Subject: Re: way wipes

From: [email-masked] (J. H. Mendum)
Date: 12 Sep 1994 19:14:19 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (Bruce
Holder) wrote:

>   I recently dis-assembled the saddle on my generic Taiwan lathe to clean
> out the cast iron swarf.  (Yes, I was warned about keeping the chips out
> of the ways when machining cast iron and yes, I did ignore the warning.)
> The way wipes are saturated with cast iron dust and I don't want to try
> rinsing them out and risk not getting them clean enough.
>   The wipes are made of felt and I found a source of what looks like a
> suitable felt for making replacements.  If I trim the felt flush with the
> bottom edge of the saddle, it will not make a very effective wipe, but if
> I trim it so it sticks out too far beyond the edge, then the saddle will
> be riding on the felt instead of on the ways.  How far should it stick out?
> 
> --
> Bruce Holder		[email-masked]
> 			(303)530-8739

     The machines I've replaced wipes on have had a metal cover that screws
into the side of the saddle (for example) to hold the wipe in place.  There
is clearance between the edge of this "wipe cover" and the way, and I have
just let the felt bend out on top of the way (sort of like a capital L,
with the vertical part behind the wipe cover and the horizontal part on top
of the way).  Unless you actually get the felt between the mating surfaces
of the saddle and the way, the saddle is much too heavy to ride on the
felt.  There is usually enough play in the screw holes that you can force
the wipe cover to press the felt against the way, and you can tell if it's
down far enough by squirting some oil on the way and running the saddle
over it and back.
-- 
Jose (usual disclaimer)