I could use some help with a problem I found on my SB shaper. If i put a pry bar under the ram while it is partially extended i can lift the ram upwards and i can see the movement at the dovetail! If I pry on the left side of the ram the movement is about .012
and on the right side it's about .008.
So i took the ram off the shaper. Cleaned the dovetails, inspected for burs, chips etc. Ram and column both looked ok. No scoring or obvious issues. The gib is straight, not bowed or bent and without burs.I put it all back together and adjusted the gib, but i can not get the ram to travel freely and not lift up. If I tighten the gib i can stop the upward movement but then the ram won't travel freely ( or i can get the ram to travel freely, but then the ram can move upward again). I had a spare ram so I tried that one with just about the same results.
So, is my shaper a basket case? Just worn out? Should I be checking something else out? Could the column dovetail be worn down enough to cause this?
So i took the ram off the shaper. Cleaned the dovetails, inspected for burs, chips etc. Ram and column both looked ok. No scoring or obvious issues. The gib is straight, not bowed or bent and without burs.I put it all back together and adjusted the gib, but i can not get the ram to travel freely and not lift up. If I tighten the gib i can stop the upward movement but then the ram won't travel freely ( or i can get the ram to travel freely, but then the ram can move upward again). I had a spare ram so I tried that one with just about the same results.
So, is my shaper a basket case? Just worn out? Should I be checking something else out? Could the column dovetail be worn down enough to cause this?