Cracked Gib!

Here's some pics. This is a steel gib made from some form of 1018-1026 steel. If interested in it send me a PM with your shipping address and I'll get a shipping rate for you. Just let know. Ken

It would help if I would attach the pictures.

Oh, before I forget, this gib was design to fit on the left hand side of the cross slide. May not work for you as machined. Ken

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Is the gib still in one piece? If so, maybe just leave it alone. Maybe drill a stop crack hole in it and use it as-is. Replacing a tapered gib is NOT just buying an off the shelf gib and swapping it out. It won’t happen that way…nada. You will have to make it or modify one. And I just made one out of 12L14 (I think the lead in it will help) for a Levin cross slide. Works like a champ. It would be a REALLY good thing to have a surface grinder for this job…Dave
Not the surface grinder, but rather the surface grinder magnetic chuck to hold the gib while you scrape it in...
 
Not the surface grinder, but rather the surface grinder magnetic chuck to hold the gib while you scrape it in...
Hi Bob, there are so many sizes and shapes of gibs! I do apologize for not being clearer! But, I will stand on my statement of using a surface grinder on making that gib. Because in my statement above, I said it was for a Levin cross slide. The gib was 2” long. And I made it out of 12L14. Warping was not an issue because of size and material, period! The size and material will judge what procedure to manufacture a gib in question as best as possible. To say using a surface grinder is the wrong technique is NOT TRUE. For me, it was the BEST machine/process to use, period. And I will continue to use my SG again and again if the same job comes up. For me, it is the definitive set-up, period…Dave
 
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Hi Bob, there are so many sizes and shapes of gibs! I do apologize for not being clearer! But, I will stand on my statement of using a surface grinder on making that gib. Because in my statement above, I said it was for a Levin cross slide. The gib was 2” long. And I made it out of 12L14. Warping was not an issue because of size and material, period! The size and material will judge what procedure to manufacture a gib in question as best as possible. To say using a surface grinder is the wrong technique is NOT TRUE. For me, it was the BEST machine/process to use, period. And I will continue to use my SG again and again if the same job comes up. For me, it is the definitive set-up, period…Dave
Skinnier gibs like for a compound rest could well be a problem using the surface grinder where they are thin and more likely to be steel. Bigger ones not so much, but I suppose you would also need a sine plate or some other way of matching the angles, none of which are parallel on some gibs, while also holding the gib down. I do not like scraping steel after surface grinding it, it is ugly until you get under the ground surface. I have not tried scraping cast iron after surface grinding it, does anyone know how that goes? You are certainly correct when you say that making a gib is much more difficult than it appears. I have never made a gib, but have finished the job the factory should have done on a couple gibs.
 
Wish I had a surface grinder :p maybe one day I'm only just beggining to gather my machine tools and tooling :) but for now I'm young and willing to take on a challenge! :)
 
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Skinnier gibs like for a compound rest could well be a problem using the surface grinder where they are thin and more likely to be steel. Bigger ones not so much, but I suppose you would also need a sine plate or some other way of matching the angles, none of which are parallel on some gibs, while also holding the gib down. I do not like scraping steel after surface grinding it, it is ugly until you get under the ground surface. I have not tried scraping cast iron after surface grinding it, does anyone know how that goes? You are certainly correct when you say that making a gib is much more difficult than it appears. I have never made a gib, but have finished the job the factory should have done on a couple gibs.
Not every gib has a taper. The one I made was parallel and about 2” X 3/8” X 0.o90”, see pic. Using my SG was the easiest way.
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Also @4gsr that looks just like my gib! I'm from London Ontario lemme know what shipping is gonna look like and we'll go from there :)
 
Dave, I understand that there are pretty simple gibs, but most still have angles and such. How did you set up the angle for the gib you just posted? (Newbie surface grinder hand...)
 
It did not have any taper, it was parallel. Yes, the sides were angled, but only for fitting. And I did that in a two vise set-up. The one Kurt milling vise that’s bolted to the milling table. And a smaller second vise with straight sides is held in the first vise at 30° to give me that angle you see. If I needed to make a tapered gib, I have a magnetic sine plate.
 
Also @4gsr that looks just like my gib! I'm from London Ontario lemme know what shipping is gonna look like and we'll go from there :)
Could you post a pic or two? And maybe the dimensions? Thanks in advance…Dave
 
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