[How-To] Lead screw key

[wa5cab]

Yeah, they were probably closed on Good Friday and maybe the Monday after Easter.

 

[DavidR8]

Yeah, they were probably closed on Good Friday and maybe the Monday after Easter.

It was last Thursday that I called first. Didn't call on Good Friday or Easter Monday.
All good I spoke to them and got more info.

 

[wa5cab]

OK. Guess they were closed on Thursday, too.

 

[DavidR8]

Fixed this tonight.
I drilled a hole in the end of 1/8” keystock
Loctited in a drill bit and then cut the drill bit down so I could fit the key in the bevel gear.
Kept nipping off the drill bit till the keystock lay flat in the gear key.
Aligned the keyway in the lead screw and slid it through the gear.
Put the carriage and captured lead screw back on the ways and buttoned everything back up.
Works like a charm.
Interestingly the cross feed rate is the same as the longitudinal feed.
On my South Bend the cross feed rate was 2/3 the longitudinal rate.

 

[wa5cab]

I'm a little surprised that they didn't keep that part active.

 

[DavidR8]

I'm a little surprised that they didn't keep that part active.

To be honest I didn’t ask them as I had the keystock and didn’t want to pay to get the part from the US.

 

[wa5cab]

OK. I forgot that y didn't live in the USA. In recent years shipping outside the USA has grown quite expensive.

 

[DavidR8]

OK. I forgot that y didn't live in the USA. In recent years shipping outside the USA has grown quite expensive.

It has indeed.
Though I have taken to providing my own shipping labels via my Netparcel account.

 

[wa5cab]

Hmmm. I take it that Netparcel is a Canadian company? Do they charge a monthly fee if you don't happen to ship anything that month?

 

[DavidR8]

Nope, not a cent.