Kondia FV-1 Table/Saddle/Knee/Turret and Ram removal

[Mayhem]

Thanks for the concern Ron but I am always careful of fingers and toes (especially if they are mine!!!)

[Mayhem]

I haven't had an opportunity to get the table off yet. Mainly due to time and also availability of an engine hoist that I need to borrow from a friend to do the lifting.

I'm also going to lift the ram off and the turret, as well as the knee (to check wear) and in preparation, I removed the head adaptor (knuckle) and the turret brakes. The knuckle has 4 oversize holes cut into the bottom slot and I am curious to why they are there? I know BP mills have a safety pin which needs to be removed if the head is tilted more than 20 or 25 degrees but the Kondia doesn't have one.

   

The ram advance handle had been snapped of and the ram pinion had been chewed up from the use of vise-grips. So, into the lathe it went.

   
   

[Mayhem]

The ram, turret, table, saddle, knee and pedastool are now off of the mill and ready for cleaning and inspecting.

At first glance it looks pretty good. The screw for the knee gib was damaged and took me some time to remove. Also the Z axis nut has about 1/2 of the threads chewed up.

[Mayhem]

A few pics:

Damaged nut (knee)
   

Knee gib adjusting screw. The hex socket had split and I couldn't turn it with a hammer and punch. So I had to drill it out, which was problematic as the position of the screw meant that the ways were in the way (perhaps that is how they got their name). So the result was an angled hole. Whilst the extractor opened it up, the internal threads were not damaged.

It came out in 2 pieces.
   

Next to one that is intact.
   

The only other problem I have found is the knee crank shaft is bent. Now I knew this was the case and didn't think it would be a problem, as I can straighten the shaft in my press.

However, I went to remove the shaft and found that the clutch the handle mates with extends beneath the threaded collar the dial lock sits on and will not slide off. My options now are to try and straighten the shaft whilst it is still in the knee. If that doesn't work I may have to cut it to get it out and then weld on a new section and turn it down. The dial covers the three screws that retain the bearing, that holds the shaft in the knee.

   

[TomG]

Hey Darren,

That poor mill has led a tough life and it needs someone like you to undo all of the abuse it has suffered over the years. It should be good as new when finished!

Are you going to make a new nut for the z axis?

Tom

[Mayhem]

I'm getting a quote on the nut. It will most likely cost less to buy it than it would to buy the material and make it myself. I have actually been surprised by the cost of the parts I have had quoted so far.

Before I managed to get the high resolution drawing of the Kondia FV-1 head, I often looked at the Industrial Control and Automation web site, which has an interactive exploded drawing of the head of a J series BP. I have found this quite helpful in identifying parts on my mill. This was especially helpful when the Spanish -> English translation leaves you with a part description "sleeve of conicals". Anyone care to guess what that is?

If you click on a part it will then show you the price of that part. I was very worried when I saw that the worm gear cradle lists at US$201.82. Fortunately, the Kondia worm gear cradle lists at 29.30 Euro (US$30.68).

[Highpower]

(11-01-2012, 09:51 AM)Mayhem Wrote: Knee gib adjusting screw. The hex socket had split and I couldn't turn it with a hammer and punch. So I had to drill it out, which was problematic as the position of the screw meant that the ways were in the way (perhaps that is how they got their name). So the result was an angled hole. Whilst the extractor opened it up, the internal threads were not damaged.

It came out in 2 pieces.

Nice save Darren, on getting that one out without damaging the internals.

[Mayhem]

Thanks Willie - I threw all the fasteners into my tumbler on the weekend and then inspected them when they came out. All the other gib screws have cracks on the wall of the hex as well, so I'll be changing them out as well.

[DaveH]

Darren,
Nicely done

DaveH

[stevec]

(11-04-2012, 05:31 AM)Mayhem Wrote: "sleeve of conicals". Anyone care to guess what that is?

My guess would be a "taper sleeve" as in MT3-MT4 or whatever.
Why hasn't the world switched to esperanto so we could ALL be confused in the same tongue?