# What the heck is all this stuff, my new mill came with this.



## Kilohertz (Mar 19, 2022)

Just bought a 23 year old RF30 clone, a Craftex 30 and it came with some bits I'm not sure what they are for. I'm new to milling so go easy on me. I would appreciate knowing what the items are, I can then research how to use them. I know what the index wheel is, but it seems stuck, handle only turns 180*. Need to find a manual for it. Yiyen machine tool company. From what I have researched, a lot of it came from Busy Bee.

Thanks all.

Cheers


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## YYCHM (Mar 19, 2022)

Rotary table with indexing plate and tailstock for the table.

You've got too much stuff in each image to zero in on specifics.......

How much did you pay for all of this stuff?


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## whydontu (Mar 19, 2022)

a couple of boring heads, a nice big carbide face mill, a very new looking set of keyway broaches, a couple of lathe cross slide tables, some beefy-looking stepper motors with ball screws. Was this all included with the mill? Kind of looks like a partially completed CNC conversion


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## YYCHM (Mar 19, 2022)

I see slitting saws, R8 collets, some endmills.....


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## Kilohertz (Mar 19, 2022)

Yes to all...The (deceased) father was an electronics fellow and had it setup with 3 axis DRO feeding a laptop. The cct brd was all hand made, chips and such, going to a parallel printer cable, not sure what his plans were, son is not a machinist.

There may be some stuff pictured that wasn't specific to the mill, we just loaded what looked to be the right stuff. The slitting saws have different bores, I have an Atlas MFB  with the arbor, just not sure how these would mount in the mill spindle. The wood box with all the keyed pieces, what is that for? The cutter wheels seem to fit nicely over them, so much to learn...

The Craftex is R8 so I know what those collets are for, just not sure how the other bits fit. The 2 slides taped together might be for another machine?? What is the long black dovetail bar with 2 blocks mounted on it for?

Thanks all, one day I hope to be able to help someone like me as I am now.

Cheers


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## whydontu (Mar 19, 2022)

the wood box is a keyway broach set. Used to cut key ways in pulleys or shaft collars. Looks like a #10 set with a bunch of extra bushings. 





__





						No. 10 Standard Keyway Broach Set
					

Shars Tool




					www.shars.com
				




Lord only knows what the dovetail slide assembly is, could be anything.


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## David_R8 (Mar 19, 2022)

Holy mother lode of a haul!


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## trlvn (Mar 20, 2022)

Kilohertz said:


> The slitting saws have different bores, I have an Atlas MFB with the arbor, just not sure how these would mount in the mill spindle.


Make an arbor that is held in a collet:



			https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFsnkyTuthOH8omjKQ5gDvPkkEonEjrZC
		


Craig


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## Proxule (Mar 20, 2022)

Black file handle beside boring head


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## trlvn (Mar 20, 2022)

BTW, in image 4 there is a 'wrench' (socket on a handle) that is used to lock the head to the column of the mill/drill.  See the right side in the middle.  There is a hold in the motor bracket where the wrench is normally stored although it can vibrate in there and make an annoying sound.

Craig


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## trlvn (Mar 20, 2022)

Also in the back of image 4 there is a dark blue vise.  I think it was mounted on the mill/drill in a picture in your other thread.  It isn't really a "milling vise", however.  Just a large drill press vise.  The movable jaw has too much freedom so work will almost certainly lift as you tighten it.  You can use it for (light) milling and just compensate for the lift.  But you'll likely want to buy a better vise in the future.

Craig


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## Hacker (Mar 20, 2022)

Nice haul! Hopefully the mill is functional and there is a circuit diagram to go with it.


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## Kilohertz (Mar 20, 2022)

Proxule said:


> Black file handle beside boring head



Who's a funny guy...good one.



YYCHM said:


> How much did you pay for all of this stuff?



$1200 
Thanks for all the help boys, appreciate it.  Yes, I pulled the vice off to remove some weight for the move but it hardly weighs 5 lbs, certainly not good quality. I am starting the search for a good solid 4" vice. I also need to start reading my machinists handbook to start the learning process. 

The machine fired right up and I moved all the axis's and raised/lowered the head. The tire wrench was sitting right on the bench and fit like it should. The rotary head was across the shop on a shelf and I was lucky to spot it, the garage is stuffed with 40 years  of collecting. 

I'm going to put all the items in a parts washer and clean all the years of YUCK off them and start organizing the shop so I can unload the machine with the excavator when it arrives and place it on it's stand.

More later.

cheers


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## Kilohertz (Mar 20, 2022)

whydontu said:


> the wood box is a keyway broach set. Used to cut key ways in pulleys or shaft collars. Looks like a #10 set with a bunch of extra bushings.



Thank you. Now I know what all the broaches are for that came with my MFB a few weeks ago, was missing all the bushings. Now I have a complete set and know how to use them...

TubalCain to the rescue.

How to use keyway broaches

Cheers


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## trlvn (Mar 20, 2022)

Kilohertz said:


> $1200




With a semi-universal dividing head and including the often-missing tailstock.  And a keyway broach set.  And all the rest.

Do you sirens in the distance?  That's because you STOLE this!

Craig


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## Everett (Mar 20, 2022)

Oh my, you got a DEAL! Nice score!


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## Kilohertz (Mar 20, 2022)

Everett said:


> Oh my, you got a DEAL! Nice score!



This is all assuming the mill is true and spindle is straight and there's no slop in the table. I didn't do a runout test only started it and moved all the axis's. Have no idea what the lead screw and nuts are like either...fingers crossed once I get it home and have a good chance to go thru it, and CLEAN in, holy cow, it's dirty.

Thanks!


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## 6.5 Fan (Mar 20, 2022)

Good haul, congrats.


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## Susquatch (Mar 20, 2022)

@Kilohertz That haul is very similar to what I got with my mill/drill. I just wanted the mill, but the fellow I bought it from wanted his garage emptied out. He just kept going back for more. AND I LET HIM! For a while I thought he was gunna load up his girlfriend too! 

5 years later I still didn't know what half the stuff was. But back then, I didn't have the folks on this forum to help me like you do. 

Nice thing about your haul is that you have already made out like a bandit even if the mill has problems! Just keep smiling! And HAVE FUN!!! 

My wife loves to tell me how much she saved me by getting stuff on sale. Then wants to go spend the savings. I think you should try that line on your significant other. Heck, with what you saved, you can go buy a brand new mill! 

Congrats on all the new toys!


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## YotaBota (Mar 20, 2022)

That pretty much rates as "gloat" just in the parts, well done.
In picture #4 - what is the black unit in the middle of the picture?


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## Kilohertz (Mar 20, 2022)

YotaBota said:


> In picture #4 - what is the black unit in the middle of the picture?



Thank you. Yes, that was my question as well...it weighs about 30lbs, solid steel, machined surfaces all around and almost looks like 321 blocks on top, the blocks slide very smoothly and there are holes drilled through the rail like it is meant to be bolted with T-bolts to the table, maybe a work piece support for long pieces??

Anyone? I'll attach a few more pics.

cheers


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## Kilohertz (Mar 20, 2022)

And today I cleaned all the grunge off the items and freed up the stuck rotary table, smooth as silk now, happy. Cleaned all the bits and some are near new, some...well not so. I will probably make some new bits look the same as I learn. And we found another 5 index plates for the rotary table, cool. 

Oh, and I found a nice little vice on my MFB, swivel base, but can be separated.

More later.

cheers


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## YYCHM (Mar 20, 2022)

Those look like awfully large indexing plates.   What size is the RT?


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## jcdammeyer (Mar 20, 2022)

Nice haul.


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## Kilohertz (Mar 20, 2022)

YYCHM said:


> Those look like awfully large indexing plates.   What size is the RT?



It's 6" I think, I'm not in the shop right now. There was an index plate bolted to it when I got it, these other 5 are the same diameter.


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## Tomc938 (Mar 20, 2022)

It's all scrap.  I'll send you my address and you can ship it to me.  But you pay the shipping...

Totally awesome score!  You have hours of enjoyment just figuring out how to use everything.  Amazing!


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## Kilohertz (Mar 20, 2022)

Tomc938 said:


> Totally awesome score!  You have hours of enjoyment just figuring out how to use everything.  Amazing!



Probably more like days figuring it all out.   I spent an enjoyable 2 hours this afternoon out in the sun with the parts washer making everything look nice, watching the snow melt...come on spring.

cheers


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## Susquatch (Mar 21, 2022)

Kilohertz said:


> Anyone? I'll attach a few more pics.



Looks like a fixture designed to hold a wrap or two of duct tape in position.

Seriously, it looks more like a piece of farm equipment. Nothing to do with machining.

Prolly bolts to a frame of some kind and allows repositioning of something - eg changing the pitch of a plow blade.

How tight is the fit?

Do the holes line up with the T-slots on the mill?

I bet you have it upside down. Can we see a pic flipped over?

Regardless, you just scored some nice chunks of steel that are hiding some future things inside them.


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## historicalarms (Mar 21, 2022)

In one haul you got everything most new mill owners spend hours on the net looking for at an affordable price....awesome buy my man, and im betting the mill will perform just fine, those #30's aren't in the same ball park as Bridgeport's but with a little jib setting it will be just fine for a new mill owner...miles better than a mini mill or no mill at all.

    I think that dovetail/sliding block affair may be an attempt at a home-built taper attachment for some unknown lathe or another.


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## ShawnR (Mar 21, 2022)

Tomc938 said:


> It's all scrap.  I'll send you my address and you can ship it to me.  But you pay the shipping...
> 
> Totally awesome score!  You have hours of enjoyment just figuring out how to use everything.  Amazing!



Beat me to it! I was going to tell him the same thing!! Well, I was l going to pay shipping to make it easier on the guy cleaning up. 

Congratulations @Kilohertz ! Getting stuff like that (unknown tools) opens up doors to skills that you did not know you wanted or even existed. Enjoy!


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## trlvn (Mar 21, 2022)

A full set of index plates.  And a cool old vise.

My jealousy meter is pinned in the RED now.  

Just to bring things back to earth a bit, it looks like several of the tool bits (image 2) have seen better days.  For example, the corners seem to be gone from the dovetail cutter.  Even if pooched, the old cutters are a good source of high speed steel for a future need.

<Deep breaths.  Be happy for the OP.  No crying.>

Craig


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## Hacker (Mar 21, 2022)

You've done well on that haul. I think you might have a few extra indexing plates.


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## Kilohertz (Mar 21, 2022)

Thanks guys! Nice to know I landed some useful items, and as mentioned, it's going to take some time to learn how to use it all, properly. Some of the bits I see molten aluminum on, probably not an ideal cutting speed, and yes some chipped or missing cutting edges on others.

Between this estate purchase and my purchase 2 weeks ago of the Atlas MFB and loads of bits and tooling and such that came with that, I think I am pretty much setup for milling bits and tooling and such and won't need to visit KMS or Busy Bee for a long time. 

Thanks again for the help, good to find info on the items I didn't know about.

Cheers

PS, to the guy that pointed out the file handle, turns out it's a Cluthe, made in Canada, made the purchase all worthwhile.


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## Kilohertz (Mar 21, 2022)

Susquatch said:


> Looks like a fixture designed to hold a wrap or two of duct tape in position.
> 
> Seriously, it looks more like a piece of farm equipment. Nothing to do with machining.



Mmmm, it's a pretty expensive looking piece, maybe robotics??



Susquatch said:


> Prolly bolts to a frame of some kind and allows repositioning of something - eg changing the pitch of a plow blade.
> 
> How tight is the fit?



Very tight and smooth, glides smoothly on the rail.



Susquatch said:


> Do the holes line up with the T-slots on the mill?



No, the holes on the rail are countersunk to allow mounting it on a machined surface, all surfaces of this are machined super smooth and flat. I'll post some more pics after work and of it flipped over.


Susquatch said:


> I bet you have it upside down. Can we see a pic flipped over?
> 
> Regardless, you just scored some nice chunks of steel that are hiding some future things inside them.



Agreed, cheers!


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## Darren (Mar 21, 2022)

Kilohertz said:


> Thank you. Yes, that was my question as well...it weighs about 30lbs, solid steel, machined surfaces all around and almost looks like 321 blocks on top, the blocks slide very smoothly and there are holes drilled through the rail like it is meant to be bolted with T-bolts to the table, maybe a work piece support for long pieces??
> 
> Anyone? I'll attach a few more pics.
> 
> ...



Thats a linear rail and 2 bearing blocks





__





						Linear guide rails and blocks | Tuli-shop.com
					

Online shop for linear guide rails and blocks. Worldwide shipping! Cut to length linear rail. Visit tuli-shop.com to see prices, stock levels and download CAD.




					www.tuli-shop.com


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## Kilohertz (Mar 21, 2022)

Darren said:


> Thats a linear rail and 2 bearing blocks
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Darren wins the prize!! Good job. Probably won't need it on the mill, but who knows.

Thanks!


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## Susquatch (Mar 21, 2022)

Darren said:


> Thats a linear rail and 2 bearing blocks



You are no fun......


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## whydontu (Mar 21, 2022)

Possible future project. The annoying aspect of the RF30 mill is the round column, when you raise or lower the head it loses radial alignment. If the linear rail is beefy enough, maybe it could be used to provide fixed radial location of the head. Could be fun to figure out.


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## Kilohertz (Mar 21, 2022)

whydontu said:


> Possible future project. The annoying aspect of the RF30 mill is the round column, when you raise or lower the head it loses radial alignment. If the linear rail is beefy enough, maybe it could be used to provide fixed radial location of the head. Could be fun to figure out.


Now that sounds like a cool idea, certainly something to look at when I get it home.

Cheers


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