Grizzly Mill problem

[Don1966]

Well this old coonass is not a happy one. I just tested the run out of my G3103 Grizzly mill and found a total of .006" play in the spindle. I read .0015" runout on the Quill. I had been noticing when I drill holes the bit would start wobbling and at first I thought it was my chuck but in checking it that's not the case.
Now I will have to disassemble it and see where this is coming from. Eric my brother I want to see how yours check out so let me know.
By the way this mill was purchased in December of 2012 so it hasn't seen a whole lot of use.
Don

This is a photo I took and I am moving the spindle with my fingers.

[Tennessee Whiskey]

Don, my brother, it's a BBQ weekend for me, 14 hours and 240 slabs of ribs and near 300 pounds of pulled pork today and I still got tomorrow to go. I'm taking off Sunday thru Thursday this week and when I get to the shed, I'll do the same( if I can move) Is it moving that much with the quill retracted and by just finger pressure? Is this with the quill locked also?

Rib Bone

[Don1966]

Don, my brother, it's a BBQ weekend for me, 14 hours and 240 slabs of ribs and near 300 pounds of pulled pork today and I still got tomorrow to go. I'm taking off Sunday thru Thursday this week and when I get to the shed, I'll do the same( if I can move) Is it moving that much with the quill retracted and by just finger pressure? Is this with the quill locked also?

Rib Bone

Eric I know this is you time for making money so enjoy my brother. The readings are with the lock on and the quill all the way out.

Well I removed the Quill and spindle. I placed the Quill in the vise and no movement in the spindle. I suppose when I was checking the Quill. On the mill it didn't show that much movement but the spindle is OK. So looking at the inside of the housing it don't look good. The surface is like sand paper to the touch. I passed a rag inside and the photo tells the story. Look at the fibers that cling to the surface. Right now I am pretty upset. I will call Grizzly Monday and see what they say. I only wished I had checked it when it was new to see what it was then. With a .006" movement it's not acceptable to me.


Don

[zeeprogrammer]

Silly question...and I can't tell from the photos...

Are you measuring the inside or the outside? Does it make a difference?

[steamer]

Looks like some casting porosity and a piss poor machining job.   Should be less than .001 clearance unlocked....less if it's a Bridgeport.

Quill should be chromed I think too.

Dave

[PStechPaul]

I hope you get some satisfaction from Grizzly. But if not, I wonder if it would be possible to make a sleeve from DOM tubing and fit it into the casting, and then perhaps grind the quill for a nice fit? You shouldn't have to do that, or perhaps Grizzly should pay for it, but it seems like it might take care of the problem of a poor casting that may never machine smooth. Good luck!

[Don1966]

Well after cleaning it up and some grease, I reassembled it and got .0015 play. Looks like the grease took up some of the play but not for long. We will see what Grizzly says.

Looks like some casting porosity and a piss poor machining job.   Should be less than .001 clearance unlocked....less if it's a Bridgeport.

Quill should be chromed I think too.

Dave

Dave my last readings were with the Quill Locked so I need to take it with it unlock and see also.

Don

[steamer]

OK Don.    Question.    Was the movement lost motion....ie it moved and stayed .0015" away from the original position?  ..or was it a deflection...when you took the load off, it moved back to it's original location?     .0015 deflection would be expected even on a BP...

Just trying to be fair here.

Dave

[Don1966]

Dave it was motion from me pulling on it. In the first photo I was using my fingers to pull the spindle toward me when I got the .006" reading. The indicator was on the spindle.

Don

[steamer]

OK ....did it go back to it's original position once you let go?

.0015 deflection is not all that surprising...you have to remember, everything moves....its like its all made of rubber.

Dave

[Don1966]

Yes it did go back to its original position. You could make it go in any direction. Right now the readings are pretty good. after I use it again for some time I will recheck it. Monday I will run a series of indications on it just to see after some run in.

Don

[steamer]

.0015 locked is frankly not that bad.   It's a measure of the flexibility of the machine, and why industrial machines are so heavy, so they don't deflect so much

Dave

[b.lindsey]

Don, it seems like the issue is the fit of the quill in the head casting. You would see that even with the DTI on the spindle but even so it sounds like it the quill moving and not slop in the spindle bearings. That's not an easy fix. Will be interesting to see what Grizzly says come Monday!!

Bill

[ths]

Don, I'm sorry to hear of your trouble with this. I wonder if this is a problem beyond the supplier, as a replacement spindle may not solve the issue. It may be a case of having to rectify what's wrong yourself, as is the case -it would seem- for many owners of these types of machines. It ain't the Super 7.

Would having a loose quill benefit from being chrome plated? I have no idea of cost, availability or outcome, but your standard of work would seem to deserve satisfaction in your own mind, at least.

Hugh.

[ths]

Don, I'm sorry to hear of your trouble with this. I wonder if this is a problem beyond the supplier, as a replacement spindle may not solve the issue. It may be a case of having to rectify what's wrong yourself, as is the case -it would seem- for many owners of these types of machines. It ain't the Super 7.

Would having a loose quill benefit from being chrome plated? I have no idea of cost, availability or outcome, but your standard of work would seem to deserve satisfaction in your own mind, at least.

Hugh.