Zimmermann Mill update

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Chris Hall
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Location: Greenfield, Massachusetts
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Zimmermann Mill update

Wed Mar 21, 2018 8:41 pm

Today I decided to investigate the brake on my mill, which involved a plunge into the unknown. First I clamped the spindle in the vise so it wouldn't move, and then with a Gedore hook spanner bought specifically for the task, unscrewed the locknut on top of the spindle. This was an onerous task as the fine threads (35mm) were slightly chewed up, partially as a result of the pointed set screws which lock the nut and bear directly against the spindle. Not impressed by the engineering frankly - surely there are better ways to put a lock nut on that do not involve marring threads?

Anyway, got the locknut off after a battle, and then the motor was lifted off using a come-along attached to the overhead flooring beam. The motor is way too heavy to consider lifting by muscle power alone.

Then managed to get the pulley off the top of the spindle and the housing, then i could at last see what was going on with the brake. It is composed of two small 12mm high cast aluminum brake shoes. One of them had broken in two.

I manages to find a dealer for TOS Kurim in N. America (located in Ontario Canada), and they carry parts for the TOS FNK 25, which was made under license to Zimmermann. I figured the parts for the head would be the same and they actually had the shoes in stock, with liners attached, so I was surprised to be able to deal with the problem so quickly - ah, well, it did cost me $466 though...

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I was considering the mill to make a shoe from some 1/2" aluminum plate, but the solution of just buying them, with brake pad material already bonded on, is cheaper and quicker than taking my shop time to fabricate mill parts, so a no-brainer, especially when all it took was a phone call and a couple of mouse clicks. Should have the parts by the end of the week.
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Brian
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Re: Zimmermann Mill update

Wed Mar 21, 2018 9:48 pm

Awesome! I agree, often much easier and often more cost effective to buy rather than build.
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Chris Hall
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Re: Zimmermann Mill update

Wed Mar 21, 2018 10:55 pm

I also asked them to quote me on:

-quill and spindle assembly
-complete head assembly

No idea if those parts are available or not, but it would be interesting to know if the option exists, considering the various avenues i have explored so far. A replacement mill of the same type but newer is going to be $10,000, which is the same estimated cost to rebuild the head completely, so if a new head were, say, $6000, it would be obviously the most attractive option. Not that I have the funds just laying around mind you...

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