ML7 top slide improvement

Hi all, I have just fitted the Arceurotrade thrust bearing set to the cross slide of my ML7 and am really pleased with the job. I am so pleased with it that I am considering doing the same to the top slide. However the top slide end casting is smaller than the cross slide one and I am concerned that there will be very little thickness of casting left around the edges after boring out to accept the diameter of the thrust bearing. I just wondered, has anyone out there done this mod to the top slide? I have only heard of it being carried out to the cross slide.

Malc

Dunno about thrust bearing fitment but if you are worried about size and clearance look into dry bearing material coated washers, Glacier, Igus et al as these can easily be trimmed down to size. Not up to speed on the latest breeds as its nearly 30 years since I got my stock of Glacier ones but they are effective and give a roller thrust a trot for its money. Obviously not as free as a roller or ball thrust but certainly well up on the good enough side of she'll do.

Best to use coated washers as some of the solid dry bearing materials are fairly limited in load capacity before they start to squidge. I really don't know about modern filled varieties.

Clive

Hi Clive, These are news to me. I'll have a search around the net. Thanks, Malc.

How did you do the actual modification to the cross-slide parts. Do you have a second lathe?

Hi Bandersnatch, I mounted the cross slide end casting on a vertical slide and used an end mill to cut the recesses. To enable the cross slide to be positioned I borrowed the top slide leadscrew and end casting and fitted on the cross slide using an intermediate "conversion" plate so the smaller end casting could be screwed to the cross slide. This was a rather crude temporary measure but I only needed to move the cross slide into position to centre the vertical slide holding the work. I used the leadscrew set in the chuck to centralise the hole in the end casting then locked both the cross slide and vertical slide before machining. Malc.

Interesting .... thanks, Malc. I'd looked at this some time back but dithered over the practical aspects of machining it in the lathe.

OTOH, it might not be much trouble to do it on the mill.