Another Feeler FTL 618

[Graham Stabler]

More filing and a little whacking and those gears are running OK again.

Back to rebuilding.

It's very much worth putting the output shaft into the gearbox at this stage and a couple of screws in to the cover as well as the various circlips, this helps put things where they should be when you add the selector knobs. Also put the locking nut on the gear cluster shaft. I don't think the Hardinge has this locking nut and it calls for just knocking the shaft out. One of my angle grinder pin spanners fitted it well by the way for removal.




As a side note, unlike the standard Hardinge gearbox (but perhaps not the rarer metric/imperial unit) you can leave the output shaft in the machine still connected to the leadscrew. If the lock nut next to the taper pin that connects it to the lead screw is stuck this might be an option, the only problem is that you then have a keyway to align on a loose gear when you offer up the rather heavy gearbox.

OK, set the knob so that the marred flat on the body (the one that is clamped by the grub screw) is at the bottom and turn so the number 3 is at the bottom. Slide the gear cluster so it engages with the central gear and insert the selector with the marred flat to the bottom. Nip up the grub screw and test it works OK.



Similarly set up the English/Metric knob so that Metric is at the bottom. Push the fork so that the gear engages with the shaft that drives the external imperial/metric converter gearing. Then insert the selector knob, test the function. The output shaft makes this much easier.



The metric conversion gears can now be added