Category: Machine Shop

Mechanical widgetry

Check Your Zero

A recent OpenSCAD mailing list discussion started with an observation that the dimensions of printed parts were wildly different from the numeric values used in the OpenSCAD program that created the STL. Various folks suggested possible errors, examined the source and STL files to no avail, and were generally baffled.

Finally, a photo conclusively demonstrating the problem arrived:

Caliper – digital vs. analog scale

Note the difference between the digital readout and the analog scale printed on the body.

Turns out it’s his first digital caliper: he simply didn’t realize you must close the jaws and press the ZERO button before making any measurements.

We’ve all been that guy. Right?

FWIW, our Larval Engineer can probably still hear me intoning “Check your zero” every time she picks up a caliper or turns on a multimeter. Perhaps she’ll think fondly of me, some day. [grin]

2017-03-18
Kenmore Electric Clothes Dryer Rebuild

Our ancient Kenmore clothes dryer (Model 110.96282100 for maximal SEO goodness) developed symptoms suggesting the heater and overtemperature cutouts were in fine shape: it continued to turn and heat, but didn’t completely dry the clothes. In addition, it emitted a horrible whine that sounded like a bad bearing.

The wiring diagram pasted on the back panel shows how it works (clicky for more dots):

Kenmore clothes dryer 110.96282100 – wiring diagram

Obviously, it’s not a firmware problem…

The motor ran just fine, so Thermal Fuse 2 had never blown at 196 °F.

The Operating Thermostat (along the bottom edge of the diagram) switches the 240 VAC heater off when the clothes temperature (actually, the drum exhaust temperature) exceeds 155 °F. It’s in series with the non-resettable 350 °F thermal cutoff and the resettable 250 °F high limit thermostat, both of which were intact, as shown by the fact that the heater still worked.

We generally run the dryer in Auto mode, with the Temperature Selector in the middle position. The Selector varies the resistance in series with the Operating Thermostat heater (near the middle of the diagram), controlled by Timer Switch 1: increasing resistance reduces the heater current and requires hotter clothes before the Thermostat trips. For the first part of the cycle, the BK-BU contact closes to allow the Selector to affect the current. The BK-V contact also closes during the last part of the cycle, cutting out the Selector and letting the Thermostat hold the clothes at 155 °F by cycling the drum heater.

So I installed a new Operating Thermostat (plus the accompanying thermal fuse I didn’t need):

Kenmore clothes dryer – operating thermostat

You can do that from the back of the dryer without dismantling it, by removing the rear cover.

For whatever it’s worth, the replacement Operating Thermostat heater has a 74 kΩ resistance, not the 5.6 to 8.4 kΩ range shown on the wiring diagram. Preliminary testing suggests it does what it’s supposed to, so maybe they’ve improved (and, surely, cheapnified) its guts to work with 1% of the original power. More likely, the Temperature Selector now doesn’t do anything, as its (minimum) 10 kΩ resistance on the High setting doesn’t amount to squat compared with the new thermostat heater, but we don’t have enough experience to say anything definite.

In an attempt to fix the whine, I took the whole thing apart to replace the idler wheels supporting the drum, the drum drive belt, and the belt tensioner pulley. The interior of the dryer is filled with sharp edges and hatred, so expect some bloodshed.

Removing and installing the triangular wheel retainers requires a small flat-blade screwdriver and considerable muttering. Here’s the old wheel to the left of the motor, before replacement:

Kenmore clothes dryer – tub support wheel

After reassembling the dryer, the heater worked fine.

The whine also worked fine, much to my dismay.

So I took it all apart again, removed the plate covering the duct from the drum exhaust port to the blower wheel on the motor, removed a generous handful of lint from the middle of the blower wheel, extracted a pile of debris from the bottom of the duct below the wheel, vacuumed everything in sight, reassembled the dryer, and it now sounds great.

Along the way, a small square brass (?) rod fell out of the debris, sporting one shiny end, well-worn to a diagonal slope. I think the rod got trapped between the duct and the back of the blower wheel, where it would produce the whine only when the motor got up to speed (thus, sounding OK while hand-turning the motor). The accumulated debris & lint held it in place, so flipping the dryer on its face and rotating the motor in both directions had no effect: turning the dryer upright simply let it fall back into the same position.

No pictures, alas. We did the second teardown in a white-hot frenzy to Get It Done and swept the brass rod away with all the other debris.

Whew!

2017-03-13

ShopVac Hose Barb Adapter

A small ShopVac arrived with a ribbed hose carrying an absurdly long wand, so I conjured a barbed adapter with a much shorter tapered snout for the machine tools:

Vacuum hose fittings - hose barb to nozzle — Vacuum hose fittings – hose barb to nozzle

Trimming the hose end at one of the ribs makes a tidy fit:

Vacuum hose fittings - ribbed hose barb — Vacuum hose fittings – ribbed hose barb

Now I need not trip over the vacuum hose between the bandsaw bench and the sander bench…

The OpenSCAD code as a GitHub Gist:

	// Vacuum Hose Fittings
	// Ed Nisley KE4ZNU July 2016
	// March 2017

	Layout = "HoseBarb"; // PVCtoHose ExpandRing PipeToPort FVacPipe FVacFitting HoseBarb

	//- Extrusion parameters must match reality!
	// Print with 2 shells and 3 solid layers

	ThreadThick = 0.25;
	ThreadWidth = 0.40;

	HoleWindage = 0.2;

	Protrusion = 0.1; // make holes end cleanly

	//———————-
	// Dimensions

	ID = 0;
	OD = 1;
	LENGTH = 2;

	VacNozzle = [30.1,31.8,30.0]; // nozzle on vacuum hose (taper ID to OD over length)

	MINOR = 0;
	MAJOR = 1;
	PITCH = 2;
	FORM_OD = 3;

	HoseThread = [32.0,(37.0 + HoleWindage),4.25,(1.8 + 0.20)]; // vacuum hose thread

	NumSegments = 64; // .. number of cylinder approximations per turn
	$fn = NumSegments;

	ThreadLength = 4 * HoseThread[PITCH];
	ScrewOAL = ThreadLength + HoseThread[PITCH];

	WallThick = 2.5;

	echo(str("Pitch dia: ",HoseThread[MAJOR]));
	echo(str("Root dia: ",HoseThread[MAJOR] – HoseThread[FORM_OD]));
	echo(str("Crest dia: ",HoseThread[MAJOR] + HoseThread[FORM_OD]));


	//———————-
	// Wrap cylindrical thread segments around larger plug cylinder

	module CylinderThread(Pitch,Length,PitchDia,ThreadOD,PerTurn,Chirality = "Left") {

	CylFudge = 1.02; // force overlap
	ThreadSides = 6;

	RotIncr = 1/PerTurn;
	PitchRad = PitchDia/2;

	Turns = Length/Pitch;
	NumCyls = Turns*PerTurn;

	ZStep = Pitch / PerTurn;

	HelixAngle = ((Chirality == "Left") ? -1 : 1) * atan(Pitch/(PI*PitchDia));
	CylLength = CylFudge * (PI*(PitchDia + ThreadOD) / PerTurn) / cos(HelixAngle);

	for (i = [0:NumCyls-1]) {
	Angle = ((Chirality == "Left") ? -1 : 1) * 360*i/PerTurn;
	translate([PitchRadcos(Angle),PitchRadsin(Angle),i*ZStep])
	rotate([90+HelixAngle,0,Angle]) rotate(180/ThreadSides)
	cylinder(r1=ThreadOD/2,
	r2=ThreadOD/(2*CylFudge),
	h=CylLength,
	center=true,$fn=ThreadSides);
	}
	}

	//– PVC fitting to vacuum hose

	module PVCtoHose() {

	Fitting = [34.0,41.0,16.0]; // 1 inch PVC elbow
	Adapter = [HoseThread[MAJOR],(Fitting[OD] + 2*WallThick + HoleWindage),(ScrewOAL + Fitting[LENGTH])]; // dimensions for entire fitting

	union() {
	difference() {
	cylinder(d=Adapter[OD],h=Adapter[LENGTH]); // overall fitting
	translate([0,0,-Protrusion]) // remove thread pitch dia
	cylinder(d=HoseThread[MAJOR],h=(ScrewOAL + 2*Protrusion));
	translate([0,0,(ScrewOAL – Protrusion)]) // remove PVC fitting dia
	cylinder(d=(Fitting[OD] + HoleWindage),h=(Fitting[LENGTH] + 2*Protrusion));
	}

	translate([0,0,HoseThread[PITCH]/2]) // add the thread form
	CylinderThread(HoseThread[PITCH],ThreadLength,HoseThread[MAJOR],HoseThread[FORM_OD],NumSegments,"Left");
	}
	}

	//– Expander ring from small OD to large ID PVC fittings
	// So a small elbow on the bandsaw fits into the hose adapter, which may not be long-term useful

	module ExpandRing() {

	Fitting_L = [34.0,41.0,16.0]; // 1 inch PVC pipe elbow
	Fitting_S = [26.8,32.8,17]; // 3/4 inch PVC elbow

	difference() {
	cylinder(d1=Fitting_L[OD],d2=(Fitting_L[OD] – HoleWindage),h=Fitting_L[LENGTH]); // overall fitting
	translate([0,0,-Protrusion])
	cylinder(d=(Fitting_S[OD] + HoleWindage),h=(Fitting_L[LENGTH] + 2*Protrusion));
	}
	}

	//– 1 inch PVC pipe into vacuum port
	// Stick this in the port, then plug a fitting onto the pipe section

	module PipeToPort() {

	Pipe = [26.5,33.5,20.0]; // 1 inch Schedule 40 PVC pipe

	difference() {
	union() {
	cylinder(d=Pipe[OD],h=(Pipe[LENGTH] + Protrusion));
	translate([0,0,(Pipe[LENGTH] – Protrusion)])
	cylinder(d1=VacNozzle[OD],d2=VacNozzle[ID],h=VacNozzle[LENGTH]);
	}
	translate([0,0,-Protrusion])
	cylinder(d=Pipe[ID],h=(Pipe[LENGTH] + VacNozzle[LENGTH] + 2*Protrusion));
	}
	}

	//– Female Vac outlet inside PVC pipe
	// Plug this into PVC fitting, then plug hose + nozzle into outlet

	module FVacPipe() {

	VacPort = [30.0,31.3,25]; // vacuum port on belt sander (taper ID to OD over length)
	Pipe = [26.5,33.5,20.0]; // 1 inch Schedule 40 PVC pipe

	difference() {
	cylinder(d=Pipe[OD],h=VacPort[LENGTH]);
	translate([0,0,-Protrusion])
	cylinder(d1=VacPort[ID],d2=VacPort[OD],h=(VacPort[LENGTH] + 2*Protrusion));
	}
	}


	//– Female Vac outlet on 3/4 inch fitting OD
	// Jam this onto OD of fitting, plug hose + nozzle into outlet

	module FVacFitting() {

	Adapter = [26.5,(33.5 + 2*WallThick),17.0]; // overall adapter
	//VacPort = [30.0,31.3,25]; // vacuum port on belt sander (taper ID to OD over length)
	VacPort = [30.1,31.8,30.0]; // vacuum port for bandsaw = inverse of hose nozzle
	Fitting = [26.8,32.8,17]; // 3/4 inch PVC elbow

	TaperLength = 5.0; // inner taper to avoid overhang

	difference() {
	cylinder(d=Adapter[OD],h=Adapter[LENGTH]); // overall fitting
	translate([0,0,-Protrusion])
	cylinder(d=(Fitting[OD] + HoleWindage),h=(Adapter[LENGTH] + 2*Protrusion));
	}

	translate([0,0,Adapter[LENGTH]])
	difference() {
	cylinder(d=Adapter[OD],h=TaperLength);
	translate([0,0,-Protrusion])
	cylinder(d1=(Fitting[OD] + HoleWindage),d2=VacPort[ID],h=(TaperLength + 2*Protrusion));
	}

	translate([0,0,(TaperLength + Adapter[LENGTH])]) // vac fitting
	difference() {
	cylinder(d=Adapter[OD],h=VacPort[LENGTH]);
	translate([0,0,-Protrusion])
	cylinder(d1=VacPort[ID],d2=VacPort[OD],h=(VacPort[LENGTH] + 2*Protrusion));
	}
	}

	//– Hose barb to male vacuum taper

	module HoseBarb() {

	HoseFitting = [29.0,32.2,38.5];

	Barb = [HoseFitting[OD],35.5,4.0];
	BarbOffset = 17.0;

	Seat = [HoseFitting[OD],36.0,5.0];
	SeatSupport = [HoseFitting[OD],Seat[OD],(Seat[OD] – HoseFitting[OD])/2];

	OAL = HoseFitting[LENGTH] + SeatSupport[LENGTH] + Seat[LENGTH] + VacNozzle[LENGTH];

	NumSides = 4*8;

	difference() {
	union() {
	cylinder(d=HoseFitting[OD],h=HoseFitting[LENGTH],$fn=NumSides);
	translate([0,0,BarbOffset])
	cylinder(d1=Barb[ID],d2=Barb[OD],h=Barb[LENGTH],$fn=NumSides);
	translate([0,0,HoseFitting[LENGTH]])
	cylinder(d1=SeatSupport[ID],d2=SeatSupport[OD],h=SeatSupport[LENGTH],$fn=NumSides);
	translate([0,0,HoseFitting[LENGTH] + SeatSupport[LENGTH]])
	cylinder(d=Seat[OD],h=Seat[LENGTH],$fn=NumSides);
	translate([0,0,HoseFitting[LENGTH] + SeatSupport[LENGTH] + Seat[LENGTH]])
	cylinder(d1=VacNozzle[OD],d2=VacNozzle[ID],h=VacNozzle[LENGTH],$fn=NumSides);
	}
	translate([0,0,-Protrusion])
	cylinder(d1=HoseFitting[ID],d2=(VacNozzle[ID] – 10ThreadWidth),h=OAL + 2Protrusion,$fn=NumSides);
	}

	}


	//———-
	// Build things

	if (Layout == "PVCtoHose")
	PVCtoHose();

	if (Layout == "ExpandRing") {
	ExpandRing();
	}

	if (Layout == "PipeToPort") {
	PipeToPort();
	}

	if (Layout == "FVacPipe") {
	FVacPipe();
	}

	if (Layout == "FVacFitting") {
	FVacFitting();
	}

	if (Layout == "HoseBarb") {
	HoseBarb();
	}

view raw Vacuum Hose Fittings.scad hosted with ❤ by GitHub

2017-03-10

Tour Easy Rear Fender Clip

One of the clips holding the rear fender on my Tour Easy broke:

Rear fender clip - broken — Rear fender clip – broken

Well, if the truth be told, the fender jammed against the tire when I jackknifed the trailer while backing into a parking spot, dragged counterclockwise with the tire, and wiped that little tab right off the block. After 16 years of service, it doesn’t owe me a thing.

Although the clip around the fender sits a bit lower than it used to (actually, the entire fender sits a bit lower than it should be), you can see the tab had a distinct bend at the edge of the aluminum block supporting the underseat bag frame: the block isn’t perpendicular to the tire / fender at that point.

After devoting far too long to thinking about how to angle the tab relative to the clip, I realized that I live in the future and can just angle the clip relative to the tab. Soooo, the solid model has a rakish tilt:

Fender Clip - Slic3r preview — Fender Clip – Slic3r preview

The original design had a pair of strain relief struts where the tab meets the clip, but I figured I’ll add those after the PETG fractures.

I mooched the small bumpouts along the arc from the original design; they provide a bit of stretch & bend so to ease the hooks around the fender.

The hooks meet the clip with very slight discontinuities that, I think, come from slight differences between the 2D offset() operation and the circle() diameter; the usual 1/cos(180/numsides) trick was unavailing, so I tinkered until the answer came out right.

Despite those stretchy bumps, it took three iterations, varying the chord height by about 1.5 mm, to securely snap those hooks onto the fender:

Rear fender clip - 3D printed improvement — Rear fender clip – 3D printed improvement

Yeah, sorry ’bout the fuzzy focus on the screw head.

It’s impossible to measure the chord height accurately enough in that position and I was not going to dismount the rear tire just to get a better measurement.

You can see how the clip’s rakish tilt matches the fender’s slope, so the tab isn’t bent at all. It’ll probably break at the block the next time I jackknife the trailer, of course.

I heroically resisted the urge to run off a lower fender mount.

The OpenSCAD source code as a GitHub Gist:

	// Tour Easy rear fender clip
	// Ed Nisley KE4ZNU February 2017

	Layout = "Build"; // Build Profile Tab Clip

	//- Extrusion parameters must match reality!

	ThreadThick = 0.25;
	ThreadWidth = 0.40;

	HoleWindage = 0.2;

	Protrusion = 0.1; // make holes end cleanly

	inch = 25.4;

	function IntegerMultiple(Size,Unit) = Unit * ceil(Size / Unit);

	//———————-
	// Dimensions

	// special case: fender is exactly half a circle!

	FenderC = 47.0; // fender outside width = chord
	FenderM = 18.5; // height of chord

	FenderR = (pow(FenderM,2) + pow(FenderC,2)/4) / (2 * FenderM); // radius
	echo(str("Fender radius: ", FenderR));
	FenderD = 2*FenderR;

	FenderA = 2 * asin(FenderC / (2*FenderR));
	echo(str(" … arc: ",FenderA," deg"));

	FenderThick = 2.5; // fender thickness, assume dia of edge

	ClipHeight = 18.0; // top to bottom, ignoring rakish tilt
	ClipThick = 3.0; // thickness of clip around fender
	ClipD = FenderD; // ID of clip against
	ClipSides = 4 * 8; // polygon sides around clip circle

	BendReliefD = 2.5; // bend arch diameter
	BendReliefA = 2/3 * FenderA/2; // … angle from dead ahead
	BendReliefCut = 1.0; // factor to thin outside of bend

	TabAngle = -20; // angle from perpendicular to fender
	TabThick = 2.0;
	TabWidth = 15.0;

	ScrewOffset = 15.0; // screw center to fender along perpendicular
	ScrewD = 5.0;

	ScrewSlotLength = 2*ScrewD;

	//———————-
	// Useful routines

	module PolyCyl(Dia,Height,ForceSides=0) { // based on nophead's polyholes

	Sides = (ForceSides != 0) ? ForceSides : (ceil(Dia) + 2);

	FixDia = Dia / cos(180/Sides);

	cylinder(r=(FixDia + HoleWindage)/2,
	h=Height,
	$fn=Sides);
	}

	//———————-
	// Clip profile around fender
	// Centered on fender arc

	module Profile(HeightScale = 1) {

	linear_extrude(height=HeightScale*ClipHeight,convexity=5) {
	difference() {
	offset(r=ClipThick) // outside of clip
	union() {
	circle(d=ClipD,$fn=ClipSides);
	for (i=[-1,1])
	rotate(i*BendReliefA) {
	translate([ClipD/2 + BendReliefD/2,0,0])
	circle(d=BendReliefD,$fn=6);
	}
	}
	union() { // inside of clip
	circle(d=ClipD,$fn=ClipSides);
	for (i=[-1,1])
	rotate(i*BendReliefA) {
	translate([ClipD/2 + BendReliefCut*BendReliefD/2,0,0])
	circle(d=BendReliefD/cos(180/6),$fn=6);
	translate([ClipD/2,0,0])
	square([BendReliefCut*BendReliefD,BendReliefD],center=true);
	}
	}
	translate([(FenderR – FenderM – FenderD/2),0]) // trim ends
	square([FenderD,2*FenderD],center=true);
	}

	for (a=[-1,1]) // hooks around fender
	rotate(a*(FenderA/2))
	translate([FenderR – FenderThick/2,0]) {
	difference() {
	rotate(1*180/12)
	circle(d=FenderThick + 2*ClipThick,$fn=12);
	rotate(1*180/8)
	circle(d=FenderThick,$fn=8);
	rotate(a * -90)
	translate([0,-2*FenderThick,0])
	square(4*FenderThick,center=false);
	}
	}
	}
	}


	//———————-
	// Mounting tab

	module Tab() {

	linear_extrude(height=TabThick,convexity=3)
	difference() {
	hull() {
	circle(d=TabWidth,$fn=ClipSides);
	translate([(ScrewSlotLength – ScrewD)/2 + (FenderR + ScrewOffset),0,0])
	circle(d=TabWidth,$fn=ClipSides);
	}
	circle(d=ClipD,$fn=ClipSides); // remove fender arc
	hull() // screw slot
	for (i=[-1,1])
	translate([i*(ScrewSlotLength – ScrewD)/2 + (FenderR + ScrewOffset),0,0])
	rotate(180/8)
	circle(d=ScrewD/cos(180/8),$fn=8);
	}
	}

	//———————-
	// Combine at mounting angle

	module Clip() {

	difference() {
	union() {
	translate([-FenderR,0,0])
	Tab();
	rotate([0,TabAngle,0])
	translate([-FenderR,0,0])
	Profile(2); // scale upward for trimming
	}
	translate([0,0,-ClipHeight]) // trim bottom
	cube(2*[FenderD,FenderD,ClipHeight],center=true);
	translate([0,0,ClipHeight*cos(TabAngle)+ClipHeight]) // trim top
	cube(2*[FenderD,FenderD,ClipHeight],center=true);
	}
	}

	//———————-
	// Build it


	if (Layout == "Profile") {
	Profile();
	}

	if (Layout == "Tab") {
	Tab();
	}

	if (Layout == "Clip") {
	Clip();
	}

	if (Layout == "Build") {
	Clip();
	}

view raw Rear Fender Clip.scad hosted with ❤ by GitHub

The original doodle, with some measurements unable to withstand the test of time:

Rear Fender Clip - measurement doodles — Rear Fender Clip – measurement doodles

2017-03-07

Epoxy Mixing Pads

Quilters hold fabric in place with freezer paper while piecing their blocks; it’s basically plastic-coated paper that gets tacky at ordinary clothes iron temperatures.

It’s useful in the shop, too. Cut a length of freezer paper into small pages, pad them plastic-side-up atop a sheet of cardboard, and you get a great place to mix small amounts of epoxy:

Epoxy mixing pad

Let the pad stay next to whatever you’re epoxying (like, say, the lathe tailstock ways), then test the leftover epoxy for hardness… rather than messing up the joint you so laboriously created by moving the parts an hour too soon.

Works for me, anyhow. Highly recommended!

2017-03-05
Mini-Lathe Carriage Stop: Spring Counterbore

While pondering the tailstock ways, I realized the spring on the LMS Adjustable Carriage Stop just needed a counterbore to make it work right:

LMS Carriage Stop – spring counterbore

The OEM spring now sits slightly compressed with the screw tip flush at the far end of the block:

LMS Carriage Stop – reassembled

That OEM screw head knurling leaves a bit to be desired, doesn’t it?

Actually boring the hole would be a remarkably tedious process for little gain. Instead, I lined up the block in the drill press using a ¼ inch drill (the OEM hole isn’t hard metric!) in the unthreaded section, enlarged it with progressively larger drills up to an O (0.316 inch = 8 mm), then finished with a P (0.323 in = 8.2 mm).

As it turned out, my guesstimated relaxed spring length was a bit off, so I turned a brass bushing to shorten the hole by 2 mm:

LMS Carriage Stop – screw bushing

If I don’t mention it, nobody will ever know!

The original doodle, with close-enough sizes:

LMS Carriage Stop – spring counterbore doodle

2017-03-03
Mini-Lathe Tailstock Way Repair
After the faceplant caused by the crappy compound way finishing, I decided to try repairing the tailstock ways as a means of gaining experience before tackling the real problem. The general idea is to see whether filling the gouges with epoxy will suffice.

I’m using good ol’ JB Weld steel-filled epoxy, rather than graphite / molybdenum disulfide loaded epoxy, mostly because:
- I have it on the shelf
- This is a non-sliding joint
- My technique needs polishing, too
The key point: the tailstock is (astonishingly) well aligned and, if I can manage to not change how it sits on the lathe bed, this should be a zero-impact operation. Scraping / filing / fiddling with the high spots will change the alignment; I expect I must eventually do such things; this represents a first pass at the problem.

Applying a fat blue Sharpie to the tailstock ways:

Tailstock way repair – blue Sharpie

After sliding the tailstock back and forth a few times, the remaining blue shows where the ways did not make contact. Those shiny and silvery spots rubbed against the lathe bed ways.

The flat way looked like this:

Tailstock way repair – flat contacts

The patch along the upper-left edge and the small dot near the upper-right corner are the only contact points across the entire flat.

The outside of the V groove:

Tailstock way repair – outer V contacts

As nearly as I can tell, that’s actually a reasonably flat and well-aligned surface, with small contact points scattered all over. Granted, there’s a larger contact patch to the left and less to the right.

The inside of the V groove:

Tailstock way repair – inner V contacts

There’s a single point near the top left, another over on the right, and that’s about it.

I cleaned the tailstock ways with acetone to get rid of the Sharpie / grease / oil / whatever. Under normal circumstances you’d roughen the surface to give the epoxy something to grip, which definitely seemed akin to perfuming a lily.

To prevent permanently affixing the tailstock to the lathe, some folks put a generous layer of oil / graphite / soot / release agent on the lathe bed ways. I used some 3 mil = 0.08 mm Kapton tape, figuring an impervious layer would pretty much guarantee I could get the tailstock off again, no matter what.

So, we begin.

Butter up the tailstock ways with epoxy and smoosh into place atop the Kapton:

Tailstock way repair – V groove on tape

Make sure the tailstock remains well-seated where it should be:

Tailstock way repair – weights

Do other things for 24 hours while the epoxy cures, pry the tailstock loose by hammering The Giant Prying Screwdriver between the lathe bed and the underside of the tailstock (just right of the V-groove, where nothing slides on the bed, but I did use a bit of plastic as a shield), chip off excess epoxy, clean things up, etc, etc.

This time, I applied Sharpie to the lathe bed, then slid the tailstock back & forth a few times. As a result, the blue areas now show the contact patches and the gray areas just slid by without touching.

The flat way looks pretty good:

Tailstock way repair – flat epoxy blued

That round dot over on the right seems to be a steel protrusion; I think it’s part of the same lump appearing in the “before” picture above. That rather sharp point seems to have indented the tape and produced a low area in the epoxy around it, which may not matter much: it was the only contact point before I did this.

The V groove isn’t anywhere near perfect:

Tailstock way repair – V groove epoxy blued

On the upside, the ways have much, much larger contact patches spread across nearly their entire lengths, which isn’t to be sniffed at.

While reassembling the tailstock, I added a pair of M6 washers above the clamp plate so it cleared the bed with the screw tightened into the cam-lock post:

Tailstock clamp plate – washers

Which definitely calls for a small bushing, of course. If you put a lockwasher under the screw head, it won’t clear the end of the bed casting. So it goes.

Another washer under the ram lock screw changed the phase enough to keep the knob out of the way in both the fully locked and unlocked positions:

Tailstock ram lock – added washer

I slobbered some Mobil Vactra #2 Sticky Way Oil (thanks, Eks!) on the bed ways, snuggled the tailstock in place, and wow does that thing move! Verily, it slides smoothly and clamps solidly in place: a tremendous improvement over the status quo ante.

Some observations…
- The tape (perhaps the adhesive layer) produces a slightly textured epoxy surface
- The tailstock way’s small contact points indented the tape, even though it’s only 3 mil thick
- Filling the low areas in the way works well
- The high areas may not have enough epoxy for good durability
- I expect the epoxy will wear faster than steel, so contact should improve with time
- This is not a permanent fix
What I’ll do differently next time…
- Apply more epoxy to avoid those small gaps along the edges
- Use a real release agent: smoothed in place, it might provide a better finish. Might not matter
- Verify a good prying spot before epoxying, say, the compound
All in all, though, this worked much better than I expected!
2017-02-28