What is a Jig Borer used for ?

Tank- That's the first yardstick I always use, what does the feedback from the cut tell you? Perhaps a pureist would be horrified but I'm not above taking some light cuts to save a set-up, just have to plan on roughing before it hits the jig borer table. Like I said, haven't used a bridge type before so not sure how it will take a cut compared to the column type. I've made a slot or two in a Moore, it was just fine walking a slot on the face of an end mill when I needed orientation in a punch plate. The clean-up of the walls was another matter, it didn't like side milling very well. I still like the Moore's a lot, was shopping for one when the Mitsui came up. Most of the Atlantics and P&W's fell into 2 catagories; Clapped out and affordable or in real nice condition and out of my price range. I may have run a P&W (worn iron) once but can't recall. Do you like them?

I do like the P&Ws, but that's what I ran 99% of the time so I think that has a lot to do with it. I didn't dislike any of them but favored the 2E that was my machine.

Things I liked about them were the 9+" of quill travel, power feed with rapid in the X & Y, power feed on the head, and reverse direction on the spindles. Our machines were all accurate anywhere in the travel envelope with the quill in any position. All jig borers should be accurate like that but some have error that creep in when you have to move in X-Y and move the head.

These are big heavy machines that had Flynn boring heads for 1" boring bars that would screw on the end of the quill, yet there was more than enough feel with the quill for real small drills and bores as small as you could make bars for. Some of the other large jig borers begin to loose that feel you need for small tools.

If they had a weak spot it might have been the factory measuring equipment. It was accurate but not easy to use. Wasn't an issue for me as my time on them was after DRO, which left these out moded.

Tank - you may know. There were three sizes of P&W jig bore collets - teeny for 1 1/2B, medium for 2A / 3B, and whopper for 4E.

Did the 2E use the biggies or the mediums? (the mediums only went up to 1 1/4" and 4MT)

The 2E uses the medium or 4MT max collets.

My Favorite is a Devlieg Jig Mill with a Cincinnati Milicron 950 control. Siemens still sells new 950 controls since they bought Cincinnati Millicron.
And Komet Boring Heads are a must.

If the machine has enough Quill travel, and Table Capacity you could bore out a chrysler 426 hemi.
I have a Bridgeport and have been tossing around the idea of laying a bare ford 390 block on the table, and using x axis feed to bore it out with a Komet Head,and a 90 deg. attachment.
I might have to get a Riser though.
Cast Iron Machines like Heaven and it has graphite in the Micro structure so you don't need coolant or cutting oil. Just leave an extra .0015 for honing.
To me its practical because automotive machine shops take forever to get around to my stuff.
I

I am not adding anything useful to the conversation but to thank everyone who posted, as I just absorbed a LOAD of info from this thread. Maybe someday I'll get to turn the handles on one of these jig boring machines 8)

Bernie

johnoder said:

This - from 1928 - when they were driven by flapping belts - is always worth reading. Hopefully the new PB will still make it big enough to be legible


8PiecesofIron.jpg photo by johnoder | Photobucket

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I realized I'm resurrecting an old thread, but do you have any idea where this article came from? At the very end, there's a statement about "the Editor of BACKGROUNDS will be glad to send you literature..." Just curious if there's any other information about this experiment, or was this simply advertising...

Pratt & Whitney Machine Tool (not to be confused with the aircraft engine maker). Article originally published 1928. P&W made Jig Bores from small to large - or say, 4,000 Lbs to 40,000 Lbs. P&W had several "house" publications - Backgrounds was one of them.

They went away in the Nineties - replaced by a useless retail center

http://www.practicalmachinist.com/v...on-disappearance-225278/?highlight=Heavy+Iron

Eric M said:

I realized I'm resurrecting an old thread, but do you have any idea where this article came from? At the very end, there's a statement about "the Editor of BACKGROUNDS will be glad to send you literature..." Just curious if there's any other information about this experiment, or was this simply advertising...

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I am using Moore no.2 in my shop for fine finish work. Really nice machine.






___________________________
Get Assignment help.

What kind of machining are you doing with your # 2?

Hello everyone,
Jig Bore machines were an essential machinetool years ago, and they can still be very effective today. They were exclusively operated by the highest paid craftsmen on the shop floor.
A Jig Borers main task is to bore precision diameters, accurately positioned to a level of accuracy that has yet to be surpassed with todays technology.
I have a Moore #1 Jig Borer that I purchased in the 80's serial #394. It still produces "glass finish" bores.
otrlt

So is it for boring jigs..... or jiging bores?????

Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk

Moore #1.

greaserman said:

So is it for boring jigs..... or jiging bores?????

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...its for looking good

This is a Hauser M1 I recently picked up. Finest made machine I've had apart and in perfect condition, except the paint was literally falling off. Direct reading in tenths, screw lead error compensation, every part just perfectly fit and finished. They are small and primarily of interest to watch and instrument makers. I wanted it to look nice so put an effort into the paint - its PPG Line 7 paint, colour RAL 7031 toned down with a bunch of talc, sprayed, with lots of wet sanding.

A company I do work for have a factory rebuilt sip jig bore. It is the most accurate machine on site . It is a aerospace factory where the mazaks are considered old donkies (they cant be more than a couple of years old) fit for roughing work.
Basically in real high precision jig bores are not obsolete and dont think your average cnc can get close

Found the original article - even shows the differing cities

(I see you have to scroll down a smidgen)

American Machinist - Google Books

Eric M said:

I realized I'm resurrecting an old thread, but do you have any idea where this article came from? At the very end, there's a statement about "the Editor of BACKGROUNDS will be glad to send you literature..." Just curious if there's any other information about this experiment, or was this simply advertising...

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I have a 1966!? 60mm Dixi horizontal jig mill, I purchased for $1500,00 a while back at a machine shop auction, our USAF bought it, and it sat.They may have donated it to a college and again it sat. It appears they tried to automate it, many additional wires that have since been cut. The machine shop I bought it from obtained it from the college, about 15 year's ago, there again it sat. I believe this machine may be the most least used 60 in existence! The ways are pristine! I have never seen such fine scrap marks. I can not find a serial number or nameplate, I have only found a USAF plate. The machine is very tight, I can barely move the spindle out, I have not put it under power yet, I think the oil may have turned to mud. I need to free it up, I am hoping I can locate an electrical schematic and recommended lubricants to use, and in the perfect world a user's manual, every handle and manufactured part on the machine is a work of art and craftsmanship! Unfortunately someone painted the machine Gray, original paint was green, I hate it when people paint machine's, they can't come close to the original quality factory paint, I could care less about some scrapes and scratches, and oil Staines, I think it gives it character. Especially since basically the machine is like new mechanicaly. Well after all that, hopefully someone can help lead me in some right directions. O yea I also picked up an SIP compound rotary table that was sold to our Air Force the same time, that's how I found out the 1966 date of machine, the rotary is still in original cosmoline, and never removed from it's original skid. And I also got the original Dixi aux. Rotary table, Thanks for any assistance! Wow what a jewel of a machine, belongs in a museum, the condition it's in!

Brian Semple said:

...Wow what a jewel of a machine, belongs in a museum, the condition it's in!

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I'd like to see some pictures if you can do it.

Thanks,
John