks 👍

[@normshafer2243]

That planer does a beautiful job!! Thanks for sharing Steve. Wishing you all the best! Norm in Arizona

[@10swatkins]

Thanks Norm.... Hey Norm... I thing you guys let out your weather, it's over here in Texas and I am NOT happy about it!

[@normshafer2243]

@@10swatkins Steve it is supposed to be 111 degrees here next weekend. It usually cools back down by the end of October 😊.

[@jiricabadaj8397]

Wow, it is my first experience with this technology , luxus job. Have a nice day , thank you for video.

[@ericsandberg3167]

There is a lot of knowledge based set up to get these kind of results....I wonder, how fine of a step over can you take with this planer...?? Looking forward to see the magic on how you do the dove tails on the back side.

[@10swatkins]

The step over is controlled by the hydraulic motor... I can set it down pretty fine but for this you want wider step over to create the slight ridges for parts to sit on... Too fine or scraped surfaces make parts hard to move around...

[@ADVJason]

Super cool video. I am amazed by some of these old machines. And people who know how to use them. I am just learning some basic machining. So I watch a ton of videos and learn a ton Thanks

[@10swatkins]

Glad it was helpful!

[@xxz4655]

happy to find this amazing channel, i appreciate the steady hand working both the machine and the work piece

[@jdsstegman]

First time watching. When you talked about why you run the whole bed length I thought you were going to say to the bed wears the same the whole way across. Which it would. Like we see in many machines, the wear is never all the way. It's always in the most used place. Great video. Thanks.

[@CraigLYoung]

Very educational, thanks for sharing 👍

[@10swatkins]

Thanks for watching and your 1 of the required 2000 comments :)

[@CraigLYoung]

@@10swatkins : You should asked yourself, "Do I really want a retired Infantrymen giving me 1,999 comments?"

[@100yojimbo]

Awesome video , really appreciate your time to show the set up and how you are holding the workpiece and setting the planner up 😁👍👍👍👍

[@10swatkins]

Thanks for watching!

[@jimdean7335]

If you are happy, we are happy. Glad to see someone else does a diet dew a day. I also do a brew a day, but after I finish in the shop. And Don, tell Steve the batteries in the flash light will last longer if he turns it off.🤓

[@10swatkins]

I am happy.... Who knew the batteries would last longer! .... Actually I was using it for camera lighting and to keep the people that make batteries busy :)

[@donmadere4237]

Can’t argue with that!!

[@danrabenhorst2549]

sure glad Don showed up to supervise

[@10swatkins]

:)

[@leeroyholloway4277]

That's a magnificent machine. Kudos to you for moving, setting up & keeping it in use.

[@10swatkins]

Thank you very much!

[@byronselorme9477]

Thanks for sharing these videos Steve. Love watching these for ideas with our machine building best practices!

[@davenicholson3491]

I’d love to have a machine like yours, be awesome to be able to plane my lathe bed ways. You sir have some fantastic skills. Greetings from Perth Australia 🇦🇺

[@maritimer95gt]

Awesome video. Definitely a great wealth of knowledge for the public!

[@10swatkins]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@dnixon8767]

Thanks for another interesting video.

[@10swatkins]

Your welcome

[@TrPrecisionMachining]

very good video..new suscriptor

[@10swatkins]

Thanks for the sub!

[@artmckay6704]

I love that machine! It does such a nice job of flattening stuff! The base that your planer table rides back and forth on must be flat within 100 millionths or better! That Planer is one nice machine! :)

[@thebotformalityknownasdale2564]

Steve that is the coolest vintage equipment that would give you the potential to get as close to perfection as a man can get ! It's a lot louder than even the biggest ones iv seen (check out Curtis at CEE cutting-edge engineering) he just got the biggest I have seen anywhere certainly in its line of manufacture and it would have some limitations where you would not ! I don't know enugh to know what makes one better than the other . However I'm positive I would have a lot more fun with your planer than any shaper I have seen !

[@10swatkins]

Don't care how big it is it's still a shaper :) Shapers are limited by stroke and table size. My planer is limited also but that limit is 96 inch stroke ! I could find a bigger one if needed :) Not so on a shaper...

[@rossilake218]

Exactly! Wheres my buddy:Don?

[@10swatkins]

@@rossilake218 I thi k he is back in Jail...

[@swanvalleymachineshop]

Nice one . I remember there was some huge planer machines at the railway workshops where i started my apprenticeship a long time ago . 👍

[@10swatkins]

Yes Planers can get really huge :) This one is about 28 feet long and as much as I can reasonable cram into the shop !

[@haroldsprenkle4173]

Hey you said comment so here it goes, glad Don came by to supervise. Your wife brought liquid refreshments, I have been getting into diet ginger beer myself. Was waiting for you to put a cramp on the backside, rod and a wedge, anything, but you remembered. Doing good. Myself I have just been making parts for the engineers, getting them coming out to see me before they go home, pick their brain and I throw my 2 cents in, maybe I won't have to make so many prototype parts that way. Engineers are special, tool and die guys just have to figure out what they want done, make it work and explain it to them so they can change it in autocad, but now they use solid works. Give me a Big Chief tablet and a pencil. Ok, been commenting about work, been a 2 year ordeal at work, I have been there 9 months now, 2 engineers have thrown their hands in the air and quit on this new line, they got mad and put part of it on the die shop to handle, we handled it. Wish us luck, we are making parts now, hand testing components now, but making parts for auto test machine now. Can't explain too much, proprietary stuff. But I am making this stuff on a Bridgeport clone. How much stuff has been turned out on a Bridgeport, toolroom mill of choice, might not be the best at anything but it will do everything. Handier than a pocket on a shirt.

[@10swatkins]

I also find a good manual mill to be essential ... Don't have to be a big mill as a Bridgeport will do about 75% of the jobs...

[@jeremycable51]

Looking forward to the rest of this series especially the turcite/rulan process there’s not very many good videos of this process of correcting warped and bent machine tool castings besides just scraping and making a new gib

[@10swatkins]

Don't think this one will need it.... We will see..... Not much to doing turcite... just glue it on and then scrap it ......

[@jeremycable51]

@@10swatkins i need to do something with my lathe compound it’s horribly worn and as of now I don’t trust my mill to machine it close enough to scrap it in

[@10swatkins]

@@jeremycable51 Trucite is really easy to scrape... In fact usually with cast iron I don't mill anything that is less than 5 thousand out... Of course I have a power scraper and a power flaker also.. A lot can be done with power tools :)

[@timmienorrie]

Very enjoyable, Steve. Thanks.

[@10swatkins]

Glad you like it :)

[@robertmiller4664]

Looks great! Nice to see an old machine being used!

[@10swatkins]

It sure is!

[@jdmccorful]

You know, that the lift you need for A/C unit is already available and can usually be rented. So don't build one just rent one for a day, remember you need all the space you got to do what you got. The last shots of the planing of the table top were the money shots. Beautiful!! Enjoyed watching and good to see Don.Thanks!!!!

[@10swatkins]

I have two AC's mounted high and will need it more than once... All I am doing is taking some scrap 2x2 angle and making a two foot extension that will clamp onto the top of the lift table and be stored upstairs. Also both AC's are above obstacles , one the air compressor and the other a work bench. The new extension will extend out from the base of the platform lift about 30 inches to allow me to lift over the obstacles..

[@Hoaxer51]

@@10swatkins, Are you going to need a counter balance to offset the over hang?

[@10swatkins]

@@Hoaxer51 No, I can always tack on a ledge below the AC for the extension to rest on...

[@jdmccorful]

@@10swatkins understood.

[@Hoaxer51]

@@10swatkins, 👍

[@radboogie]

What a machine! I trained on a planer shaper as an apprentice back in the 1980s, nothing as big as that though. Great video 👍

[@10swatkins]

Thanks for watching!

[@4pawsforge273]

Way to be chugging the Mountain Dew! Watched the entire thing. You and your machine, your assistants, and the Mountain Dew delivery guru, are top notch. You have obviously been there and done that. Thanks for sharing and yes I hit the subscribe button. I play weekend blacksmith and ypur style of videos I find very interesting and informative. And I choose to be the one that is deaf - What? [Your door sign - love it!]

[@lantapaukku7629]

Addictive just to watch and smile when the grumpy one chatters.

[@bcbloc02]

I would LOVE to have a big planer!

[@10swatkins]

I would love to have a boring mill :)

[@donmadere4237]

They are very cool machines!

[@lewiemcneely9143]

I used to suck them Mountain Dews down. A buddy got me started on them and I made up for lost time. Kept two 6-packs in the company truck tool box all the time but here in the hills it's not hard to get the real thing. This was after my all expenses paid tropical vacation where I about burned my kidneys out drinking Fanta orange and grape because the water point was almost all the time messed up. And as it was said about Carl Jackson a while back, I'm glad to see the beautiful and talented Don Madre, the Rembrandt of the rebuilt and restored metal working machine world back in his rightful place, trying to turn your planer over by leaning on it. And remember, ONE Dew a day. And don't forget the GATE! GBWYall!

[@10swatkins]

Well I used them to keep me awake :) After the heart attack they are trying to keep my heart rate and pressure down... I was thinking maybe a few MD's might be at cross purposes...

[@lewiemcneely9143]

@@10swatkins More than likely. I have never seen 2 that agreed on anything.

[@ricko5123]

I've run shapers but not planers and they are beautiful and the nice thing is if you run them slow enough and precise you can have your whole house painted by Don by the time the part is finished. These machines are why I have to stay off Auction Sites and even ebay or I'll come up with another excuse to the wife... The old dreaded Bridgeport table really looks nice, Steve. Imagine if our tables could speak, man the stories they could tell from abuse. Ricko

[@10swatkins]

I tried to talk Don out of it.... Really tried.... You can lead a horse to water :)

[@petegraham1458]

Nice work!

[@10swatkins]

Thanks for the visit

[@jessecurtner7254]

I love the the way explain what you are doing 😊

[@10swatkins]

Thank you! 😊

[@onehot57]

Nice job Steve!

[@10swatkins]

Thanks!

[@asianseaanimals]

Great stuff and nice sharing man

[@10swatkins]

Thanks you very much..

[@adamstripp39]

Nice work

[@10swatkins]

Thanks for the visit

[@KennyEaton603]

I’ve had a shaper obsession since I first saw one. Planers are awesome as well, but that thing is bigger than my home shop (10’x12’ shed with concrete floor). I still don’t have a shaper, someday though. My father has been a job shop machinist for 40+ years now, always tells me shapers, planers, jig borers and horizontal mills (K&T and such) are obsolete. He’s not wrong, he’s just surrounded by million dollar CNC machines at work. The rest of us have to get by with old technology that isn’t as fast.

[@10swatkins]

For 99% of the jobs even planers are obsolete.. For rebuilding machine tools and straight edges they are low cost machines that are well suited for the work... Slower but this is not production work. I hear you on the size.. I am struggling with a 40x 60!

[@michaelrandle4128]

Ah but it is as fast, if you want to make small numbers of parts, by the time they have programmed the cnc and checked all the tooling, found this plane and that plane you can have a few done on a manual machine,

[@KennyEaton603]

@@michaelrandle4128 they have Proto-Traks for that. The only manual machining left is high-precision lathe work. If you’ve never seen a 50hp horizontal CNC remove metal, you’ll have a hard time catching it despite set-up time. MasterCAM is phenomenally good, every modern CNC can probe a part faster than you can indicate it in a manual machine, and when you have a tool library of 600+ tools and 115 tools in the tool changer, there are few advantages to manually machining the parts. Especially if it’s complex. The 5-axis machines are incredible with a good programmer. Sadly, manual machining is dying. It will always exist at some level, but the days of even low-production being cost effective are quickly becoming history.

[@KennyEaton603]

@@mayshack I truly believe that machining itself is slowly dying. As metal 3D printing improves and becomes more cost effective, it’s going to become difficult to compete with. There isn’t much left made from actual metal anyway. Everything is injection molded plastic and cast garbage metal. The world is in a race to the bottom, and for reasons I don’t understand. I personally appreciate things I can buy knowing they will outlast me.

[@russkepler]

As the saying goes "you can make anything with a shaper or planer, except money"

[@mikecowan1471]

The bevel on the cast iron edge answers why there are bigger bevels on 1 end of a south bend lathe

[@tonyray91]

Abom79 has does barbecuing, Steve Summers has squirrels, CEE has his dog….. Steve’s got …. Don !

[@gorak9000]

And ToT has his kid / cats / time travel, etc etc, Joe Py his worlf spiders, RotarySMP his channel's #1 fan, Nico, and of course Ollie has ratty / croc / baby rat / cocky / magpie, and kookaburra

[@ellieprice363]

@@gorak9000 And Mr. Pete has his Opti-Visor, sometimes.

[@ogaugeclockwork4407]

A planed mill table is a great idea, plenty of quality machines such as Deckel’s have planed tables. Much less likely to develop a raised up ding than a ground table.

[@johnharlow486]

? Why is it different?

[@EnlightenedSavage]

This doesn’t make sense .

[@TBJK07Jeep]

Keep up the good work.

[@10swatkins]

Thanks, will do!

[@williambramer8217]

I thought about leaving 2000 comments but then thought better of it. Nevertheless enjoyed the video - I love seeing the planer in action. Judging by the first passes there seemed to be a little twist in the top surface.

[@10swatkins]

2000 thumbs up would be ok too :) Yes there was a slight twist to the top also... All better now :)

[@thecanadiantradesman7916]

Man I would love to come across a planer like that. Where I live industrial machining just isn't a main industry so equipment is hard to find aside from your basic small lathe and the odd bridgeport style mill here and there. On top of that they always are priced like they're made of sterling silver or gold and in just above scrap condition or beyond scrap. I managed to purchase my first modern style lathe last year and am extremely happy with it, it's a late 70's early 80's YANG 2000HG, swings 20" and has a gap which allows about 31" and a 80" bed length. Needs a bunch small things but it is in overall pretty decent condition. All the speeds and feeds work well and runs quiet so I was happy about that and as far as my initial inspection went doesn't have to much wear even up close to the head stock. Once I take the time to fix a few minor things on it il get it off my machinery skates and level it out to see exactly what kind of condition the bed is in. It does have flame hardened ways on it and no real visible wear so I'm optimistic on how good it really is but for what I do or plan to do with it I could set it up in my driveway and it would still be accurate enough. Usually just make the odd pin bushing and pins for a bucket or grapple and the odd hydraulic cylinder rod end here and there. I'm still on the lookout for a good milling machine but I waited 25 years to find this lathe I'm sure I can wait a bit longer to find a mill.

[@10swatkins]

Machines, good machines, are hard to find here also... Good luck with yours!

[@waynep343]

Should have tee shirts . Come ride my Rockwell Planer. Smooth landings every time after a lot of touch and go's and a few go arounds.

[@10swatkins]

Everyone want shirts...... :)

[@christianmoscarell4579]

Beautiful work

[@10swatkins]

Thank you very much!

[@LyallPearce]

Being new to machinist videos, I have not seen a planer like yours before. Impressed by the result and thanks for taking the time to explain why the long stroke, before you explained, I had assumed it was to keep your planer bed wear more even over the length. After the explanation, I was watching the head kick twice on the backstroke almost every stroke and when I could watching the head move to the side at the start of every forward stroke, and the settle time that followed. Would be nice to see the table on the machine it came from. I assume you will be showing work on the other side of the table?

[@10swatkins]

There is a whole play list of the machine from start to now.... You will see every side :) kzbin.info/www/bejne/sGqqgWOIact2hc0

[@BecomingOffgrid]

Pretty cool old machine!

[@10swatkins]

It really is!

[@ianmoone2359]

Just had my 70 year old Bridgeport delivered, so really hoping you will get back to your Bridgeport restoration - with more videos of the process. I found your channel searching Bridgeport Mill on KZbin & since this one you’ve done everything but get back to your Bridgeport restoration. 😂 Don’t get me wrong - the non Bridgeport videos are very interesting too, just not as relevant to me personally as seeing what you do next with your Bridgeport restoration. 👍👍👍🇦🇺

[@10swatkins]

The next video is probably finishing up the planing on the mill table.... I do have to make a tool before I can finish the Bridgeport... I don't have a finished 4' edge with the angle on it... I will plane one and scrape it in probably in the second video to come ;) . I am just spread too thin and things are always shuffled for priority,,, And I am setting up things for a long session of scraping things in..... I have three machines sitting here that need parts scraped and though I would just work through them all at once...

[@ianmoone2359]

@@10swatkins Understand completely. I’m of a similar age to you & also not in the greatest shape health wise, so I just do what I can do, when I can get to it. I hope you will continue to approach your tasks in like fashion. I’m the same in that, I have jobs lined up that need doing, but there’s always something else that I have to do first. 😂👍👍👍🇦🇺

[@stanmacdonald1073]

Comment 1: Thank you for great video. I knew nothing about metal planes before I watched your video. Now I know I know even less about metal planning. It's amazing, the more I learn the more know I don't know! Comment 2: Any chance you could take on a couple planning jobs for a new subscriber. The value of KZbin subscriptions have gone through the roof! I have a Hurco KM3P CNC mill and a Lagun FTV2 that need work. I was going to scrape them in but have had health problems that make that unlikely. Comment 3: I'd gladly write 19,997 more comments if you did!

[@10swatkins]

Send me an email at stevewatkinsatwork@ gmail.com

[@TomR61]

Cool video, thanks for sharing.

[@tonyray91]

Is there any possibility that the table will deflect under the cutting pressure as it’s hollow on the underside due to the bow or is the casting too massive for it to be an issue.? Would you pack the bow out if it were a thinner section?

[@10swatkins]

This is pretty thick and by taking light cuts with a sharp bit / a light rake I avoid too much deflection.... I do a lot of straight edges that are lighter sections and hard to hold also.. Same method helps...

[@jimzivny1554]

Beautiful finish. Like Keith Fenner says occasionally "it's better to be looking at it than looking for it" I've known a few guys who thought being aggressive with their cuts saved a lot time until they went too far and had to weld it up and do it over or scrap part. I'm with you, be conservative and remove as little as possible.

[@10swatkins]

Yep , you can take too much, better to do it once :)

[@THEIRONWORKER]

How do you get the tool square to the table to make those big step over cuts

[@10swatkins]

You might have notice setting the tool up in the video... I set the tool down on the surface and adjust it almost flat to the planed surface...

[@djfaber]

Could you detect that 8 thou while the table was still on the machine?

[@10swatkins]

I never measured it.... I knew it was coming off to replace the nuts and screws... You could easily measure it with a 4 foot straight edge...

[@karlgoebeler1500]

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

[@trumanhw]

If I'm not mistaken, they don't actually remove any metal until ~ @38:00 ... Seems an excellent tool (attachment?) that MANY mills would benefit from It'd also be great to not only plane mill but lathes. THis is awesome.

[@stephenvale2624]

I agree. Definitely equals a rehab workout.

[@michaelsteakley3898]

That looks great. I appreciate your dilligence and workmanship to not be in a big hurry. Question - My old Bridgport table has some weld repair areas. Can it still be planed?

[@10swatkins]

Depending on the type of material they welded it with... Most weld deposits are harder than the cast iron and will cause the tool to jump when it hits the harder surface.. If it is a lot of welds it would be better to have it ground...

[@krguimaraes]

Great old machine.

[@huibhoogendoorn503]

Wy didn't you support the middle of the table for the push down fors?

[@10swatkins]

This is so thick it was not needed..... On thinner stuff I sometime put in jacks.

[@rexmyers991]

VERY impressive

[@ponga782]

I have a SB9A and a SB16. any interest in milling some ways. The 16 is already apart and the 9 would be even easier to pull apart.

[@10swatkins]

Maybe but it would be awhile, I'm really snowed under...

[@kk2ak14]

Perfect job!

[@marvinpybus4599]

Our grandfathers turned America into a super power with old iron like this and lots of hard work. You do realize that one day you and the other KZbin teachers will be in a video history library at schools across our country to show students how America was built, right?

[@10swatkins]

That's my plan... I have been working toward a shop that has everything I need to completely rehab a machine in house... I have reached an agreement with Skill Share and who knows you might see some videos popping up in their innovatory :)

[@kurtkrueger9715]

I understand the need to raise the tool on the return stroke, but what's the purpose of the double-kick? Thanks -Kurt

[@10swatkins]

That is a problem with the pump or valves.. It works so I am not inclined to make it worse by fixing it :)

[@richardandrews6754]

Hi Steve, great to see the planer in action, one question, how would the original ways have been machined, I see the top of the table was planed but the ways are much longer would they have been ground?.

[@10swatkins]

Planning has no limits on length ... Just need a longer planer :)

[@MrMojolinux]

Nice plane-ing job Steve, but what's with the hurky jerky stroking camera?

[@gorak9000]

I noticed that too - I was wondering if it was on my end, or if it was just the video. Seemed to be always when it was the gopro camera - the video just periodically freezes for a second. Very odd

[@10swatkins]

It was something on KZbins end.... IT did not look like that when I sent it up! They reprocess it for compression I guess :(

[@christopherleveck6835]

I have been looking for a shaper for a long time. The only ones I've come across are too small, too pretty and waaaay to expensive..... With that said, the 74" table on my Lagunport (Lagun Republic turret vertical knee mill with a variable speed J head) needs its table done. Same issue as with yours. As near as I can tell, the dovetails ie the bottom of the table and the saddle all seem perfect. I still have the scraping swirls on the matting surfaces. I replaced the old ballscrews with brand new high precision (unbelievably expensive but bought new as surplus thank god) ground ballscrews...... So now I've go ZERO backlash and the only thing I'm having to deal with is about a .002" rise in the middle. Front to back its fine. So the question is.... can I face mill or flycut the table on the machine? Other than having the bow in my table I think the machine overall is perfect. Well, now anyway.

[@10swatkins]

If you have a bow on the top I can say you probably have a problem with the dovetails also.. Run the table to the middle, adjust the gib snugly and then see what it is doing as it nears each end of travel... Milling the top only takes care of the top...

[@christopherleveck6835]

@@10swatkins helped a friend work on his Bridgeport and his had that problem. It was so tight in the middle it wouldn't move all the way to the end. And there was no adjustment left in the gib. My jib is tight and it's barely snugged down. I think this mill has had very light duty or maybe wasn't used much at all. The table has a bow but it's really more of an "M" shape. There is a kind of an outline on the table with the middle looking new and everything around it is "dirty" looking. I think maybe it had a fixture plate or something bolted down in the middle third of the table with 8 bolts holding it down. The 8 bolts were 2 on each end with 4 on each side but close to the ends. So it may have pulled things up on either side of the middle. So the ends of the table are the lowest point. The center of the table is .001" and on either side of the center is .002". So it looks a little like this: ______-----__-----______ If I move the table end to end and put an indicator on the quill I can move the table all the way back and the ram all the way forward and the indicator runs true on the bottom of the front face of the table. And I'm good on the top face along the x and y all around the edge of the table top and bottom. So I'm thinking I should be OK surfacing it. I have a 4 inch face mill with indexable cutters and I have a fly cutter that will go larger than that but it balances really nicely at 3.75". It takes a 5/8" HSS blank or I have a carbide tool I can use with it. I like grinding my own tools but I don't know which I should use. Or if I should even do it. I've been thinking about making a surface grinder to attach to the back accessory loop.....

[@10swatkins]

@@christopherleveck6835 For something like that I would not face mill it... I would just scrape the table... Of course I have a power scraper and that would make short work of it.

[@christopherleveck6835]

@@10swatkins that's a good reason to buy a new tool.....

[@kdenyer1]

You know your machine.

[@ericpeterson336]

Will you have to scrape in the table ways after re-cutting them?How is cardiac rehab going? It was a good thing for me.

[@10swatkins]

I will scrap in everything but the surface of the table... Rehab is going great... 5 more weeks : ( BUT I am an all star compared to 90 % of the people going through it with me... I am blessed!

[@kevinhaley8625]

Steve, you said to bevel the forward edge so it doesn’t chip out chunks, so do you also bevel the cross slots at each end of the table? Sorry, I didn’t hear if you said we are to bevel those cross slots and watched it twice just to see if I missed something. Thank you in advance sir.

[@10swatkins]

you can and must if you are taking a lot of depth of cut... On this job I was only taking about .003 of material in those areas so I did not bother with the cross slots..

[@kevinhaley8625]

@@10swatkins I thank you sir for the information, nice looking shop

[@smarthome2660]

We never had a Planer that big, but we did have a Surface Grinder that big. The surface grinder could spark out a tolerance of 0.0002, but it took an hour for the machine to get warmed up enough to hold that kind of tolerance.

[@jackpledger8118]

Great video on brings the table back into spec. Do you have to do anything to the T slots after surfacing the top?

[@10swatkins]

I just run a stone or file over the slots if needed...

[@ellieprice363]

@@10swatkins Steve I know you’ll use the full size tee slot nuts that fit the grooves instead of the little bitty import ones that bugger them up.

[@tannerhoward5974]

I see a beast of a lathe in the background! 😛