# How To Remove Cross Slide



## Jmanb13 (Sep 15, 2016)

This might not be the right forum but I figured either this one or the vintage machinery one.

I have started working on taking apart my 1946 Leblond 15" lathe piece by piece to clean up the crust that has built up on this thing over the last 70 years.

I'm having trouble getting the cross slide off. I already removed the compound rest which was incredibly easy. I removed the wear adjustment gib, and I removed the bolt that attaches the slide to the cross feed nut. At this point I can't figure out where to go. If I try and slide the cross feed off the front it hits the cross feed handle before it clears. If I try and take it off the back, the cross feed nut gets to the end of the threads and the cross slide won't move any further. From moving it around the little that I can, it seems like the slide is still attached to the cross feed nut even though I removed the bolt.

Also if anyone can answer for me what the heck this broken piano hinge on the back of the slide is for?

Am I missing something?
Here are a few pics.


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## dlane (Sep 15, 2016)

On my South bend 10l w/taper the apron needs to drop down a little " 1/2" to clear a gear in it before the X slide can be removed, yours looks like it has a taper attachment also, dont know if it's the same tho.
The hinge looks to be someone's idea of a chip shield


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## Wreck™Wreck (Sep 15, 2016)

Not familiar with that lathe but most have a casting bolted to the operator side of the carriage, this contains the bearings that hold the lead screw.
Remove the handle then remove the handle carrier casting, this will allow you to screw the  lead screw out then slide the cross slide off by hand.


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## 4GSR (Sep 15, 2016)

On some lathes, the piece the handle is mounted to or the cross feed screw and dial is on, is threaded into the saddle.  Look for a spanner pin hole generally located on the bottom side of the housing/sleeve, or what ever they call it. Use a pin spanner, or some of us do, use a pipe wrench with some emery cloth wrapped around the sleeve, grit side against the sleeve, and break loose.  Some of these are bolted on as Wreck has mentioned, too.  Once you get this removed, along with the cross feed screw, the slide should slide off towards you.  Ken


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## Jmanb13 (Sep 15, 2016)

Wreck and 4gsr,

If i'm understanding your posts correctly, I think your telling me that this piece is threaded into the apron and I should be able to unscrew this by getting a really good grip on it? If it comes out then I can basically remove the lead screw followed by the cross slide?

I looked all around it and did not find any holes for a Pin Spanner wrench.


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## 4GSR (Sep 15, 2016)

Jmanb13 said:


> Wreck and 4gsr,
> 
> If i'm understanding your posts correctly, I think your telling me that this piece is threaded into the apron and I should be able to unscrew this by getting a really good grip on it? If it comes out then I can basically remove the lead screw followed by the cross slide?
> 
> ...


You're on the right trail,
Try a pair of Channel locks first.  That don't work, use a pipe wrench.  Yeah, it will leave bite marks, but they can be filed down.  Be sure to turn counter-clockwise.  And it is probably tight, too.  Ken


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## dlane (Sep 15, 2016)

Soak it in PB blaster over nite , then a good strap wrench in the mourning should do it " no marks "
Might have to tap it or heat it a little .


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## Jmanb13 (Sep 16, 2016)

Ok I got it off, with some vice grips. It really wasn't on there too tight fortunately.

However the lead screw will not come out the front. There is a bearing on the rear of the lead screw that catches on the lead screw nut. Upon closer inspection, it looks like I am going to have to remove the taper attachment and take the lead screw out the back of the apron. Tomorrows project is to figure out how to take apart the taper attachment to continue with the cross slide disassembly. 

With all the gunk on this thing it is REALLY difficult to tell where one piece ends and another begins, or even if there is 2 separate pieces.


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## dlane (Sep 16, 2016)

Telescoping X feed screw w/ taper attachment is different than the rest, take pictures


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## 4GSR (Sep 16, 2016)

There should be a lock nut on the back end of the cross feed screw on the taper attachment end that has to be removed.  Doing so, be careful not to loose the thrust bearings and washers as you pull the lead screw out of the taper attachment.  Ken

B.T.Y. you may have to crank the feed screw to back off feed screw nut and remove to get the screw out.


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## Jmanb13 (Sep 16, 2016)

Ok, I figured it out. I had to remove the taper slide then unbolt the taper attachment and slide it off the back. Once I did that all I had to do was unscrew the lead screw.

Since I'm this far in, I think i'm going to take the apron all the way off as well. Everything is so caked with grease and grime. That grease and grime is galling the sliding surfaces so it needs to go.

Anyone see any issue with me dropping the whole apron into a tub of simple green and letting it soak for a few hours then hosing it off?


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## 4GSR (Sep 17, 2016)

Don't do that!!!  Take it completely apart and clean.  You may find a bearing or two that may need replacing.  The Bijur oil pump needs cleaning, too.  

You take that apron and dunk it into a cleaning vat without taking it apart is opening a can of worms!  You going to get crud, shavings, etc. into every bearing in that apron.  Just not advisable to do.  

By taking apart the apron, you get to learn all about it, too!

This is the reason for taking apart your apron.


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## rrjohnso2000 (Sep 17, 2016)

I would suggest a good soaking in solvent before something water based. 

My preference is kerosene as it is cheep


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## Jmanb13 (Sep 17, 2016)

Point taken, I haven't actually opened it up right yet, but based on the rest of the lathe it probably looks similar to what yours did. I'm assuming that was Glyptol you used to paint the inside?

What tools am I going to need to take apart the gears and bearings? All I have is a 2 arm gear puller which I don't think is going to cut it?


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## 4GSR (Sep 17, 2016)

Jmanb13 said:


> Point taken, I haven't actually opened it up right yet, but based on the rest of the lathe it probably looks similar to what yours did. I'm assuming that was Glyptol you used to paint the inside?
> 
> What tools am I going to need to take apart the gears and bearings? All I have is a 2 arm gear puller which I don't think is going to cut it?


You probably will not need much to take it apart.  May or may not need a puller.  Pay attention to things like hidden pins that get shear off from dis-assembly.  My Sheldon lathe has two of these hidden pins!  Leblond, I've never  had one apart.  I recall dad saying they weren't too bad to take apart.  What ever you do, don't use brute force to get things out.  They make these aprons where they can be easily worked on.  Just take your time and pay attention to little details.  Most are very straight forward to take apart.
Ken


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## 4GSR (Sep 18, 2016)

Jmanb13 said:


> .....snip....... I'm assuming that was Glyptol you used to paint the inside?..........snip.......


Rustoleum red primer. L & S may have used Glyptal originally, but I doubt it.  They used some kind of cream color looking paint originally.  No lead based paint was used by 1954 by L & S.  Pretty much oil based or lacord based paints by then.  Same with my Sheldon lathes I have, too.


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