Warco Drawbar woes...

Popped into RDG today (near Halifax - as I happened to be in the area) with a view to picking up some tooling... got as far as selecting stuff (MT3 collets, facemill, etc) when I asked what the drawbar thread was and was told 1/2" BSW, and they pointed out that this won't fit some Warco Mills...

Had a quick look online at the Warco website on my handheld and sure enough its all 3/8" drawbar. Since the guys at RDG couldnt tell me if my Warco would take a 1/2" drawbar I decided not to buy anything :(

Anyway, now I am back home I checked and it is indeed a 3/8" bar - the spindle will take a M12 bolt but not, I think, a 1/2" bar (I can't find my 1/2" drill to try it - its the only thing I have thats 1/2" AFAIK). I suspect its sized to take up to 7/16" as that's the drawbar for the Warco R8 verson of the spindle.

Those of you who have a Warco, can you confirm this is the case?

Which machine is yours Kip... the GH or the Major?

I need to go measure it again... I thought the official size of 1/2 BSW is 12.7mm, where did you get 12.3mm from?

<edit> I found a coachbolt thats 12.6mm dia and it goes down with a bit of a 'push' so I think a 1/2" BSW drawbar will play...

<edit2> A 1/2BSW bolt is 12.7mm on the shaft BUT the threads have rounded tops so the diameter of the threaded portion is 11.35mm (core 9.99mm + 0.640327 * pitch of 2.116mm = 1.355mm ). A length of 1/2BSW threaded rod will fit therefore even though a 1/2BSW drawbar won't!

Rats, so I could have bought that stuff and saved the postage!

Well they are down at the model engineer show at Ally Pally in January so the offered to ship it there in the artic and I could pick it up postage free (although the entrance fee is £8.50)

Irving and Kip,

Can you explain for us non-mill-owning-but-interested forum users what a "drawbar" is? To me it is what I attach to my Massey tractor to drag a trailer.

Demystify please :D

Jeff.

I eject tooling using a light tap from a sledgehammer, the dead blow seems a lot gentler than lambasting it with a claw hammer.

Two things I've found, the nut on top of the Warco part was only held on with a cross pin, now brazed, and you really want to disconnect the Z feed screw before you hit it :rolleyes:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Robin Hewitt

I eject tooling using a light tap from a sledgehammer, the dead blow seems a lot gentler than lambasting it with a claw hammer.

Two things I've found, the nut on top of the Warco part was only held on with a cross pin, now brazed, and you really want to disconnect the Z feed screw before you hit it :rolleyes:

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I was always taught to use a rubber mallet on the drawbar although the one that came with the mill looks like its been attacked by an army of orges trying to forge swords for the last battle! I can get a 1m length of 1/2BSW HT studding from a place in Croydon for a tenner and thats enough to make up two drawbars; one for the mill and one for the lathe, since they both take MT3 tooling. I'll get some 1/2BSW nuts and weld them onto the studding at the appropriate end.

Is yours 1/2BSW tooling as well Robin?

Apparently the tooling is available in 12mm thread as well so I might go for that as I have 12mm die and can get 12mm rod easily as well... is there a disadvantage of 12mm over 1/2bsw (range of tooling perhaps?)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by irving2008

I was always taught to use a rubber mallet on the drawbar

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What can I say but, "Good luck". I don't use the sledgehammer because I need the exercise you know :D

I only have two drawbars, the 3/8" that came with it and a piece of 12mm studding with a nut at the top.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kip

A rubber mallet....Strange teaching.....It would teach you patience I suppose! I'd say it's impossible myself ;)


I have 10mm 12mm 3/8"whit and 1/2"whit drawbars as the tooling has different threads.

You need 3 facemills flat 45 degree and round plus the collets for workholding...done...unless you fancy a flycutter....although getting the flies to stay still is an acquired art :D

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OK... some tuition required... why 3 facemills? I was going to get a 63mm indexable one...

I was also assuming that since I am buying the tooling new I could get it all one thread...

I've rarely used a mill before in anger except at school many moons ago... in my professional career I've nearly always had stuff machined for me although i'd often watch it being done... I know how to use a lathe although until this year it was 28y since I did!

Personally I find catching and timing flies the hard bit... ;)