Returned from work yesterday and grabbed an hour to continue stripping the cross slide and de-gunking everything.
I think someone has used grease rather than oil in the past, I was hoping to not have strip it quite so far but all the oil ways were solid with gunk so it needed doing. I did uncover a potential issue, the cross slide has a auto adjust mechanism made up of a ball bearing that rides on the screw pressured by 4x disc springs which can be adjusted by a set screw. When I removed it there was only 3 disc springs and further more these were totally flat just like washers. So either they are wrong or the adjustments been screwed down so far in the past its crushed and deformed the disc springs indicating there could be a lot of wear on the screw. The nuts glide on the screw fine with no slop. I slipped 4x new disc springs on my Group 600 order before they shipped it yesterday so will give it a go and see how it feels.
Parts are coming up ok, used electrolysis for a few bits but mainly fairy liquid and elbow grease with a light touch from a foam car polish pad on my orbital sander. Dodgy disc springs can be seen lower left...
I think someone has used grease rather than oil in the past, I was hoping to not have strip it quite so far but all the oil ways were solid with gunk so it needed doing. I did uncover a potential issue, the cross slide has a auto adjust mechanism made up of a ball bearing that rides on the screw pressured by 4x disc springs which can be adjusted by a set screw. When I removed it there was only 3 disc springs and further more these were totally flat just like washers. So either they are wrong or the adjustments been screwed down so far in the past its crushed and deformed the disc springs indicating there could be a lot of wear on the screw. The nuts glide on the screw fine with no slop. I slipped 4x new disc springs on my Group 600 order before they shipped it yesterday so will give it a go and see how it feels.
Parts are coming up ok, used electrolysis for a few bits but mainly fairy liquid and elbow grease with a light touch from a foam car polish pad on my orbital sander. Dodgy disc springs can be seen lower left...