# Broken reverse feed trip / ball lever



## LEEQ (Sep 19, 2013)

I'm patiently picking at a ball lever broken off at the neck in the middle. Don't know how long the patient part will last, but so far so good. Anybody have any cool tricks to steal? Magnets were a no go. wont bind tight enough to drill either. I cemented a small drill to it and walked away. I might be able to jiggle it out of there tomorrow. Not real hopeful though. I thought I'd ask around.


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## schor (Sep 19, 2013)

Got a picture?


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## LEEQ (Sep 20, 2013)

I don't think a picture offers much. It looks like a hole with something stuck in it.

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The ball with the screw threads is broken off after the first chunk of shaft right before the shoulder in the middle. It is out. The rest is stuck in it's recess. Hope that get's my point across better than words alone.


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## Richard King (Sep 20, 2013)

I have seen those  broken off before.  Go buy a cheap needle point pair of pliers and if you have to grind he tip very small or heck maybe a twizers. I have a old pliers in my box and it looks like heck, but it worked.  Rich


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## twstoerzinger (Sep 20, 2013)

This is probably the weakest part in Bridgeport Mill heads. According to H&W Machine, this little part is almost always broke. BP thinks you are going to use a small machine screw to extract the part (which you have done). The problem is how to get the remaining broken part out of the fairly deep hole it is in. I had the same problem a while back. I tried piano wire, tweezers, tapping on the head with a soft hammer, etc. Finally got mine out by magnetizing a piece of drill rod that would fit loosely into the bore. It still took lots of wiggling of the drill rod and light tapping on the head to get the broken part to find its way out. A little WD-40 might help if there is petrified oil or grease holding back the broken part.

When you get it out, you can turn a new part yourself. Otherwise H&W Machine (and others) carry replacement parts. 
Terry S.


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## LEEQ (Sep 20, 2013)

:winner:ME. I win. So the glued bit didn't work. I went back to the drill it theory. Eventually I did get a small hole pecked into the end of the shaft. I drove a 12d gun nail into the hole for a lever and a handle. I then manipulated the threaded shaft with one hand and the nail with the other. The broken shaft came out far enough to get a small flat screwdriver behind the shoulder and pry while pulling the nail. Only cost me a bit and some grey hair. I got it all back together and won't use power down feed until I slip a new ball lever in there....and promptly do it again.  Thanks guys for your tips.


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## RWL (Sep 21, 2013)

Some people have reported being successful using bursts of compressed air to loosen it / move it to where you can grab it.


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