looking for a Horizontal boring mill

[Richard King]

Check out Lucas or Bullard as they also made machines that had side rails in the base.

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Doug, dial it back a little buddy. Maybe have a coffee break and relax a little. Tyrone's a good guy.

A large 'x' travel machine will probably not be available without separate outriggers. The biggest machines have a couple on each side, and they need them for the amount of weight the tables can hold. Doug is completely correct that it's very important to have a rock solid foundation if you're going to be doing work this size, or the whole machine will flex and rock/settle when the weight goes from one side to the other. What do you suppose happens when you're machining a long surface with an endmill and the machine is moving in that way while you're cutting? Sitting atop a concrete floor is not good enough. The floor will also flex and eventually crack.

If you want/need a machine that’s not too big but with a good “ x “ or cross travel your best bet is a “ planer“ type machine. Basically a “ T “ shape bed with the column moving in and out. The travelling table is supported all the way by the bed so you can get bit cheaper on the foundations if money is really tight.
I’ve installed machines with out-riggers and if the foundations aren’t exactly to manufacturers spec you can have a hard time keeping the alignments within tolerance.

Regards Tyrone.

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Check out Lucas or Bullard as they also made machines that had side rails in the base.

A “ Lucas “ would be a good bet. I’ve seen photos of a few of the older ones that had a “ wing “ type bed.

Regards Tyrone.

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

I can only go by what the OP says.

YOU can ASS-U-me all YOU want All day long.
Either way, YOU aren't helping much are YOU ?

Read what the OP says In his post. “ A simple manual machine is what is all that is needed “. “ A machine with outrigger rails built into the base would be great so installation would be much cheaper “. “ We have long weldments to re-machine “.

Regards Tyrone

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

So I go on “ Machine tools.com “
6th machine down. Sited in Texas USA.
A British ” Staveley “ planer type Hor bore. It mentions “ Richards “ in the description but it’s a “ Kearns “ machine probably built after “ Staveley amalgamated “ Kearns “ with “ Richards “.
3” travelling spindle. 1,000 rpm on the spindle. 120” cross travel. 48” vertical travel. Column in and out 78” ( That seems a lot to me, needs checking, TS ) Removable revolving 42” top table. Main tee slotted table 36” by 134”. Built in 16” facing slide with 8” of travel ( nice thing to have, TS ). I’ve worked on these and they were decent machines. Probably built in the late 1960’s. Only drawbacks - the spindle is a No 5 Morse but that can be overcome. Spares ? Very unlikely. Price seems a bit sketchy in the ad.
edit - there’s a decent looking “ Lucas “ 54B120 on page 3 if you want a U.S. made machine.

Regards Tyrone

 

[4GSR]

There's one here in my town that same size. I don't think it has quite 120" cross travel, maybe 60-72" at most. Wonder if it is the same machine? Haven't been in that shop in nearly ten years. They did change names on the business.

 

[garychipmaker]

There's one here in my town that same size. I don't think it has quite 120" cross travel, maybe 60-72" at most. Wonder if it is the same machine? Haven't been in that shop in nearly ten years. They did change names on the business.

Thanks for all the replies. Tyrone understood what I said. As I said in my first post a CNC would be nice but we are using it for repairing parts. such as boring pin worn 2"holes and re sleeving. and re-machining worn surfaces that have been welded up. No production parts runs. We do make replacement parts under 10 at a time but many need 4 or more setups to machine all the angled features. And they aren't going to spend alot of money on a machine. company doesn't see the machine shop as an asset. But sure want to know when we'll be done repairing or making a replacement part. I thought I explained it well in my first post as what I am looking for. the G and L we have now has a 4" 5MT spindle with a drawkey for hold milling tooling.

 

[James H Clark]

Someone mentioned Lucas. My experience is limited to two hours on a Lucas. Good machine, but the controls were on the opposite side compared to G & L which is what I was used to. I guess that all Lucas's were on the same.side.
JH

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Thanks for all the replies. Tyrone understood what I said. As I said in my first post a CNC would be nice but we are using it for repairing parts. such as boring pin worn 2"holes and re sleeving. and re-machining worn surfaces that have been welded up. No production parts runs. We do make replacement parts under 10 at a time but many need 4 or more setups to machine all the angled features. And they aren't going to spend alot of money on a machine. company doesn't see the machine shop as an asset. But sure want to know when we'll be done repairing or making a replacement part. I thought I explained it well in my first post as what I am looking for. the G and L we have now has a 4" 5MT spindle with a drawkey for hold milling tooling.

The beauty of having a built in facing slide is you can do lots of things with what are basically lathe tools.
You can also put a smallish planer type machine down on a decent concrete floor and with a bit luck it’ll hold its alignments. The stability is in the machine and not the foundation to a great extent.

Regards Tyrone.

 

[garychipmaker]

Yes we do have a Marcel Pegard mill that has a facing head. I use the head to bore large bores. I've never found another mill online like it. It doesn't have an axis direction lever for each axis. It has an axis selector lever and and a separate direction change lever. You have to be very careful when milling a pocket or such with it as to the lever directions.

 

[Greg White]

I spent most of my 50 years in the trade standing beside Bmils in and around the Motor City,
My thought, a cnc Bmil can and will do one offs way faster than a manual,and better.
started on em bee four readouts, iffin I had a big enough barn and the hankerin,it would be a G&L
wit a 8000A or B control, smoke them manuals all day long, and into the nite.
The 800 control was kinda sucky.
good luck OP.
Gw

 

[Doozer]

Tyrone sent me a bunch of emails when I first got my
Giddings and Lewis. He is a good guy. Please be
nice to him. Thanks Tyrone.

-Doozer