# Advice On Loosening An Ellis Dividing Head



## TORQUIN (Oct 2, 2015)

I have a 6" Ellis dividing head and the tilt axis is so tight that I have to put a bar through the head for leverage to change the angle of the head. I first tied oiling it, but that was no help. I then tried knocking the head out of the mount and honing the mount with a cylinder hone, but do not want to go too far lets I mess up the accuracy. It seems to me that loosening the three bolts on the back of the mount should allow it to move easily by hand, but it does not, and the head does not seem to have been modified by previous owners.
For clarification, this is for turning the entire head assembly from 90 degrees horizontal to straight up, and back, or to whatever angle.
Am I on the right track, by honing the mount to loosen it up?

Thanks,
Chris


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## T Bredehoft (Oct 2, 2015)

Before I honed it, I'd disassemble it, trying to find out where the bind is. As you take it apart and reassemble it, (not leaving out any unimportant parts) suddenly either it will occur to you what the problem is, or it will work perfectly. Patience is probably all it will take. 

Tom


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## JimDawson (Oct 2, 2015)

T Bredehoft said:


> Before I honed it, I'd disassemble it, trying to find out where the bind is. As you take it apart and reassemble it, (not leaving out any unimportant parts) suddenly either it will occur to you what the problem is, or it will work perfectly. Patience is probably all it will take.
> 
> Tom


:+1:


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## chips&more (Oct 2, 2015)

I’m pretty sure it left the factory working just fine and didn’t need any more honing. Before you do something that can’t be replaced, I would look/check it out more closely.


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## TORQUIN (Oct 2, 2015)

I did disassemble it, and oiled it, and cannot find any burs on the "cylinder" or the sleeve it goes into. This is why I am at the honing point now. I wish I could find a bind point, bur or whatever, to smooth out. Pics attached.



Thanks,
Chris


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## Alittlerusty (Oct 3, 2015)

Well without actually being familiar with one of these it should still be pretty straight forward to find where it binding. In the pic of the angle plate it appears there r a couple of suspect areas. The first area is the bottom of the thru hole on the angle plate looks galled not sure if that's there or just an illusion and the second area is near the top of the large outer mating surface for the rotation of the unit seems to be a booger there too. It would take very little grime to stiffen up the rotation but it is possible that there should be a shim plate where the 3 bolts go thru but if that's the case loosening them would allow it to turn quite easily, don't forget to let us know how u make out.


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## T Bredehoft (Oct 3, 2015)

Before you do anything irreversible, verify that there is clearance at the juncture between the face and the cylinder that goes in it. The edge of the face/hole looks imperfect, as if it were galled. Put some bluing (Prussian blue on one unit, put them together and turn one revolution. See if the other piece has some blue on it.


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## chips&more (Oct 3, 2015)

Don’t want to say this, But, you need to do some house cleaning first. You are taking it all apart and you could be the one causing the problem by putting it back together in that dirty environment. Adding your own swarf, chips and crap. Old grease/oil can be sticky/gummy as well. That should also be removed. I would first thoroughly clean everything. Then measure important mating parts for clearance. Then inspect for raised metal. Then try mating parts on the bench for fit. Then assemble. Use finesse …Dave.


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## Silverbullet (Oct 3, 2015)

I'd clean the unit and polish with some wet paper and ck fit often with light 20 wt oil . Must be tight in one spot or gummy with residues . Take your time the high spots could be cked with Prussian blue ??? Fit means everything made like that.


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## TORQUIN (Oct 3, 2015)

Problem is it was so tight I had to draw it in with bolts and then turning is was another story. I put new stones on my hone and honed it for a minute. Now it has absolutely no play but I can turn it by hand now.. It's still tight, but at least loosened enough to turn by hand.

Thanks,
Chris


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## JimDawson (Oct 3, 2015)

That's amazing.  I wonder why it got tight, pretty sure it wasn't made that way.  Happy the hear you got it loosened up.


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## TORQUIN (Oct 3, 2015)

No idea why it was so tight. In a perfect world I'd loosen the bolts on the back cover and turn it with one finger but there would be no play in it. I'll settle for one hand though.

Chris


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