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ROTEX RM-1 Rebuild (kind of)
- Thread starter aztoyman
- Start date
I got all the big parts clean. The pressure washer really gets it done. I used a scrubbing pad and orange citrus cleaner on the ways. I used a scrub pad and phosphoric acid on the table.
So far the toughest thing to clean is the old dried up lube. I have a lot of small parts to clean and polish. I'll be glad when it's assembly time. I HATE cleaning parts.
I got paint on the bottom of the cabinet and bottom side of shelf as well as the bottom of the machine base. Once dry I can flip it them over and finish painting them another day.
So far the toughest thing to clean is the old dried up lube. I have a lot of small parts to clean and polish. I'll be glad when it's assembly time. I HATE cleaning parts.
I got paint on the bottom of the cabinet and bottom side of shelf as well as the bottom of the machine base. Once dry I can flip it them over and finish painting them another day.
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- Joined
- Apr 30, 2012
- Messages
- 1,138
Those are nice little mills. I have one but I don't have the vertical head for it.
I haven't had a chance to work on it in a couple days. Today I did manage to paint the cabinet and a couple castings. I couldn't get my spray gun inside the cabinet so I had to use spray cans. I added hardener to the paint I sprayed with the gun. I used a touch-up gun with 8 oz cup. Works good for the castings but the cabinet would have come out nicer with a full size gun.
I'm hoping I can get the large pieces all painted tomorrow. That way they have time to cure while I clean and polish the smaller parts.
Some of the gib screws were different than most. A couple were short and had pieces used as spacers behind them so I have some new screws coming. The power cords arrived and belts are on the way.
These castings are HEAVY. Even the small table. Really surprised me.
Speaking of the table. I'm not sure if I should paint the sides or leave it bare. Any suggestions? I just painted the rough casting area on the bottom so far. Just to prevent rust.
I'm hoping I can get the large pieces all painted tomorrow. That way they have time to cure while I clean and polish the smaller parts.
Some of the gib screws were different than most. A couple were short and had pieces used as spacers behind them so I have some new screws coming. The power cords arrived and belts are on the way.
These castings are HEAVY. Even the small table. Really surprised me.
Speaking of the table. I'm not sure if I should paint the sides or leave it bare. Any suggestions? I just painted the rough casting area on the bottom so far. Just to prevent rust.
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Made some progress today. Man it was all I could do to lift that main casting up on the base cabinet. That's a STOUT casting. I got most of the big parts painted and started cleaning smaller parts. So far I'm just using a hand wire brush, wire wheel on my bench grinder, WD-40 and brake cleaner.
I didn't want to pressure wash a couple of the castings because I didn't want to damage the metal tags. I brushed on some paint remover instead. I'll scrape off the paint tomorrow.
The gibs were pretty crusty. Old hard lube, some rust and a few scratches. I used WD-40 and a scrub pad to get them bright again.
You more experienced members may scold me for this but I used a thin metal credit card sized diamond hone to knock down any high spots on the gibs and ways. Just a quick check back and forth with some light lube.
What lube is recommended for the screws? Sorry if I'm not using the proper term. I have way oil and spindle oil I use for my lathe on hand.
Any suggestions for the numbers on the dials? Bare metal? Paint in the grooves and numbers? I have 60 year old eyes. I can use all the help I can get to make them more visible.
I didn't want to pressure wash a couple of the castings because I didn't want to damage the metal tags. I brushed on some paint remover instead. I'll scrape off the paint tomorrow.
The gibs were pretty crusty. Old hard lube, some rust and a few scratches. I used WD-40 and a scrub pad to get them bright again.
You more experienced members may scold me for this but I used a thin metal credit card sized diamond hone to knock down any high spots on the gibs and ways. Just a quick check back and forth with some light lube.
What lube is recommended for the screws? Sorry if I'm not using the proper term. I have way oil and spindle oil I use for my lathe on hand.
Any suggestions for the numbers on the dials? Bare metal? Paint in the grooves and numbers? I have 60 year old eyes. I can use all the help I can get to make them more visible.
Attachments
Thanks for the replies and positive comments. I had hoped to get a lot done today but I keep getting pulled off for a number of reasons.
Anyway, I did get some parts stripped of paint, painted a few things and started to assemble the knee. Says it right on the casting so that's what I'm calling it. It's amazing how smooth things move when they're clean and lubed. My belts came in the mail today too. Making a little progress.
I have a question about the screw for the vertical movement of the knee.
A thrust bearing is between the casting and a flange machined into the screw.
Above the casting is the bevel gear that mates with the hand crank gear. There is clearance between the gear and the casting. No way to take up "slack" unless I maybe put in a shim. Not really backlash because the screw is a good fit with the brass nut. Sorry, I don't know if I'm using the proper terms for the parts.
The weight of the knee assembly sits on the thrust bearing. But....if you are strong enough you could lift up the amount of space between the top of the casting and the bevel gear.
Is it worth shimming it? It's not adjustable like the double thrust bearings on the X and Y is.
Anyway, I did get some parts stripped of paint, painted a few things and started to assemble the knee. Says it right on the casting so that's what I'm calling it. It's amazing how smooth things move when they're clean and lubed. My belts came in the mail today too. Making a little progress.
I have a question about the screw for the vertical movement of the knee.
A thrust bearing is between the casting and a flange machined into the screw.
Above the casting is the bevel gear that mates with the hand crank gear. There is clearance between the gear and the casting. No way to take up "slack" unless I maybe put in a shim. Not really backlash because the screw is a good fit with the brass nut. Sorry, I don't know if I'm using the proper terms for the parts.
The weight of the knee assembly sits on the thrust bearing. But....if you are strong enough you could lift up the amount of space between the top of the casting and the bevel gear.
Is it worth shimming it? It's not adjustable like the double thrust bearings on the X and Y is.
