RYAZAN MACHINE TOOL REBUILD PART 09

Hey everyone, I’m here with an update on your XX slide project. We’ve completed the bottom section, including the gibs and binders—not the gib attachments we discussed earlier, as those haven’t arrived yet. However, progress is solid enough for us to start working on this surface right here. I’ll take the camera to walk you through what we’re doing.

The plates designed for this are 230 thousandths thick, but the height from this surface to the gear’s bottom—where it fits into the rack—was too tall. Sorry, I need to set the camera down; it was excessive. Rather than making the plates dangerously thin, we opted to avoid that since we already had to adjust this. So, we decided to grind this surface down. We’re removing about 45,000 to 50,000 thousandths—it’s not fully done yet. The finish isn’t great because the wheel loads up with that much continuous grinding, but I’m not concerned about the finish here.

This area will hold our plates, reducing the material we need to take off the EPCO bronze, preserving its rigidity. Another change we made was swapping the steel screws for brass—same strength, but if this wears out, it won’t damage the waist. Metal-on-metal can be problematic, so this is a safer choice.

We finished the X-axis this morning and quickly set up the machine to remove the ball screw and get everything aligned. This is the first piece we’ll tackle tomorrow, and we’ll also adjust an equal amount on this side to minimize material removal. Just a heads-up for tomorrow—I’m hoping to return this to you tomorrow. We plan to start gluing the plates then.

After gluing, we’ll grind the plates again for a flat surface. We’ll likely keep it on the machine to re-measure everything, ensuring no discrepancies. We’re still unsure about the tolerance and clearance for the rack, so we’re coordinating with the gear company to finalize those specs. We’re moving forward, but it made more sense to adjust here than risk making the plates too fragile—originally 98 thousandths plus an assumed 10 thousandths for glue. Taking 110 thousandths off a 230-thousandth plate was too risky, so this approach works better.

I’ll update you tomorrow with another video on the plates’ thickness and this piece going back on the machine. We’ll grind it, add parallels, and re-evaluate the setup to avoid extra work. I’ll move carefully to show you over here. While one team member grinds, another will fit this to your specifications—plus 4 to 6 thousandths, aiming for 200, as it’s easier to machine initially. We’ll fit it between the bedways, scraping the master and gib as much as possible.

We also have a square for the X-axis on the grinder, letting us simulate squareness to the spindle. Grinding the master this way ensures it’s true, saving time during installation by reducing on-site adjustments. The less work out there, the better.

We’re on track—tomorrow, the plates should be glued, and the next day, we’ll grind and recheck heights. If all goes well, we could finish by next week’s end. We haven’t tackled lubrication yet, as we’re unsure about the lines’ routing. I’ll check the box. This is what we’re working with, and I need to map where all the lines and points go, ensuring clearances and proper oil flow.

Some metering needs increased flow for the master’s flats, while others require less, so we’ll adjust that after scraping. It’s tough to set up lubrication during scraping, so we might complete it by next week’s end. The following week is shortened due to Labor Day, which is a challenge, but we’ll keep you updated. Expect more videos this week. Thanks!