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misc projects
I traded something for this Enco full size mill that was headed to the scrapyard- the knee was stuck, which sometimes happens when the knee gib riding on the column either breaks, gets gummed up, jammed with some chips, or something happens where the adjustment screw engages it.   I figured I'd probably just be able to save the head as they were not able to free it   If this ever happens you need to stop and go very carefully to ensure that the gib goes up and the knee goes down, or the gib stays put and the knee goes down so not to make the problem worse, which is what happened before I got this.  You can drill thru the base and try to tap the gib up, slide something up to the gib from below so it is held in place while you try to move the knee down or force it down with some force applied between the underside of the dovetail ram and table, etc.  I tried all of these and was able to see that there was no hope, and there were hammer marks on both the top and underside of the knee where they had tried to free it.  I figured since this would otherwise be scrap there was one alternative- cut thru the casting at the rear so a could spread the ways just a few thousandths to free the knee.  I rigged a reciprocating saw to a long piece of bandsaw blade that I punched holes in, one end attached to a spring thru a screw eye on a board, put some tension on the spring, clamped the saw above the knee, with enough tension on the spring to keep it taut and fired up the saw.  Took a while, but eventually sawed thru the casting, tapped a wedge into the saw kerf and the knee slid right off. I ordered a new gib, milled & ground it to fit,  I then drilled 5/8 holes thru the knee from left to right near the top and bottom as close to the ways at the back as I could, put grade 8 fine thread threaded rod thru the holes with flanged nuts on the inside and outside of the casting on each side, ran the inner nuts hand tight to the inside of the casting, then torqued the outer nuts and repeated until I was able to get within the proper range of adjustment for the gib installation.  Although not as stiff as it was, this machine is still making parts and was saved from scrap. Presumably with the rods in place someone more skilled than I might be able to weld or braze where I cut, but  that would have been a whole new can of worms and risk.  Sorry I forgot to take pictures of the rods installed.



Kindt-Collins Master 24" pattern makers disk sander
cool how the guards all pivot out of the way and the overhead light moves to the side so you can use the whole disk area
started out ugly, before and after.  Another one left outside a few years before I got it.
 
guard detail


Roll up disappearing spray booth, velcro corners.  The walls have conduit at the bottom and roll up as they are raised on pulleys with cord.  Initially the fan pulled thru the filters in the door, next time I'll be using a blower that pulls air thru a filter and pressurizes the booth instead- the walls would bow in slightly in suck mode, but it worked. Miata had a front hit & I replaced front clip core support and inner fender, etc.




Welding rack, everything in the least amount of floor space possible, storage above.  Looks tippier than it is, but its always on smooth concrete mig, tig, plasma, & oxy-acet.


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