Tom Senior Disassembly

Hello!

I have bought a Tom Senior light vertical, now I need to get it home. Plan is to strip it down and bring it home in a van. Main question is, what's the best/quickest way to remove the knee from the column?

Looked at all the pictures and diagrams I can find (many of them on here, thanks!) but can't quite decide the best way.

I want it to be as quick and painless as possible, the guy I bought it off would prefer if I took it in one go and I don't want to keep him hanging round.

With head removed,knee lowered and everything unbolted, can I just lift the column out first? Then unbolt knee from the base and take that all as one assembly? With help from some strong looking friends of course.

I believe the column is empty? Usually filled with all the back gear, power feed and horizontal milling parts that this model doesn't have? It has a door on the other side of the column.

It looks like gib removal from the knee will allow the knee and table to be lifted away from the base. Weight, with table, will be considerable and carriers will have the screw to contend with before dropping onto the floor!

Apart from that it looks quite straightforward.

Hi Adam,

1, Remove the head. Loosen the two clamping pinch bolts slide forward, Quit heavy.

2, Remove the table by removing the lead screw bolts on the handle end of the table, screw out the leadscrew, Remove the gib strip located under the left hand end of the table. Lift the table off.

3, Remove the knee. unbolt the two bolts holding the vertical lift nut between the suds drain holes. Remove the three bolts holding the vertical gib strip to the column left hand side of the knee. lift whole assembly away.

4, Remove column from the suds tank, assess to the bolts is through the column door. Lift of column. Very Heavy.

Done the job several times, very straight forward.

Adam.

I was in a similar situation when I bought my TS light vertical. I removed the complete motor/vertical head, the table, and saddle. To remove the knee loosen the gib adjusting bolts ( 3) and remove the three bolts on the left hand side of the knee and this allows the gib block ( which is the LH dovetail )to drop out, remove the three bolts holding the knee feed screw to the tray/base and then the knee can be removed by moving to the right to clear the dovetail and lifting up for the feed screw to clear the tray/base.. I think I propped up the knee with blocks of wood while doing this.

This is all from memory as it was several years ago, but to be honest with you once your are in front of the machine it becomes clearer.Just a warning all the parts are a two man lift to do it safely

Yes! Hidden from view, but long and attached to heavy ungainly thing is a recipe for disaster, definitely my job to deal with that while pals do all the heavy lifting!

Thank you.

The perfect reply! Thank you Peter

Brilliant thanks, really feels like I can turn up and get on with it now, and as you say, always easier when its in front of you.

Will make sure to take at least 2 friends, and ones that are stronger than me!

Was then planning to strap the main parts down to some pallets, then strap them down in back of the van.

+1 Peter - your advice really helped me sort a problem on the X feed - many thanks

Evening Senior Citizens!

Having done the same job myself, can I counsel caution in trying to remove the motor, quill assembly and horizontal support bar all in one by sliding it out of the two split clamps on top of the column. It's blooming heavy, and it would be only too easy to let the weight of the head drop as you draw it through the front clamp, straining the clamp and maybe even splitting the casting. The split clamps are tight on the horizontal bar even with the clamp bolts slackened off, and (if mine is anything to go by) it's quite a wrestling match to get the bar to slide through its clamps.

I suggest removing the motor first, then remove the two (5/16 dia?) allen screws one each side of the quill casting. Support the head casting, as it is now only held on a tight fitting spigot to the calibrated angle scale, It won't fall off, but grab hold of it and pull it off the spigot (about an inch long). The quill casting without the weight of the motor is a fairly manageable lump - heavy but not excessive.

HTH Simon

I agree with Adam take it in small pieces take a good mate with you and some strong wheels, or a sack cart, the parts are easily stripped down and you may need to remove the column from the base tank, I did when I bought my M1 it was in a 8 x 4 shed, be patient and you will not damage anything, the machine looks newly refurbed ask the guy to help if he did the work, he’ll know the quick way to strip it in big bits. Good luck.