Repair Ideas for mill ways?

[Boostinjdm]

I picked up a Millrite MVI last week and tore it down for cleaning and repairs before putting it to use. I found some pretty significant gouges on the knee where the saddle rides. I'm looking for cheap ways to improve the condition of the damaged ways. I do not want to spend much money on this thing, and it does not need to be perfect. I just can't leave it as is. I have a full size mill already and pretty much bought this for drill press duty.

Best idea I've come up with so far is to machine the surface down. Or build it up and then machine it back to original height. It will fit in my full size mill, but set up will be very difficult.

Any ideas?

[boslab]

Wood grain effect!, it's a bit gnarly, whatever you use stooping the cause is vital, you could epoxy a ground strip on both sides maybe, or just get it reground
Mark

[SGW]

Look up "Moglice" as an option, for example http://moglice-turcite.com/

[bborr01]

Are those box ways? If they are dovetail ways, that surface shouldn't make any difference.

Brian

[Doozer]

The right side looks fine, some scraping still present.
By chance did someone grease lube it??


--D

[J Tiers]

If there is original level surface left, same level as adjacent un-gouged areas, then just fill the gouges with epoxy to prevent swarf from collecting, and use a burr file to level it off flush with the surrounding area.

I did that years ago on the lathe, the epoxy is still there, despite oil etc. You DO need to clean 3more times than you think is enough, using a good solvent, before epoxying.

[Doozer]

Also, after you spotlessly clean with lacquer thinner more times than
you think you need to, follow that with Comet cleanser (or Ajax,
Barkeeper's Friend, those type of cleansers) and water.
Make a paste and scrub the surface with your fingers, rubbing the
cleanser in and rinse with clean water. You should be able to see
the water "wet" down the surface, with no beading up. This is
an important step to remove any hydrocarbon residue to promote
the maximum adhesion. Paint and epoxies no not like to stick to
surfaces with stray hydrocarbons from a wipedown with solvent.
Use a water based cleanser for absolute surface adhesion.

-Doozer

[QSIMDO]

A quick sidebar;
With all due respect to Dan Gelbart, I know many people with decades experience in automotive refinishing field who responded with "he's FOS!" when told that "stray hydrocarbon residue" was
detrimental to their final product.

I KNOW, I know, I watched his videos too and still think he's onto (if not "on") something but I certainly can't argue with years of positive results either.
I'M certainly going to try it next time I paint.

Back on track; you can get a relatively inexpensive sample kit from Moglice that might just be enough for a skim coat.

[Boostinjdm]

Are those box ways? If they are dovetail ways, that surface shouldn't make any difference.

Brian

Dovetail ways.

The right side looks fine, some scraping still present.
By chance did someone grease lube it??


--D

Yes, they greased it. For years...

If there is original level surface left, same level as adjacent un-gouged areas, then just fill the gouges with epoxy to prevent swarf from collecting, and use a burr file to level it off flush with the surrounding area.

I did that years ago on the lathe, the epoxy is still there, despite oil etc. You DO need to clean 3more times than you think is enough, using a good solvent, before epoxying.

That was my very first thought, but it does seem kind of half assed. I'm not sure how to verify the amount of wear with the tools I have. It doesn't look like the surface has been dropped much, but it's hard to tell with all the gouges.

[Doozer]

I wondered if Dan Gelbart was talking specifically about prep
for powder coating or all paint or epoxy applications.
He was doing powder coating at the time. I would have to watch
the video again to clarify. But I do remember him saying something
to the fact about people doing it wrong.
I did try the Comet cleanser thing last week.
I was going to clean up a cast iron lever casting that I had brazed
up some cracks in. Running water over the casting, the water
beaded up and ran away. The casting was clean, in as much as
it had been heated dull red hot from me brazing it. Still the water
beaded up and ran off.
I sprinkled on some Comet cleanser and worked the powder in with
my hands, scrubbing it around thoroughly. After rinsing it off with
clean water from the tap, now the water "wetted" the surface, and
it stayed wet, as the water now had an adhesion to the surface,
instead of seeming to be repelled by the surface as before.
So I dunno about needing to scrub with Comet cleanser, but I think
it can't hurt.
One thing I was thinking of, is that spray paint in the can has
hydrocarbon solvent based delivery system. Read most cans and it
says that it contains xylene or toluene. Propellent is usually propane.
So spray paint is full of hydrocarbons. Maybe wiping a part to be
painted down with lacquer thinner is not a bad thing before spray
painting, but for powder coating or epoxy, the Comet thing might
be a better way. More research is necessary.

Why I asked if the mill had been greased, is that I have seen a
few machines that had been mistakenly grease lubricated, and
about all of them had scoring on the ways. Too bad people
make assumptions.

-Doozer

[bborr01]

Unless I am missing something, the surface shown on the picture doesn't need to be repaired. Is that the face of the knee ways? Kind of like the bottom of the ways on a Bridgeport ram. I have seen people use carpet to keep from "damaging" the ways when in fact it has no bearing on anything. It is up against air. It could be painted and it wouldn't matter.

Before I spent 10 minutes worrying about repairing the surface I would make sure it is actually a surface that matters, which I don't think it does.

Brian

[Boostinjdm]

That is the surface the saddle rides on. As was stated in the first post...

It is the y axis ways. To the right of the hand wheel in this pic would be upper left of the picture I posted earlier.

[janvanruth]

Unless I am missing something, the surface shown on the picture doesn't need to be repaired. Is that the face of the knee ways? Kind of like the bottom of the ways on a Bridgeport ram. I have seen people use carpet to keep from "damaging" the ways when in fact it has no bearing on anything. It is up against air. It could be painted and it wouldn't matter.

Before I spent 10 minutes worrying about repairing the surface I would make sure it is actually a surface that matters, which I don't think it does.

Brian

if the surface wouldnt bear on anything how would it get scored the way it is?

[oldtiffie]

There may well come a time in this project whare the OP has to seriously consider the minimum requirement he has for this machine and the"distance" (time, energy, money etc.) that he may have to commit himself to to get here.

Defining the "start" point will be the initial and possibly the hardest requirement.

But seriously, if all that the OP really required was a drill - why didn't he just buy a reasonable sized and quality drill that was pretty well ready to use with minimal (or any) necessary work or time or cost on it?

[bborr01]

I see now. I thought it was the dovetails on the knee that were worn or scored. Lots of times on the Bridgeport knees chips get built up between the knee and the base casting and score the outer edge of the dovetail. Your mill has a different type of dovetail than a Bridgeport type mill has and it looks like the top surface is a bearing surface and should be flat and true. The Bridgeport type mills have an additional machined surface on the Y axisl

Brian

That is the surface the saddle rides on. As was stated in the first post...

It is the y axis ways. To the right of the hand wheel in this pic would be upper left of the picture I posted earlier.