Warco WM16 Gib strips

[Robert Milton 1Participant @robertmilton1]

Help please ON my WM16 the longitudinal traverse on the table has seized solid

Completed some drilling and boring on 10 mm thick aluminium plate – no problems plate removed then table traversed to near one end to aid cleaning down. During this hand driven traverse the table seized

Noticed the right hand (when facing the mill) screw for adjusting the gib strip was protruding more than usual – ah problem solved tighten up but to no avail

Removed the other gib strip screw and tried topping gib strip through

Removed lead screw with its end supports in case this was the problem but no the gib strip is hard and fast

Any ideas how to solve have considered removing the table with cross traverse slide and placing all under my 10 ton press – seems excessive but any other ideas ?

Thanks in advance

Bob M

[Robert Milton 1Participant @robertmilton1]

[Clive Brown 1Participant @clivebrown1]

Excuse the mention, but are the table lock-screws free?

[Martin ConnellyParticipant @martinconnelly55370]

If you have loose tapered gib strips then moving the table and gib in the same direction will go loose one way and tight the other. You can usually see that one end of a tapered gib is thicker than the other. If this is what has jammed the table then you need to move both table and gib in the direction of the thick end of the gib. Note this may require some pressure from the lead screw and some tapping on the thin end of the gib strip to free it.

Martin C

[Robert Milton 1Participant @robertmilton1]

Thank you Clive and Martin

Yes table lock screws undone and removed.

Unfortunately the gib strip is not loose tried tapping both ways while using lead screw pressure. also applied plenty of WD40 to loosen things up

Bob

[Ex contributorParticipant @mgnbuk]

If the gib is wedged in very tightly, try (with the gib adjusting screws & traverse screw end brackets removed so that both the table & strip are free) putting a substantial block of wood on the end of the table on the "thick" side of the gib strip & giving the table (via the block of wood) a good solid blow with a large hammer.. This should move the table in the correct direction to loosen the strip.

It might seem a bit brutal, but a shock like this is more likely to free off the strip than a continuous pressure from the traverse screw. The substantial wooden block should be held in close contact with the end of the table to prevent damage to the machined face (a thin piece of wood is liable to splinter) & a large hammer applied solidly is better than a small hammer or light taps. Think of it like freeing off a stuck Morse taper – both an MT & a tapered gib strip are shallow tapers that can get very tightly engaged.

Make sure that you apply the blow from the correct side – get it the wrong way round & you will drive the table harder onto the strip !

Nigel B.

[old martParticipant @oldmart]

 

The other type of adjuster system for taper gibs is for a screw at each end. They will both have to be unscrewed and then the ends of the gib examined to determine which is the small end. The drift at the small end should start it moving. 

I have looked at the Warco Manual and it appears that there are screws at both ends in the gib. The instructions are a bit vague, just remove both and tap the smaller end, it should move ok.

 

Edited By old mart on 01/05/2020 20:40:30

[DMRParticipant @dmr]

If you follow some of the advice above and try to bash the parts apart from the wrong end, you may well crack/break your table casting. Get it wrong and you are driving the stuck/wedged gib harder into the dovetailing.

The gib strip is very slightly tapered end-to-end in the horizontal plain and you need to determine which is the thinner end. You should be able to judge that having removed the gib adjusters. You need to tap/hit the thin end of gib strip to release the pressure. You can hit that end as hard as you like with something thinner than the gib strip, but do not distort the end of the strip!

Are you sure that the right hand adjuster "screw for adjusting the gib strip was protruding more than usual" or had the whole gib strip moved away from the screw, that had not in fact moved at all? In which case the thin end of the gib strip is definitely at the left hand end and that is the end to hit. Study what you have or you could break it.

Dennis

[Pete RimmerParticipant @peterimmer30576]

Be warned that if you hit the end of the gib use a block of aluminium. Even the slightest ding or burr on the gib will render it useless for proper adjustment.

[Robert Milton 1Participant @robertmilton1]

Excellent advice so purchased a new Gib strip to understand exactly what I have.

Success, as advised thin end at left hand side when facing the machine and following a few taps on the thin end all was released table and gib strip with about 8 mm broken off one corner edge at the thick end hence the jamming.

How or when this happened I have no idea

If it helps anyone else in the future with this problem the gib strip dimensions are as follows

Length 175 mm

Thickness and height at thin end 4.85 mm & 15.87 mm

Thickness and height at thick end 6.30 mm & 16.30 mm

This episode much reminds me of my late father's advice that "time spent in reconnaissance is seldom wasted"

Many thanks to all for your advice

[Author]

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