This is a slow section here, maybe I can liven it up.
Picking up this Index 745 on Saturday
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This is a slow section here, maybe I can liven it up.
Picking up this Index 745 on Saturday
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Nice score!
Nice find. Nothing like old iron, especially in metal working machines. I'm only a hobbyist machinist but I've never heard of the Index name but I guess there's a lot of mills that look like Bridgeports. Wish I had the room for one.
I've had a Grizzly bench top Mill/Drill for many years. It's 500 pounds, not what I consider a bench top machine so I built a heavy duty welded stand for mine. Its not a great mill but for me its a major step up from a traditional drill press. I do some metal work so the mill is used frequently so I purchased the power upgrade for the table.
Wells index is still making knee mills in Michigan, still using the same foundry I believe. full parts support.Quote:
Originally Posted by John Ziebron
The Index's were/are the Cadillac of manual knee mills.
Lots of neat/different features than a b-port.
I had been looking for a nice Index close to home that could be loaded (time is money and I am over not having something just set right on my gooseneck anymore) and put to work with a little bit of tooling.
Got it cleaned up and figured out what levers make it do what.
Excuse my poor excuse of a vise, but it was free and I don't want to drop 1k on a Kurt right now.
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Nice mill. I've been eyeing the 747 (https://www.wells-index.com/) and the PM-833T for a while. My problem is shop space!
Hi:
I think this to be my first post.
I love machines, and hand tools.
Yours looks great.
My Mill is a Smithy Granite, about two years now.
It was a twenty year dream.
Last month swapped the four jaw chuck in for an axle on a foot powered grinder for a neighbor.
They were very pleased. Stone had a four sided hole in center, so insert had to have a round hole for axle.
Today swapped back to three jaw chuck, making parts for a "thick material" sewing press.
Have made concrete cutter of 10 inch tile saw, Multimaster blade sharpener, Ceiling jack, etc.
Anybody interested in such??
I thought I was writing a congrates to Darcu Warner about his Wells machine. Instead started a "new Post"
Got the milled trammed, new Kurt DX6 on and trammed.
Have parts to make.
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The factory will regrind the quill to a different internal taper for about $200. Something to consider before investing in a lot of tooling. I think some were in a obsolete B+S taper. R8 is better then Morse taper. I think they can even do a 30 taper which is self releasing.
The factory will even do a full rebuild if you send them your machine. No idea how long that will take.
Bill D.
It's an R8 spindle. I wish it was a 30 taper, but anything is better than B&S 9.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill Dufour
Make sure you have at least 18-24 inches clearance above the drawbar so it can be removed/replaced if needed. I do not think that is a issue in your shop. A self rejecting drawbar is a good project if you have a lathe. Note that many of the m3 and maybe the r8 stuff can have english or metric threads. Stay with one or the other or risk damaging the threads if you use the wrong drawbar.
Will a standard right angle head fit? Any plan to mount a slotter on the back side?
Bil lD
Made things, made some scrap too.
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