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Gallery, Projects and General => Gallery => Topic started by: wheeltapper on August 23, 2012, 07:18:34 AM

Title: Adjustable mill table stops.
Post by: wheeltapper on August 23, 2012, 07:18:34 AM

Hi
I just fitted some adjustable stops to my Chester Conquest mill and thought you might like to see.

I've seen this done somewhere on the web but I can't for the life of me remember where, so I can't take credit for the idea.

This is the Y travel fitted on the l/h side
(http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm72/wheeltapper_2008/model%20engineering%20stuff/Millstops5.jpg)

and the X travel fitted on the rear
(http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm72/wheeltapper_2008/model%20engineering%20stuff/Millstops3.jpg)

I killed two birds with one stone here as the table movement has always been stiff and jerky, if I set the gibs in the centre of travel they locked up at the ends and adjusting at the end meant they flopped about in the centre.

So I stripped the tables right down and polished the gibs and dovetails and got it a bit better but they still got tight at the ends.

then I realised that not only do they slide against the dovetails but also against the bottom surface
marked in this pic
(http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm72/wheeltapper_2008/model%20engineering%20stuff/bearingsurface-1.jpg)

and although the sliding surface on the underside of the tables was smooth and polished the surfaces in the pic looked like they had been hacked flat with a chisel.

also the ends were slightly higher than the middle.
so, a quick touch with a fine file followed with a diamond hone and I had smooth travel all the way.

Cheers
Roy

Title: Re: Adjustable mill table stops.
Post by: Lew_Merrick_PE on August 23, 2012, 12:45:04 PM

Roy -- Minor critique -- a flat milled & filed where your screws fit the positioning shaft will save you time when somebody overtightens them and raises a ding in the surface.  Alternatively, a soft metal (brass, aluminum, etc.) pusher will accomplish the same thing and saves the disassembly/reassembly issue.  Otherwise, you will find these to be great time savers!

Title: Re: Adjustable mill table stops.
Post by: wheeltapper on August 23, 2012, 02:06:17 PM

Hi
I forgot to mention that didn't I.
there are 4 mm long brass slugs between the lockscrews and the shafts, I got caught out once.

I have also changed the cap head bols for tee handles on the Y axis. the X axis has grub screws so they are out of the way.

thanks for the response.

Roy

Title: Re: Adjustable mill table stops.
Post by: DaveH on August 23, 2012, 03:57:36 PM

Roy,
Nicely done  :thumbup: :clap: Very useful to have  :dremel:
 :beer:
DaveH

Title: Re: Adjustable mill table stops.
Post by: Stilldrillin on August 23, 2012, 03:58:28 PM

Very nicely done Roy!  :clap: :clap:

Something I intend to do. One day!  :thumbup:

David D

Title: Re: Adjustable mill table stops.
Post by: Lew_Merrick_PE on August 24, 2012, 11:23:19 AM

Roy -- Back in my youth, BB's were actually made of copper.  I had (circa 1972) bought a 5 lb container of BB's that were used as shaft savers in projects.  A dab of grease made a BB fit really nicely into the cup of a 1/4 inch cup-point set screw.  I finally ran that container out in the late-1990's and was seriously surprised to discover that modern BB's are only copper-washed steel!

Title: Re: Adjustable mill table stops.
Post by: rleete on August 24, 2012, 12:29:16 PM

Modern air-soft BBs are plastic.  Might not hold quite as well, but certainly no chance of damaging a shaft.

Title: Re: Adjustable mill table stops.
Post by: Fredbare on August 24, 2012, 02:38:56 PM

Just what I was looking for Roy, thanks for sharing.

John