Milling Machine Gib Locks

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AdeV:
Nice work, those handles look really good :thumbup: :bow:

I'm fortunate in having the room & electrickery to be able to run a Bridgeport: The Y-axis gib lock on that is a couple of inches back on the saddle under the table; if you had one on yours you'd see it roughly where that knobbly black pipe can be seen disappearing behind the table.

As for Z-axis: I read somewhere (HMEM or here) that you should tram your head in with the Z-axis locked (which I did); I notice there's at least a couple of thou of droop along the Z-axis if I mill with it unlocked. So if you're trying to hold tight tolerances, a Z-axis gib lock would seem to be necessary. Or just tram in with it unlocked & use it as is, I guess? So perhaps not after all...

bogstandard:
I think you have told us before Darren, that your Y axis gibs don't use gib strips.

You have most probably already thought of this, but I have done a C-o-C. It is based on the same idea I used for the saddle lock on your mini lathe.

Bogs

Davo J:
Hi Darren,
I will pass on a tip I picked up. In between the gib locks and the spacers put a ball bearing in there ( I just used crank bearings out of a pushbike) It makes it easier to do up and you get alot more presure for the amount of effort put in to lock the axis. I have just done this to my X,Y and Z axis of my mill. What I did was to drill partly into the end of the thread of the gib lock and the spacer for the ball to sit in and stay in the middle, the one I saw didn't have this. You already have the hole in the spacer so you would only have to do the thread.

I would recomend this to anybody having trouble with strenth in their hands also.

Dave

Darren:
Hi John,

If you have a look at my last picture in this thread you can see the Gib in the centre of the saddle, in this case it's a square block and not a taper.

I had a study of the manual last night and although it's not clear there seems to be a gib lock that pressed against this gib.
Having said that there is hardly any room so your idea might be a much better solution all round. Only concern are the thickness of the bar I made to take a thread and flexing of same said bar.

I will have another look at the machine think on it... :med:

Darren:
Davo, handy little things those balls,

Where would we be if that bright spark from long ago never discovered what a round thing could do ..... :dremel:

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