Rutland RF-30 Fine Feed Travel Issues

mickri said:
Our machines are different. I tried to take the speed handle off of mine but it didn't want to slip off.

I have manuals for several different versions of these RF mill/drills and their clones. None of them show the fine feed like your machine As best as I can tell your are missing the nob that sits outboard of the speed handle. It has been replaced by a bolt. And you may have the wrong speed handle for your machine.

I believe that this is the correct order of the parts for your machine starting with the gear. First comes the gear. Next is the clutch cone. Then comes what I will call the tube. None of my manuals show this tube. Next is the spring followed by the speed handle. Finally there is the knob. The speed handle is keyed to the shaft and the clutch cone may also be keyed to the shaft. The speed handle and the clutch cone if keyed have to be able to slide on the shaft. The spring could possibly go between the gear and the clutch cone if and only if the clutch cone can fully engage the gear with the spring in that position.

To engage the fine feed you screw in the knob. This forces the speed handle against the tube which forces the tube against the clutch cone which is forced into the gear which forces the gear against the shaft. Everything is locked together by fiction. To disengage you screw out the knob. The spring forces the speed handle out freeing everything up so that the gear can spin on the shaft.

You mention that the fine feed is almost impossible to turn with everything tight. Does the fine feed turn easily when everything is loose? Have you taken the fine feed shaft out? It may be gunked up with crud and not able to turn freely.
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Mickri,

I greatly appreciate your detailed description for the assembly. I will follow it and see what happens.
The fine feed works easily when things are loose but because the cone is not engaged it starts slipping as it goes down because of the back pressure from the springs.
Yes I have taken the fine feed shaft out and completely cleaned and greased before putting it back. I have not done that to the spindle yet.
I will report back tomorrow with the results. Thank you again for your help.

Roger
 
Dave Smith said:
I have a Menards 30 mill just like yours made in 1984 Tiawan. I will look to see if I have a manual on it. I took the handle off it today and the spring is between the gear and the washer unit, you have to turn the handle to not only fit the key in the shaft but the little notch on the handle has to fit the pin in the washer unit. you have to loosen the end bolt some for the fine feed to work, or tighten it. ---my mill is my other shop 40 miles away so next trip I will take it apart and take pictures of the sequence of the parts, unless I can find a manual on it. I will also get the serial number also. was your mill made before or after 1984?
Dave
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Hello Dave,
Thank you for your help. I have been careful when putting it back together that the pin in the cone section (washer unit?) matches with the handle cylinder (my pic 8152R). Mine does not have a bolt in the back side of the Fine Feed handle wheel and worm assembly. Not sure how to tell when mine was built. The serial number for mine is 891680 Rutland model 2666-0630. I call MSC who purchased Rutland and ask if they know if one of the numbers in the serial depicts the year made (...80?).
Again I am so overwhelmed with the help everyone has offered on this site it is amazing! :)
 
I am just seeing this now; I didn't get any notification. Sorry for being late to the party.

My machine is from 2009 if the motor is original. My down feed looks similar to the one in the pdf in the first post. I have a big plastic knob (#38) and a similar handle holder (#110).

On mine, you tighten the outer knob on the down feed, just a quarter turn or so. Part #107 in the pdf on the first post then rotates along with the handles and knob when you turn the fine feed knob. Otherwise part #107 just rotates freely. Tightening the knob engages it with the other parts that are connected to the down feed.

To me, your image #114542R (1st one is post #13) looks like a different type of fine feed mechanism then mine.

This works by tightening some sort of bolt or knob that allows the whole shaft assembly to move when the fine feed knob is turned. Otherwise, it just rotates freely. I'm sure you know that, but I wanted to make sure we're all on the same page. I think if you figure out how your machine does that, you can get it working.

After rereading these posts, I bet yours works like the one in post #20.
 
ARC-170 said:
I am just seeing this now; I didn't get any notification. Sorry for being late to the party.

My machine is from 2009 if the motor is original. My down feed looks similar to the one in the pdf in the first post. I have a big plastic knob (#38) and a similar handle holder (#110).

On mine, you tighten the outer knob on the down feed, just a quarter turn or so. Part #107 in the pdf on the first post then rotates along with the handles and knob when you turn the fine feed knob. Otherwise part #107 just rotates freely. Tightening the knob engages it with the other parts that are connected to the down feed.

To me, your image #114542R (1st one is post #13) looks like a different type of fine feed mechanism then mine.

This works by tightening some sort of bolt or knob that allows the whole shaft assembly to move when the fine feed knob is turned. Otherwise, it just rotates freely. I'm sure you know that, but I wanted to make sure we're all on the same page. I think if you figure out how your machine does that, you can get it working.

After rereading these posts, I bet yours works like the one in post #20.
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ARC-170,
Thanks for your response.

I believe the mechanism for mine is supposed to work the same way you have described yours. When I tighten the knob (bolt on mine) the fine feed becomes almost impossible to turn :( . The only difference between the one in (post #20) and mine is mine works only in 220V.
I just found the year of my machine in the motor (1982). You are correct, I have not been able to match the feeding mechanism to any of the manuals I have found and the suggestion from Mickri on (post#21) is that I may have the wrong speed handle for my machine. I ordered a new worm gear from MSC Machinery Parts who purchased Rutland and matched my machine to the replacement parts. Once the gear arrives I will try to match it to the handle and I will go from there. I may need to purchase a new handle as well.
I talked to my friend and he said that the fine feed just to work fine, well it does not anymore.
 
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I wonder if there needs to be any shims to hold the worm gear in place. How is it fixed to the shaft? Does the shaft have any in and out play in it? I am just thinking off of the top of my head here. There has to be something that is causing the fine feed to bind up when it is tightened.

Have you tried to tighten the fine feed without the worm gear in place. Could be that when you tighten the fine feed the gear is getting forced against the head.
 
mickri said:
I wonder if there needs to be any shims to hold the worm gear in place. How is it fixed to the shaft? Does the shaft have any in and out play in it? I am just thinking off of the top of my head here. There has to be something that is causing the fine feed to bind up when it is tightened.

Have you tried to tighten the fine feed without the worm gear in place. Could be that when you tighten the fine feed the gear is getting forced against the head.
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Hi Mickiri,

I have not been able to play as much as I want with the machine (my son is getting married this Saturday and things are a bit busy at home).

I have wondered about something like your shim suggestion since the only time it binds is when I tighten the bolt on the handle. There is some play between the ID of the worm gear (pic 15908R on post #13) and the fine feed shaft OD, it slightly rocks once it is in, not tight like the cone shaped spring push bushing on (pic 402607R same post). Maybe the gear binds onto the shaft when it tilts by the push of the tightening?

I have not tried to tighten the bolt with the worm gear outside, will try that soon. There is a small lip on the fine feed shaft that I believe will prevent the gear to butt against the head (I will take a photo to show that soon) and report back.
 
If you think you are busy with a son's wedding my son's wedding was nothing compared to when my daughter got married. We will still be here next week. Concentrate on your son's wedding and have a great time at the wedding.
 
mickri said:
If you think you are busy with a son's wedding my son's wedding was nothing compared to when my daughter got married. We will still be here next week. Concentrate on your son's wedding and have a great time at the wedding.
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Hello Mickri,

The wedding went well, did not cry until the pastor started talking about them :cry:.

Anyway I took the fine feed assembly apart again and bolted the handle back without the worm gear housing and tighten the handle bolt tight and then loose. It moved down both ways with no issues at all. Then I bolted the gear housing with the bolts 1/2 a turn loose and the fine feed worked great, so I am wondering now a few things:
  1. Was there a gasket or spacer that originally kept the gear housing separated from the head a bit?.
  2. Is there supposed to be a washer that goes between the pinion gear shaft base for the gear and the gear (unlikely).
  3. The fact that the pinion gear wobbles minutely once it is mounted on the shaft.
I am grateful it is working now but I am sure the housing bolts are not designed to be loose.
 
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