bridgeport table gib

[tinman123]

I did the same mate, bought everything I needed for a complete head rebuild and popped down and collected. They're good guys down there but as said prices are high. Cheaper to buy for the States and import but Sorted keep everything in stock.

is it much cheaper tho?
i picked out a few items off sorted's list of goodies one of which is one of them quick quill handles at £38.50, iirc the last time i looked at a us site for one by the time i paid for it and the customs charges it was working out as dear tbh.
i havnt seen anyone else selling them in the uk tbh but i thought he wasnt too dear at £38 odd quid tbh.
i need a feed reverse knob as well at £17 odd quid and iirc the man in the us wanted nearly as much and it over there.

 

[tinman123]

So impressed with the guys service, I also treated myself to a dro ... (havent told the misses yet)

Il post some pictures of how the gib installation goes once it arrives

thanks again for all your comments

i bought this dro for my bridgeport last year, its a godsend and trust me, you wont ever regret spending the money on it.
http://www.machine-dro.co.uk/3-axis...kage-including-3-linear-optical-encoders.html

 

[Pete.]

Any new gib should be scraped to fit. That's not to say you can't just buy a new one and make the machine work, but even new they would have been scraped in on the machine.

 

[tinman123]

Any new gib should be scraped to fit. That's not to say you can't just buy a new one and make the machine work, but even new they would have been scraped in on the machine.

if he was going machining aricraft turbine engine parts id say it id be a problem alright but if he is just doing general milling on an oldish machine thats possibly tired elsewhere as well ( no disrespect to it mind ) wouldnt the new gib key not do the best.
the next step to do it right would work out a hell of a lot dearer than the price of his second hand key anyways.

 

[Pete.]

Well, a new gib in a worn mill is no better than a worn gib in a worn mill. No sense spending the extra because neither will be a proper fit.

 

[tinman123]

how far could it be out say given that i know there is some slight play on my mill in the middle even tho i have the gib keys touched up as far as its just neat on the sides of travel.
id say no matter what gib key id fit id still have the same problem and that is, that some day she will have to get a full regrind to cure it but for now she is acurate enough for the work id do.
i wouldnt say the op's mill will end up much different would you think.

 

[Pete.]

I think you got it just about right. If the machine is worn it really doesn't matter what key you fit. As for how 'right' it is, that depends on what results you want. Fully scraped-in the machine can be as good as new.

 

[tinman123]

I think you got it just about right. If the machine is worn it really doesn't matter what key you fit. As for how 'right' it is, that depends on what results you want. Fully scraped-in the machine can be as good as new.

i watched a lad hand scraping in a mill knee and saddle on you tube one time, it was the best description of patience i ever seen and he had a big fancy flat surfaced, dovetailed, gauge block to go off which didnt look cheap at all.
then i rang slideway services and asked him what was involved in a regrind of my mill table, knee and saddle including all new gib keys.
he started from the beginning and by the time he finished describing the process i was nearly afraid to ask the price, when i did it was something like 6 or 700 for the lot.
i must say, its not too often im impressed by a cheap price, but i sure was that day and thats where she will be going sometime for the main reason he was a gentleman to talk to.

 

[Shox Dr]

i watched a lad hand scraping in a mill knee and saddle on you tube one time, it was the best description of patience i ever seen and he had a big fancy flat surfaced, dovetailed, gauge block to go off which didnt look cheap at all.
then i rang slideway services and asked him what was involved in a regrind of my mill table, knee and saddle including all new gib keys.
he started from the beginning and by the time he finished describing the process i was nearly afraid to ask the price, when i did it was something like 6 or 700 for the lot.
i must say, its not too often im impressed by a cheap price, but i sure was that day and thats where she will be going sometime for the main reason he was a gentleman to talk to.

Brian Caddy has reground a M300 and the Tom Senior for me, he really is a very pleasnt and knowledgable bloke.
Once he'a worked his magic, the machine is a joy to use.