The gib going into my knee against the column is making me scratch my head. There is a cardboard shim abt .018" thick alongside of the gib and when tightened down all the way there is still .005"-.010" slop side to side. I'm assuming that is not correct. I was wondering if there is a common easy method for eliminating the shim and making the gib fit snugly?
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lllooooose gib
- Thread starter LEEQ
- Start date
I had a similar issue with the gib on the cross slide of my lathe. The consensus was to add a shim. Did that, and things are back up. I think I would use something other than cardboard though. Try some brass. I think the only other option is to cut/purchase a new gib strip.
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A cardboard shim wont achieve anything.
Do you have a tapered gib that is tightened by opposing screws on each end, or a plain gib that is adjusted by screws bearing against the side of it, (spaced along the length)?
A picture would work wonders, but a description (make/model) of your machine would be a good start.....
Cheers Phil
Do you have a tapered gib that is tightened by opposing screws on each end, or a plain gib that is adjusted by screws bearing against the side of it, (spaced along the length)?
A picture would work wonders, but a description (make/model) of your machine would be a good start.....
Cheers Phil
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LEEQ, To everyone, he and I have talked about this 3 machines made into one machine he has. It is my opinion, the guy you bought it from is a bad machine assembler and should be embarrassed if he did it on purpose and knowingly assembled it with cardboard thinking it would work., if not he is an idiot.
Either way you should tell everyone who he is, so they are warned. There is no easy answer for you. If I were you I would remove the head-stock, lift the knee off the column and then lay the column on it's back. You need to check the fit of the 1965 column to the 1952 knee. There are so many possibilities that need to be checked.... But if the knee fits close and all you need is a thicker gib, I would Turcite the gib and then fit it to the column. The taper could be off, so buying a new gib won't help. The best way to check the taper is when the column is laying on the back and checked on both ends. In the picture I am only showing the thick end. You would move the indicator to the thin end and do the same thing. Both ends need the to have the same dimention or gap. As shown on the pictures. The pictures are from a square way machine, but the principal is the same. I will be driving threw your town on the way to my cabin in 2 or 3 weekends. If you have it ready I can bring some Turcite with and use some Black Max Loc-Tite Glue and fit the gibe in a few hours. The only issue would be if the top of the knee is square to the column...I can bring a blade square to check that too. Buy a hotel room for me and I'll give you a hand in cobbling it together. I can bring my Biax Scrapers and make the machine usable. Rich
Either way you should tell everyone who he is, so they are warned. There is no easy answer for you. If I were you I would remove the head-stock, lift the knee off the column and then lay the column on it's back. You need to check the fit of the 1965 column to the 1952 knee. There are so many possibilities that need to be checked.... But if the knee fits close and all you need is a thicker gib, I would Turcite the gib and then fit it to the column. The taper could be off, so buying a new gib won't help. The best way to check the taper is when the column is laying on the back and checked on both ends. In the picture I am only showing the thick end. You would move the indicator to the thin end and do the same thing. Both ends need the to have the same dimention or gap. As shown on the pictures. The pictures are from a square way machine, but the principal is the same. I will be driving threw your town on the way to my cabin in 2 or 3 weekends. If you have it ready I can bring some Turcite with and use some Black Max Loc-Tite Glue and fit the gibe in a few hours. The only issue would be if the top of the knee is square to the column...I can bring a blade square to check that too. Buy a hotel room for me and I'll give you a hand in cobbling it together. I can bring my Biax Scrapers and make the machine usable. Rich
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A cardboard shim, while not my idea or choice does indeed do a lot. It isn't enough thickness though. As to make and model, it's a bridgeport and has standard issue looking bport gibs. They are tapered with a notch in one end that a screw rides in and pulls the gib in and out. Guess it's just worn out.
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A cardboard shim will not be acceptable to use in a milling machine. Happy now? The material will not be of uniform thickness, or hardness. Its consistency will be of such that areas will swell due to oil and or moisture absorbtion. It will deform in areas where loading is applied.
After reading Richards' post, almost anything could be the problem..........
Cheers Phil
After reading Richards' post, almost anything could be the problem..........
Cheers Phil
The rules state we can't argue, I am sorry it seems we both misunderstood each other <Shake>
That cardboard didn't take up space would be inaccurate. Had it been thicker I would have got it back together without noticing. I said it wasn't my descision or choice. It's something I found in there. Do I plan to use cardboard to rebuild a mill? Probably not. Anyway, I found the saddle gib to be in similar shape minus the cardbaord shimming. It appears to be fly cut on one side. I haven't double checked the knee gib, but I suspect someone might have been prepping for turcite. If that winds up being the case maybe I can have wear strips already set on the gibs when Richard swings through. I will know more later today. I guess I'll throw the old iron on its back and do some measuring.
That cardboard didn't take up space would be inaccurate. Had it been thicker I would have got it back together without noticing. I said it wasn't my descision or choice. It's something I found in there. Do I plan to use cardboard to rebuild a mill? Probably not. Anyway, I found the saddle gib to be in similar shape minus the cardbaord shimming. It appears to be fly cut on one side. I haven't double checked the knee gib, but I suspect someone might have been prepping for turcite. If that winds up being the case maybe I can have wear strips already set on the gibs when Richard swings through. I will know more later today. I guess I'll throw the old iron on its back and do some measuring.
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Put a 4 x 4's under the bottom and a 6 x 6 and 4 x 4 (toe nailed together)...on top end and then nail wedges on the sides to keep it from rocking. Use a carpenters level and get it close. Then clean the column ways up, stone them and take a few pictures. I would check them with a straightedge and my King-Way Aligner to see how parallel the dovetails are. But to just check the column with no scraping tools now, set the knee back on the column while it is on its back and use a .0015" feeler gage and check under all the surfaces. I would check the bottom of the dovetail on the knee has clearance where it fits into the column dovetail.. Then with 2 feeler gage sets slide the gib so it's even at the top of the knee as if the gib screw is in. Then slide a feeler gage in into each end until they are tight. That would tell you what size Turcite I will have to bring...or Heck I could cut you a piece and you could glue it in your self. Have to be sure the oil hole is drilled in the gib and oil groove is cut into it too.
Like I said we can cobble it back together or rebuild it. This method will get it back together to run. Make it better then it is now.
Rebuilding would take 40 to 50 hours or $2500.00, plus grinding the table $500,00 and rebuilding the head.
You have to decide what you want to do.
Like I said we can cobble it back together or rebuild it. This method will get it back together to run. Make it better then it is now.
Rebuilding would take 40 to 50 hours or $2500.00, plus grinding the table $500,00 and rebuilding the head.
You have to decide what you want to do.
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I'm hoping we can get this one back together and working well. I may very well keep my eye open through the years for a machine with matching numbers in good enough shape to not need any (or very little) grinding to make it tight and beautiful. Or maybe a steal on a worn machine with matching numbers. So the machine work wouldn't make the finished piece so pricey. I look forward to learning scraping and would love to get to say I did that. Now as to spec's, I did some poking and gauging. Knee to column gib takes abt .023" feeler at both ends. Saddle to knee gib takes abt .012" feeler. As to the table to saddle gib I do not know yet. There is a table making it's way to me. 10" bigger than what I have. Once I got deep into these ways and gibs I could have lived without the 42" table. The purchase is made now though. Choices. I didn't get hurt on the table, I could recoup my money. I hope that it will work well piecing this mill together. If so I have the option selling my 32" table. We'll see. Hope it gets here soon so I can fit the gib and all. In the meantime I'm about to the point of fitting up the 32" table. I have shimmed the first two gibs with brass stock as it was what I could lay my hands on. I'm real curious to see how true things are after stoning the uglies. I can almost taste the functional mill. All the hours cleaning and working on this machine without using it are almost enough to drive a fellow nuts.