# Question About How Logan 200 Saddle Gibs Are Supposed To Work



## Fairbanks (Nov 2, 2015)

I am in the process of rebuilding my Logan 200 and ran into a little snag. 

I find that if I place the saddle on the lathe bed and tighten up the front gib bolts (on the right with a penny on it) and the saddle gib screws (on the left) the saddle is snug against the lathe bed and will not move. Also, I find that if I tighten one of these two gibs and not the other I have the same result, saddle snug against the bed and it will not move.  If I slightly loosen the 3 bolts on the saddle gib and the 2 screws on the front gib the saddle slides freely on the bed.  

Here's my question: Is this the way it is supposed to work? 

I kind of expected to be able to snug up the 3 bolts on the saddle gib and the 2 screws on the front gib and still be able to slide the saddle on the bed.  Is this incorrect?

Thanks in Advance! 

Steve


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## eeler1 (Nov 2, 2015)

If the saddle doesn't move, it's too 'snug'.  Loosen them up, snug front ones till you can't lift the front any, do by feel, then do same at rear.  Get it moving smoothly but without lifting off the bed.  Not a useful tool  if the saddle won't move.


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## Fairbanks (Nov 3, 2015)

eeler1 said:


> If the saddle doesn't move, it's too 'snug'.  Loosen them up, snug front ones till you can't lift the front any, do by feel, then do same at rear.  Get it moving smoothly but without lifting off the bed.  Not a useful tool  if the saddle won't move.



Thanks for the quick response EE.  I guess it's pretty obvious once you know how it's supposed to work.  It can't (won't) work any other way!


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## wa5cab (Nov 3, 2015)

The 200 Series parts manual that I have doesn't show any but I would have expected to find a shim pack between each gib and the saddle on the rear or two spacers on the front.  Adjusting running clearance with non-locking bolts doesn't seem a satisfactory solution to me.  The Atlas machines (where they are called Bearing Plates, and I would have called them Hold Down Plates) all ship from the factory with around 0.010" of shims in the equivalent locations.  What I would do is to use feeler gauges to determine required thickness and then make and install shims.  The requirements are that the saddle should slide freely from headstock to tailstock, and that pulling up on the carriage produces virtually no motion.  If the bed is worn near the headstock, the second requirement won't be met of course.  But all of the bolts should be torqued up tight.  Otherwise, they will eventually fall out.


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## Terrywerm (Nov 7, 2015)

I agree with what Robert says about shims. I had the saddle off of my 200 some time back, and there are shims under the gibs (or bearing plates) on it, and the bolts are kept tight.


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## Fairbanks (Nov 7, 2015)

Terry and Robert-  Thanks for the feed back.  I have it working for now by not snugging up the bolts/screws.  Before I finish this phase of the project I think I will make up sets of shim packs so that the bolts/screws can be snugged up.

Steve


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