Making new gib strip for cross slide

[Pete RimmerParticipant @peterimmer30576]

Posted by David Davies 8 on 21/05/2020 07:06:43:

Hopper commented:-

"Cutting forces are borne by the opposite solid dovetail surface."

Yes, but one exception is the Boxford top slide. Heaven knows why they made it that way round. I presume that the Southbend and all its other clones are the same?

Cheers

Dave

You mean why is the Boxford top slide gib away from the operator? That is probably because the cross slide has the facility for a threading stop. You would swing the top slide around so that it can be used for in-feed and the cross-slide threading stop used for rapid retract and re-positioning. With the top slide swung around to either 0 degrees or 30/whatever your preference the gib would now be away from the chuck and the fixed way carrying the bulk of the cutting forces when threading towards the chuck. My South Bend and my Monarch both have threading stops and both are like this.

[David Davies 8Participant @daviddavies8]

Pete

I hadn't considered using the top slide for Infeed but in that circumstance the gib should be nearest the tailstock as you have stated. In that case the Myford would have its gib nearest the chuck.

I wasn't aware that the Boxford had a facility for a cross slide stop. Can you expand on this as I can see it would be useful for screwcutting instead of checking the dial before starting the next pass?

cheers

Dave

[Pete RimmerParticipant @peterimmer30576]

Posted by David Davies 8 on 21/05/2020 22:03:59:

Pete

I hadn't considered using the top slide for Infeed but in that circumstance the gib should be nearest the tailstock as you have stated. In that case the Myford would have its gib nearest the chuck.

I wasn't aware that the Boxford had a facility for a cross slide stop. Can you expand on this as I can see it would be useful for screwcutting instead of checking the dial before starting the next pass?

cheers

Dave

Sure Dave. On the front of the cross slide is a tapped hole. You clamp a stop on the front of the dovetail and a bolt passes through it and screws into that hole. You can adjust the bolt depth to set the stop distance.

Here it is posted previously on this site.

Pete.

[David Davies 8Participant @daviddavies8]

Thanks for the link Pete, all is clear now.

[Maurice Cox 1Participant @mauricecox1]

The replacement, or possibly adjustment of gib strips was the subject of an article in M.E. many years ago. I recall that it recomended that the adjusting screws should have a short parallel end and a flat tip, locating in similar shaped holes in the gib strip. The reason given was that the usual pointed screws have a wedging action when the slide is moved, causing a wrong "feel" to the slide. I have no opinion on this, it's just something that I remember (getting less each day!) and may be of help.

Maurice.

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