Climb milling on a Bridgeport gave me a surprise result

Tried climb milling on an old Bridgeport last week in Denver. Chatter got way worse instead of better, opposite of what everyone says. Anyone else see this on machines that are really worn out?

2 comments

2 Comments

john65027d ago

But hold on a second, I gotta push back a little here. If that old Bridgeport has any slop in the leadscrew or the X-axis nut, climb milling is going to grab and pull the table like crazy, which is exactly what makes chatter way worse. I've seen it a hundred times on worn machines where conventional milling actually runs smoother because the table is always under load from the cutter. The rule about climb milling being better is only true if your machine is tight, otherwise you're just fighting the backlash and the spindle bearings at the same time. You might want to check the gibs first and see if there's any play in the table before you blame the technique.

drew_bennett2427d ago

Haven't you had moments where the textbook answer just doesn't match up with real shop floor experience? I've been there myself a few times with older machines, and it can make you feel like you're losing your mind. Your mileage may vary for sure, but sometimes the old manuals actually knew what they were talking about.