Author Topic: New member with a BCA (Read 3167 times)

IanF · « **on:** March 17, 2020, 11:27:25 PM »

Hi everyone

Just joined what looks to be an excellent community. I found the forum through internet searches on BCA jig borers as I was looking at purchasing one locally here in Australia. I am in the middle of getting the mark 3 into my shed and once I do I am sure I will have some questions that I hope some members can help me out with. Along with my Emco Maximat super 11 lathe I should be nicely set up to tinker with some small projects in my spare time.

Best wishes
Ian

crueby · « **Reply #1 on:** March 17, 2020, 11:55:21 PM »

Sounds like some fun stuff - lots of very helpful members here so I'm sure you can get some info. Love to see some photos of it. Welcome!

IanF · « **Reply #2 on:** March 18, 2020, 02:30:19 AM »

Thanks - once I get the BCA in place I will share some pics.

Kim · « **Reply #3 on:** March 18, 2020, 04:42:47 AM »

Welcome to the forum, Ian!
Kim

Roger B · « **Reply #4 on:** March 18, 2020, 08:48:21 AM »

Welcome to the Forum

astroud · « **Reply #5 on:** March 18, 2020, 09:45:39 AM »

Hi Ian
Welcome to the forum from a fellow BCA enthusiast, looking forward to seeing your pictures.
Andrew

Twizseven · « **Reply #6 on:** March 18, 2020, 10:34:19 AM »

Welcome from another BCA owner

Coin

Mcgyver · « **Reply #7 on:** March 18, 2020, 12:57:16 PM »

yes, welcome, seems like there is a fair number of us here.

Rod999 · « **Reply #8 on:** March 19, 2020, 09:22:53 PM »

Welcome to the forum, you'll find good people, with good info. The BCA is a nice little machine, I'm very happy with mine!!

deltatango · « **Reply #9 on:** March 20, 2020, 06:54:24 AM »

Hi Ian,
Welcome to MEM from someone else in Oz, good luck with the projects. You have two very nice machines there - I really envy you the BCA!

David

IanF · « **Reply #10 on:** March 20, 2020, 08:28:50 PM »

Thanks David

The BCA arrived into my shed yesterday. I will get some time over the weekend to shuffle things around to make room and get it cleaned up a bit and hope to have it running by Sunday afternoon.

Rod999 · « **Reply #11 on:** March 21, 2020, 12:37:52 PM »

Speaking of BCA machines, has anyone found a place to get collets, I could use a couple more!!

Mcgyver · « **Reply #12 on:** March 21, 2020, 01:55:48 PM »

Quote from: Rod999 on March 21, 2020, 12:37:52 PM

Speaking of BCA machines, has anyone found a place to get collets, I could use a couple more!!

I've never heard of one. It wouldn't be cheap, but someone could organize a group buy. It probably wouldn't be too difficult to get 20 or so interested and get a quote from Derbyshire or Hardinge or others. You would need imperial and metric (few metric cutters here) but wouldn't need that many collets to cover the common cutter dia's in its range.

I went a different route and built a new spindle with ER collets.

Jo · « **Reply #13 on:** March 21, 2020, 02:38:40 PM »

Tenga Engineering (www.tengamachinetools.com) supply the BCA. You can still buy sets of collets from them

about 5 years ago for the bargain price of £688 a set

An alternative is to buy some arbors from RDG and make something for yourself: https://www.rdgtools.co.uk/acatalog/Tools_for_the_BCA_Jig_borer.html or even make your own collets.

Jo

P.S. Pic of my BCA attached

Twizseven · « **Reply #14 on:** March 21, 2020, 05:32:27 PM »

Jo,

That looks good with the DRO attached. Hopefully will get round to doing that one day in the future.

When I last spoke to the guys at Tenga (6 months or so ago) they intimated they would be retiring in the near future and shutting the business down.

Colin

pgp001 · « **Reply #15 on:** March 21, 2020, 06:59:58 PM »

Just for information for anyone who may not know.............

There were collets made for the BCA that have an internal thread to suit Clarkson milling cutters. They come in sizes 1/4", 3/8", 6mm & 10mm and are essential if you want to ensure your milling cutters do not "walk" out of the collet when cutting.

I luckily managed to eventually find all of the above for my own set, but it took about three years and a lot of wallet strain

Making your own is not that hard however.

Phi

Rod999 · « **Reply #16 on:** March 21, 2020, 09:12:53 PM »

I've seen Tenga's list of collets, and I bought some of RDG's machinable end type and found it too hard just a short way in, as I was drilling it for a 1/4" end mill. I have a 3/8" collet with the internal thread which is bad, in that you can see the end mill wiggle when running. So, with that said, when using good tooling it is a wonderful machine.
My extra fun is that brand new Acra lathe, still just cleaning, adjusting, and getting accustom to it.

IanF · « **Reply #17 on:** March 21, 2020, 09:51:12 PM »

Quote from: pgp001 on March 21, 2020, 06:59:58 PM

Just for information for anyone who may not know.............

There were collets made for the BCA that have an internal thread to suit Clarkson milling cutters. They come in sizes 1/4", 3/8", 6mm & 10mm and are essential if you want to ensure your milling cutters do not "walk" out of the collet when cutting.

I luckily managed to eventually find all of the above for my own set, but it took about three years and a lot of wallet strain

Making your own is not that hard however.

Phi

I made sure before purchasing that it had a decent set of collets. Luckily it does have the full set - 11 normal collets in 1/32 graduations from 1/16 - 3/8 as well as the two Clarkson collets for 1/4 and 3/8. Some metric ones would be great but the Aussie dollar is in free fall at the moment so any overseas purchase is unlikely for me in the near future!

IanF · « **Reply #18 on:** March 22, 2020, 06:35:57 AM »

ok so here she is.... I have no idea why the image is sideways but I’ll try and work on image posting.

Edit Jo: turned Photo

IanF · « **Reply #19 on:** March 22, 2020, 06:59:13 AM »

Some pics of the bits and pieces that came with the BCA

Collets, number 0 and number 1 boring heads (I don’t even know what tooling to buy for these) and what is the item between the boring heads and Clarkson type collets?

Clamps etc also with interesting grease gun (I think)

Measuring bar set

And a box that has hand written in front “Ext work edge bar” that I haven’t worked out yet.

IanF · « **Reply #20 on:** March 22, 2020, 07:28:09 AM »

And now a wiring question if anyone may be able to help please. Wiring between the motor and switch has been disconnected but all looks straight forward to reconnect as it is labeled and I have a wiring diagram. All is original 2 speed 3 phase motor with isolation switch in the cabinet. The 3 phases come to the switch with 4 wires, one for each phase and an earth. The earth has no obvious position on the switch. Would any of you guys with a BCA be able to take a photo of the back of your switch please if you have the original 2 speed switch or can you see where the earth is being connected to?

astroud · « **Reply #21 on:** March 22, 2020, 09:30:22 AM »

Sorry mine has a siingle phase motor and starter, the 2 speed switch is not used and has no wiring to it.

The item between the collets and boring head looks like part of Centre Locator (wobbler) but missing the probe. The item in the box is an Extension Work Edge Bar for supporting longer work items that overhang the table. Both are shown and described in the Operating Service Manual, available from lathes.co.uk.

Andrew

Twizseven · « **Reply #22 on:** March 22, 2020, 09:51:18 AM »

That’s a lovely selection of bits with that machine.
Have fun with it.
Colin

IanF · « **Reply #23 on:** March 25, 2020, 01:35:30 AM »

Thanks Colin and Andrew

I have successfully wired up now and seems to be running well. I just need to connect the work light and start practicing with the machine.

Does anyone have a picture they could share with a dial indicator setup in use with the measuring rods? I know DRO is the way forward but I am interested to see some pics as I have the rods and at least one dial indicator.

Oh and in relation to greasing - what type of grease are you BCA users using on yours?

Ian

Mcgyver · « **Reply #24 on:** March 25, 2020, 01:21:21 PM »

Unless its some really specific thing and you are directed to by a manual, never ever ever grease a machine tool. If you have greased it, take it apart and clean it. Oil is what it wants. All too often a newb (once upon a time I did it) will see all those zerks and have at it with a grease gun.....No! The grease hangs around, picks up crud and becomes like a lapping paste. Those zerks are for oil.

On the same theme, way lubrication on a BCA misses the mark imo. Much as I like the BCA and I do think its a high quality machine, this is a common complaint with many small machines. Every bearing surface you don't want to wear away needs to regularly get lots of oil into it, ideally under pressure to flush out the old. I like to add zerks and oil passages to my machines when they're present from the factory. Likely few do this and their machines still work, but its a step in the right direction for longevity and performance. Fortunately my BCA didn't need a reconditioning, original scraping marks present, but I did go through and mill oil grooves and dill passages to make for better lubrication to help keep it that way.

Rod999 · « **Reply #25 on:** March 25, 2020, 01:25:44 PM »

My machine came with an oil gun that doesn't work very well, but leaks much better. Is there a quality item out there, that's known to do the job well, without making a mess when I'm not looking?

Mcgyver · « **Reply #26 on:** March 25, 2020, 01:56:04 PM »

Quote from: Rod999 on March 25, 2020, 01:25:44 PM

My machine came with an oil gun that doesn't work very well, but leaks much better. Is there a quality item out there, that's known to do the job well, without making a mess when I'm not looking?

maybe the nicest is the Abnox oil pump, what Schaublin uses, Swiss made....they fit the doomed style oilers. (all my English machines seem to have these, for NA made, zerks are the norm) Still saving my pennies for a new one. For zerks, you can modify a grease gun as shown - bit of AL loctited into the end of a grease gun, threaded with a filling cap and O ring. I confess it is not entirely leak proof....probably needs a higher quality pump end than you get with a cheapo grease gun

nj111 · « **Reply #27 on:** March 25, 2020, 05:32:25 PM »

Most oil guns will leak - I found they are best stored upside down. Prior to Myford closing down their oil guns were really excellent (back in the 1990's) if you can find one! Used to buy them for oiling the spindle bearings on our CNC routers at work which required quite a light oil (ISO 32) and they never leaked.

IanF · « **Reply #28 on:** March 25, 2020, 06:54:41 PM »

Thanks for the comments re lubrication. I have not lubed anything yet and have often heard the comment not to use grease in a lot of workshop machines even when some fittings look like grease nipples. I found this table from a BCA manual but I’m not sure I am clearer on this now. I’m going to have to retook at what I thought was a grease gun that came with the machine - maybe it is an oil gun....

Mcgyver · « **Reply #29 on:** March 25, 2020, 08:35:39 PM »

Quote from: IanF on March 25, 2020, 06:54:41 PM

Thanks for the comments re lubrication. I have not lubed anything yet and have often heard the comment not to use grease in a lot of workshop machines even when some fittings look like grease nipples. I found this table from a BCA manual

well, there you have it, sure contradicts what I said. Regardless, I wouldn't use grease on ways, I've seen the damage and I think there'd be close to universal agreement among those who rebuild machine tools, and for that matter in every other machine manual i've gone through.

nj111 · « **Reply #30 on:** March 26, 2020, 11:59:54 AM »

My approach to lubrication is that oil is generally the preferred lubricant - but only if you can keep it there! Maybe that's why they suggest a weekly grease of those ways as they thought users wouldn't bother oiling daily?

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Author Topic: New member with a BCA (Read 3167 times)