Looking for a thread on rebuilding a Meddings MF4 and can't find it!

[julianthegypsy]

As above. I've just aquired a Meddings Pacera MF4 from a retiring wood botherer. The low speed works but the high spedd doesn't engage, so it looks like a strip down and a new gear. I'm sure I saw a thread very recently where someone was doing exactly that, and someone clever made some gears for it. I will happily cross someone's palms with silver to make a set for me too, if only I could find them! Nothing comes up on the search so I suspect the thread title doesn't mention meddings or pacera. Am I imagining this thread? If not, could someone point me at it?
Many thanks!

 

[cheb]

This one: https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/meddings-mf4-mk2-pillar-drill.112034/

I'm in the same position of needing gears. I'd like to try 3D printing them but need the .stl file. Find me the file and I'll print you a set too.

 

[julianthegypsy]

Thanks @cheb, and Brad. Loads of info. If I could find a file that would be brilliant, but I'm sure I've seen very recently a picture of a gear made by one of our members. I'd happily have a crack at drawing the gear if I had the dimensions having said that, though I'm not the most experienced tool in the box when it comes to 3D drawing!

 

[Agroshield]

I'd like to try 3D printing them but need the .stl file.

If you know the gear specification, download GearDXF. It will output .stl files.

 

[cheb]

If you know the gear specification, download GearDXF. It will output .stl files.

Thanks, I'll have a look.

 

[cheb]

https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/attachments/mf4gear4-jpg.137930/

Useful numbers.

From here: https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/meddings-mf4-rebuild.80555/

 

[cheb]

Diametral pitch: 16
Number of teeth: 56
Pressure angle; 20

Is that all I'll need for GearDXF? It looks to be a Windows only program, .exe, file so I'll have to borrow a mate's machine to run it.

 

[6ply]

As above. I've just aquired a Meddings Pacera MF4 from a retiring wood botherer. The low speed works but the high spedd doesn't engage, so it looks like a strip down and a new gear. I'm sure I saw a thread very recently where someone was doing exactly that, and someone clever made some gears for it. I will happily cross someone's palms with silver to make a set for me too, if only I could find them! Nothing comes up on the search so I suspect the thread title doesn't mention meddings or pacera. Am I imagining this thread? If not, could someone point me at it?
Many thanks!

Quite by chance I started dismantling a non-working m4 two days ago. The gears were all present but someone had removed the lift arm that shifts the gears between high and low. I wonder why they did that as everything else was present. Anyway, I'm now wondering whether to make the missing part or break it down for spares. Incidentally, how is the spindle on your drill, as I have one of those spare too?

 

[Agroshield]

Is that all I'll need for GearDXF?

Thickness if you want it 3D. Centre bore size if you want a hole in it.

Post the numbers and we can upload an stl for you.

On the 3DP part of it, if you wanted to make the areas where you will drill the four holes solid fill, can you do that without making the whole gear solid fill? In other words, can you vary the fill density within a part?

 

[cheb]

Good points, well made. I'll measure up later.

Yes the solidity of the part can be varied AFAIK

 

[julianthegypsy]

Mine is not working on high speed but seems ok on low. It was very noisy, but I suspect it's not got any oil in it. Bearings seem ok.The selector seems to be engaging OK and not dropping either, which is also good. I can't see how the gearbox pulley comes off. There's what looks like a tiny grub screw in the pulley but it may just be a mark from the screw that was there but isn't now. There's nothing on the end of the shift either, like a split grubscrew thread. It looks like a plain shaft with the pulley pressed on. Odd!
I'll pull the gearbox apart as soon as I figure out how to get the pulley off.

 

[cheb]

I can't help there, mine came in pieces. Some of them weren't designed to be that small. The gearbox on mine is apart, I just need to get the bearings off so I can measure the gears. I've new bearings so may just cut the old ones off, it always seems too brutal but it's easier than using the puller.

 

[julianthegypsy]

Progress. The pulley did have a grubscrew but the head was stripped. Hammered a torx head bit into it and out it came. It had also spun on the shaft so wasn't on the flat. The shaft was scuffed so getting the pulley off was fun but we made it. The small fibre gear is toothless. Haven't dismantled it yet though. Bottom seal is worn so leaking onto the quill, so I'll need a new one. Bearings all seem in good nick though, which is a bonus.

 

[cheb]

This thread may help you too.

 

[cheb]

In a more sensible vein, I've just received a roll of petg for the printer so have a choice of that, PLA or carbon fibre reinforced PA.

I'm closer to getting the gears off mine to measure them.

 

[Pete.]

If you guys need that gear making I can do it for you. What I can't do is set the mounting holes out because I don't have a working mill right now but you can simply pop them on the hub and drill them yourselves.

 

[cheb]

Yes please.

 

[Brad93]

As above. I've just aquired a Meddings Pacera MF4 from a retiring wood botherer. The low speed works but the high spedd doesn't engage, so it looks like a strip down and a new gear. I'm sure I saw a thread very recently where someone was doing exactly that, and someone clever made some gears for it. I will happily cross someone's palms with silver to make a set for me too, if only I could find them! Nothing comes up on the search so I suspect the thread title doesn't mention meddings or pacera. Am I imagining this thread? If not, could someone point me at it?
Many thanks!

Possibly my thread

 

[julianthegypsy]

Possibly my thread

Yours was one @Brad93 and @cheb has pointed me at the other one. I'm after the seal now!

 

[Brad93]

Yours was one @Brad93 and @cheb has pointed me at the other one. I'm after the seal now!

they don't exist i'm afraid