Bit busy with other things today, so I set myself a nice simple objective - remove the tail stock end panels so that I can clean up round there and inspect the ways for rust and debris.
Well I totally FAILED
![:bang:](https://madmodder.net/Smileys/default/BangHead.gif)
If you look at the first picture, the big panel "A" is flapping about unfixed at it's right hand (outer) edge, and is fixed to panel "B" and panel "C" with socket head cap screws into welded in nuts on the flange, screws having entered from the front of the lathe.
Panel "B" that looks as though it should just come out, has no fixings up or down, but is fixed to panel "A" as mentioned and to the cream main body of the machine similarly.
Panel "C" is L shaped with a return angle - again no up fixings only fixed to panel A and the cream body of the machine.
Now all these cap headed screw are totally inaccessible unless your arms are quadruple jointed and ten foot long - mine aren't !
I tried hand cranking the main carriage by turning the ball screw pulley as far as I dared (look how close that drill is to the wall of the enclosure
![:bugeye:](https://madmodder.net/Smileys/default/confused0068.gif)
) hoping something would be revealed - well it wasn't
![:bang:](https://madmodder.net/Smileys/default/BangHead.gif)
Taking the pictures and studying them is slowly drawing me to the conclusion that the only way to get at them, is to somehow release the way covers at the tail stock end - slide them to the left and then just perhaps it might be possible to reach through, though I suspect I'm going to have to find how to move the tail stock itself out of the way - no idea how that happens - there's a crank handle, some locking cylinders and a big ram (but I think that the ram only moves the quill
![:scratch:](https://madmodder.net/Smileys/default/icon_scratch.gif)
)
Anyway the good thing to come out of this, is that the box ways and ballscrew on the far side of the carriage are in good shape as are the swarf covers
![:thumbup:](https://madmodder.net/Smileys/default/happy0034.gif)