I've enjoyed watching your youtube videos for more than a year, Keith. I'm not used to being locked down or shut out. I'm not a machinist, my father in law was. I'm a songwriter for one of the most successful groups on the planet. My father in law worked as an independent machinist making beryllium parts for space exploration. From my point of view, your activities looked like a grown-up kid turned loose in a hobby shop... I sold a vacation home we had in France (we no longer need that) added a 600 square foot $50,000 machine shop to my home in Southern California and now I'm learning to make things Just for fun. Until you showed up, I thought my life had come to an end... now I'm thinking WOULDN'T IT BE NICE TO LIVE AGAIN. Thanks, Keith... you've changed my life FOREVER. Stan Shapiro

@richardsurber8226

2 ай бұрын

Now there''s an interesting cmnt

An awesome example of a positive way that all this current social media can impact us in our daily lives. Just delighted that Bob caught the opportunity and made your day! - heck! it made mine too! 😎

This shows the power of KZread. So nice to see someone lend a hand to a friend in need.

If ever a man deserved a little bit of luck, It's you Keith. You are held in high esteem by all your viewers. Good to see another machine up and running in the shop. Best regards from Ron across the Pond.

@carloantoniomartinelli5418

7 жыл бұрын

Hear ! Hear !

@markferguson4914

7 жыл бұрын

Fantastic story, and outcome !

@phantom0621

7 жыл бұрын

Yeah - That's for sure. Keith deserves a lucky break for all the pleasure and information his videos provide.

Wow, what a stroke of luck that one of your viewers had that gear sitting around. It still amazes me whenever I see the power of the internet hooking up two people that would've never crossed paths otherwise.

One man's trash is another man's treasure. I end up collecting a lot of stuff because I hate to throw away stuff that could come in handy later. If it isn't broken, it ain't junk. I think the Wells should be called Bob from now on so Bob's generosity isn't forgotten. Thank's for posting. I bet that mill we run longer than any of us.

@VintageMachinery

7 жыл бұрын

I like that - my new milling machine's name is Bob!

Way to go BOB..... Keith I can see the excitement in your face get bigger with each machine you get up and running.

Bob Curl of Michigan, please know that your generous act in supplying the Wells Index Mill gear has resonated , well, if not quite around the World, then at least as far as out here in Australia....

Mr Rucker, thank you again for another very absorbing episode, the best part of which is the change of plans for the gear which no longer needs repairs. Learning of your good fortune has actually made my day. It could have not happened to a cooler guy. And your friend Bob, what a rum fellow he is, eh what? Best wishes.

@evanpenny348

3 жыл бұрын

Not quite sure if you meant that Bob was a rum fellow. Where I come from (NZ) a rum fellow is a person who you don't really want to know, perhaps a bit dishonest. I think you meant that Bob is a good guy. That's how I took it.

@evanpenny348

3 жыл бұрын

PS I agree.

Just goes to show that if you do good things on a regular basis, good things will come back to you. Kudos to the person who gave the part, that was a pretty cool thing to do.

Great job Keith. The reason you got that gear from a subscriber is you're one of the most down to earth likable guys here on youtube.

very cool story. Thanks to the viewer who thought of you!

Great video and project. You are a patient man!!!! As the saying goes, "life happens while your making plans." And then came plan "B" Couldn't have written the script any better! Thanks for all our great videos.

and 'that' is why you never get rid of new old parts! That's my story and I'm sticken to it.

Just got back from Fla. and had a chance to watch. Keith wins the lucky dog award with the new gear. Glad to see someone had one sitting on the shelf that didn't end up in a scrap bin.

Glad to see a happy ending to that story.

Having a VERY popular channel has been paying us viewers big dividends and now it was your turn. I laughed when you revealed the new gear and your international exposure has paid off big time. I am very happy for such a deserving person. With your kind of luck, you should be buying lottery tickets. Does anyone have a guess what that gear might cost from Wells today? Several thousand? If plan A had not been possible and plan B did not occur, by passing the hat among 89,000 subscribers, just $1 each would have bought you a brand new gear and the Woodruff key cutter. Congrats Keith and thanks for sharing your joy. Keep the wonderful videos coming our way.

Not only did Bob buy a box of parts with the gear in it, he also watched your video and recognized the part. It really makes you wonder, doesn't it. Great job! Great Bob. Nice one, Keith. You deserve it.

Michigan BOB, HERO of the day!! Keith, really nice fix! Looks like you gave the ole girl many more years of life! NICE!!!

Keith, There's a word that comes to mind to explain your situation: serendipity. I'm glad you got the Wells Index back on deck. Now you can machine up a storm with both mills in action! We'll be waiting to see some chips from your vertical mill! Thanks for the video. Have a good one! Dave

Keith your a lucky dog, better buy a lottery ticket. Bob thank you for saving the day and knowing where to lay your hands on that part. If it had been me Keith would have drilled the holes and had it back together before I could have found the bloody thing.

What are the odds of a viewer having the exact part you need, amazing

Wonderful and generous man to find a home for the worm wheel.

Bob's the man. Keith, you deserve such largesse for your sharing. Great result!

Nothing better than a new part. Awesome. Thanks, John

wow getting the new oem part. you are a living example of a man who lives right.i think you should buy power ball asap. keep up the great videos.

Great piece of reconditioning. Very nice of Bob to give you the replacement gear. Liked your Wooddruff key explanation. Keep making videos. I am very impressed with your skills and teaching skill.

yet another win to Keith and another working machine to play with ! and can't forget Bobs contribution either

Glad to see you found what you needed to get the mill back together.

Down under, we'd say "You're a legend, Bob!!!!". It's not just for having the spare, but recognising it from the video, then being able to find it in your stash, and sending it down to Keith! I was sure this was going to be a show stopper for the poor old girl. :)

AWESOME JOB Keith ! Thumbs up to the great viewer that came to the rescue .. & Thumbs up to you Keith ..

What a great piece of luck getting that gear. I guess even a blind squirrel gets a nut once in a while. Really enjoyed the repair. Thanks for sharing.

The world needs more Bobs. Everyone should have an uncle Bob

Awesome BOB ! You deserve a break Keith. Nice when things come together.

Hi Keith, if you can get an old spring from a garage tilta door and use it in conjuction with the workshop crane to carry the weight of the Wells Index Head you will not damage the worm and crown again. Keep up the good work. You have inspired me to get cracking in my own workshop these last couple of years. Many thanks. Bruce (Australia)

Keith, I can't tell you how much these 2 videos on the head tilt for the mill has taught me about how to fix my own mill head tilt. I have an old Excello (XLO) mill that I discovered had a faulty head tilt the same way you did. I pivoted the head to clear the door when I brought it into the shop and it wouldn't lift it back into the upright position. Now I know how to troubleshoot it because it looks very much like it functions exactly like your Index mill.

All that effort and someone gives you a brand new one-----GREAT!!

Great job, and Great Video. I'm glad Bob had the gear you needed.

good things come to good people. another great video

That was fun, just shows how much easier it is to have an assistant around.

Well now that gives meaning to the saying Bob's your Uncle!!!!....... Lol Thanks Keith for another awesome video, and thanks Bob for buying, saving, remembering, and sending the part!!! Kevin

Bob, you are a hero in my book. Outstanding!

Keith - You are a lucky guy! Bob sends you the part that you need, and on St. Patricks day! Great story - Today would be a good day to buy a lottery ticket.

Bob Curl (spelling?) - you da man! 😄 Love this channel and guys like you! (3 years later but you deserve the thanks...)

I really like seeing you get these old Machines back to working condition. Great job! Keith you have all those wonderful machine at your disposal. Why not fill the Old gear with silicon bronze and machine new teeth. That way you have a spear that you might need some time in the nest fifty years. If you decide to fix the old gear be sure and tag it like your friend did so that when you need it you'll know what it is after you find it fifty years from now. keep those videos coming.

The generosity of your viewers amazes me. Thanks Bob from all of us who watch this channel. Thanks for the explanation of why the Woodruff key was superior to a straight key way. Good video Keith, you're a good machinist and instructor.

❤️thank you Bob. You’re a live and time saver. God bless. Greetings from Norway

That gear was a one in a million. Great job.

Best plan B I've seen in a long time

Bob could've put the gear on ebay, and send You the link. but chose to be a friend. And ended up as a hero! Well done!

Hey Keith, If you put a long bar into the quill you could push down on it with your left while turning the worm gear with your right, one man job. With a long enough lever, it may even be a half a man job. With a weighted bar, you could counter balance the head and take most of the pressure off the worm screw and operator. I am thinking a something like a weightlifting bar with one end in the collet and some plate weights to make it adjustable and easy to install.

YA Michigan BOB! Nice Job Keth. that head looks massive for that small of a gear!

Classic repair job Keith! This episode shows how wonderful "networking" really is. Folks helping folks when they can. That gear now will now perform the job it was intended to do when it was made so many years ago. Great videos and repair job. Fred

Glad you got a new gear! Glad a viewer could help! I enjoy your videos, but I only do very small hobby work. But I still get plenty of tips from you! Thanks, Tim in Kentucky

I wonder how many are drooling over that vice on the horizontal mill. That looks like it would be right handy on a shaper as well.

The beauty of having almost 100K people watching you is likely somebody out there has or knows where what you need is! Great luck that Bob had one and recognized it. It looks like from the force it took to right the head that gear is a bit undersized for the load of that heavy head. You could put like a 10" facemill in the spindle to help balance it out. :-)

Sure- a thumbs up for the video, but thumbs up X infinity to the person who sent you that gear. He saved you an awful lot of heartburn.

Good job Mr. Keith . Huh come to think of it I don't think I have ever missed a episode . Keep up the great work . Many Thanks , Tighe

Very good job, you really lucked out in getting that head gear, that's what us guys do, helping out our buds.

I am so glad you found the right part to fix back to 100%

great work keith, and thanks to bob you can use the mill without problems ,you deserve it regards tony

Bob is a hero! Though, as others have said, we'd love to see you make one of those items. Give you an excuse to use your dividing head.

@ronpeck3226

7 жыл бұрын

WreckDiver99 I think that type of gear requires being Hobbed. Don't think it can be done with a dividing head without a whole lot of specialized and time con-summing set up. Comments are welcome! Ron

@WreckDiver99

7 жыл бұрын

Could be...I really didn't look at it all that close. It appears that he could turn the cove, then use the K&T with the right tool to cut the slots (for lack of better terminology).

@Rich206L

7 жыл бұрын

Many years ago,1967 to be exact, I worked at Otis Elevator. They made ALL of their own parts back then. The tool and die makers made all of the worm gears which were ground and the worm wheel (Keith's stripped part) was cut on a flat, horizontal revolving table. The cutting bit went from 12 o'clock to 6 o'clock (vertically) and the worm wheel from 3-9 o'clock. Of course, the timing of the rate of turn for the wheel in conjunction with the speed that the bit turned, yielding Keith's damaged part. I found it an amazing process, but you have to understand that in some cases it took 2-3 days to cut just one wheel. The worms were ground and went much faster. But I was 18 and at that age, it was like watching grass grow! My point is (sorry) there was no dividing head used, it all mathematical and amazing!

@WreckDiver99

7 жыл бұрын

Rich206L my Grandfather was a tool maker. wish I had been able to learn from him. I didn't know how talented he was until we were cleaning out his garage...the number of hand built machines, and tools....wow. later found out he was also a class a machinist...which kind of goes with being a toolmaker...bet my grandfather had made things like this back in the 40s and 50s. I have some of his tools from then....a great treasure to me.

@Rich206L

7 жыл бұрын

And you should be! With today's C&C, all of the hard math is gone, as well as the creativity. It was a true privilege to watch a Master machinist at work. I was offered the position as an apprentice, but the hormones weren't there, to my great sorrow. Now I'm just a rat ass helicopter pilot (soon to retire!). When you feel the urge, Keith R, Adam (Abom79) or Keith Fenner will give them a great home! In the meanwhile, enjoy the memories. I still remember my Dad and Grandfather, good stuff, you know? Rich

Great to hear you got it back together, and thanks Bob!!

Glad to see that the Index 847 is back up again! Nice work Keith :))

KEITH, thanks for the great video. I learned about woodruff keys and how you did your repairs on the Index. I enjoy your videos the best of all the guys on KZread. You are very gracious and you have a pleasant and informed way of teaching. Jim Murphy San Marcos, Ca.

I love it when something goes back together as it supposed to. Your a lucky man, what could the odds been indeed. Plus with the damaged part you might be able to help someone else that's not as lucky. Here's to luck!!! It does happen sometimes.

Cheers to Bob.

Where would we be without friendly, helpful neighbours. Great stuff.

Hey Keith, in my mind one of the biggest advantages to the Woodruff key is that once it is all installed, it won't walk, but it will allow the gear the float a bit.

Kudos for Bob the gear guy! Someone get that gentleman a beer, or maybe a nice single malt scotch!

@clydebalcom8252

4 жыл бұрын

I second that motion. Might I suggest a third option? Patrón tequila.

Hello Keith, Great to see that the Wells Index Mill is repaired with a new part, and great video like usual ! Many greetings from Roel.

keith nice work HAPPY DAYS.

Got to thank Bob here. Best fix, but original plan wood have worked on the farm !

Thanks Bob!!!!!

Thanks for posting this repair. Most of us viewers probably never saw the inside of the worm & gear assembly on a mill head. It was very interesting. What surprises me is that the two pins that engage in the gear didn't shear off and cause some serious damage.

Thanks Bob!! He was so happy to get the new part that made me Happy too :D

Great work Keith. You needed Adam Booth over there helping you out. Might not have needed the crane. LOL

Even more surprising is that Bob is just one of the few from the 8 billion or so people who watch your videos. Perhaps a lotto ticket might be a good idea?

Plan B was good. Can't get much better than that. :-)

Bob the Boss. (this time) LOL. Your great to help Keith out. And now you know where this part fits in. Congrats Keith, saved again one off your machines. Love your vids. Greets from the Netherlands.

Really cool that you got a brand new one! :)

THANK YOU...for sharing. Thank God for Bob! Need more people like him.

So awesome that you were able to get a brand new gear from the community!

Thanks for posting the video. Will come in handy when I finally reassemble my old Bridgeport. That worm gear is a known problem when the head is tilted over for transport. Nice bit of good fortune to find the exact replacement part too.

15:11 What a great demonstration of backlash. That is so far the best I've seen of that effect - and a clear indication you forgot to lock the X -axis like you should have done ;)

"So I have this thing, I don't have any idea what it is, but I know it will be useful to somebody someday, I better save it" This is a HUGE part of maintaining stuff, and is being lost rapidly in our break, throw away, and buy new society. It makes me really happy that you got this part Keith, both cause the story is cool, but also because it showcases an important idea from the past of saving things for a rainy day, and how those things and ideas can help in the most unexpected ways. Life lessons everywhere.... Some additional Woodruff notes: A Woodruff key is captured and won't walk up and down on the shaft meaning it is safer at high speeds and under vibration, where standard keys can walk out. The lighter weight helps maintains better shaft balance in high rpm situations. Additionally, sometimes a specific Woodruff key is chosen specifically because it is weaker and acts as a fuse hopefully protecting the attached parts from the type of damage that happened to your gear. (not like it made a difference here) Again, Thanks Keith for another great vid, Keep it up.

@VintageMachinery

7 жыл бұрын

I can't tell you how many times I have stashed some unknown part only to find out years later that I needed it. Or I have a piece of something and save it only to find the piece it came off of intact except for the part I saved and was able to put it all back together. For example, I once picked up a yolk off of a cast iron farm bell and saved it from a trash pile. Years later, I found a bell that was missing the yolk at a swap meet for really cheap because it was missing the yolk. They are now happily married!

@notsofresh8563

7 жыл бұрын

Growing up on a farm 13 miles from town, needing 1 more bolt = a 26 mile round trip, and 2-3 hours killed. A bucket of randoms has saved thousands of miles. On the same topic, there used to be a junkyard of cars and farm machinery from the last 100 years, It looked like a small yard until you find out the entire 1/2 x 1/2 mile bush out back is full of cars and stuff. That guy had a few 50's sedans full to the windowsills with just starter solenoids. You could find parts for ANYTHING mechanical.....I miss that place, it was sold for scrap years ago..

lovely work Keith. that mill looks plenty heavy duty!!

Nice repair Keith, that is a great story about the replacement gear.

At 15:12 you can see your vice move to the right about a 1/16 of an inch as the cutter grabs. Looks like you've got some play there.

HA HA HAAA! You sneaky thing! Had that brand new gear (that's really nice, Bob!) and had me/us thinking you was going to drill the old, then BANG- plot twist! LOL Great video and really glad you got you got your vertical mill up and running again. I'm relieved for ya! When I saw the problem I really felt bad. Good to have great viewers like Bob who realized he actually had the right part in a box of stuff that he probably had for some time. I bet you're Happy Happy. I would be too.

You lucky dog! I can not believe that someone just happened to have that gear laying about and was happy to give it to you! The last school I was teaching at had a Wells Index like yours, I always disliked the head clamping bolts because they simply did not have enough clearance around the nuts for anything but a box end wrench. Of course this did keep the kids from using a crescent wrench on it. All the best! Mike

Great Job! Thank You Bob!

The paper trick works really well for setting gear backlash as well.

Keith, you have the life! A job where you are at a desk and in the field and a "hobby" that so many of us would love to be able to do. Thanks! Also, I finally realized how quiet your shop is> Most all of your other machining videos were done at the museum with a lot of ambient background noise. I like it! Rich

Well done again Keith. it is so great that your viewers are so willing to share with you when the need arises :) Keep up the good Work Mate. Always very interesting when you Show The repair/ remaking the parts and the end result.

That is unbelievable lucky.

Sounds like Bob wins a free week's stay at the Tifton Monarch Hilton!

Beautifully done. Whats the odds a viewer had the exact part you needed and BRAND New,..! Unbelievable Great repair video

Mr Pete had a neat stand he made which fit in the chuck and supported the head. It used the table to raise / lower and move X and Y. Worth seeing. Difficult to move with the sling.

Congratulations on that excellent find! What Great Luck! Very appropriate for Saint Patrick's Day! Thanks so much for posting this! It made me wish that I could have helped you with the re install!