Warcco M16 breakage

Just had a problem with the above. It had slipped out of true so i decided to re align the head. Having done so ( & because it has slipped out of alignment a couple of times) I tightened the central bolt on the head pivot really tight. Then I did what now seems a silly thing. I overtightened the clamp that clamps the rotation of the head next to the central screw. there was a snapping sound & teh stud went loose.

I assume that somewhere in the mechanism there must be some sort of "T" nut on a ring but I really do not know for sure. Before I go blindly in may I ask if anyone has had one of these apart & knows what I can expect please

If it is a "T" nut then having got the head off i cannot machine a new one, or is it like a standard one which I can substitute ( if luck is on my side !!!)

Any advice greatly appreciated

Thanks

Sam, I have the smaller version of this mill so no 1st hand knowledge. If you look at the manual, the Grizzly Manual is better (same machine) page 47 it shows that the bolts are T-headed so you may have to make or get spares from Warco. Looks like a complete disassembly job removing head and Z axis to get to it I'm afraid.

John

Bad luck Sam. I'm sure we've all done the same sort of thing! I once managed to shatter the "x" handwheel by leaving a vice handle on, one of them things!

Good luck getting it sorted.

Jim

edit - looks like journeyman beat me to it.

One of the problems with Warco and 50/50 with Chester is that they give minimal information about their products online and no manuals.

However Grizzly have the decency to consider their customers and provide manuals which are often much better quality too.

It looks like the WM16 may be a Grizzly G0704 which has an online manual here. This seems to show a T bolt item 9 on page 47. However one problem may be that the T-bolt head is as bit small or the space too large and it has graunched a wider groove at that critical point so it is not held. If so a new bolt would also spin. What you might need to do is weld a bit of extra metal onto the T-bolt ears to make it wider.

Edited By Bazyle on 03/03/2018 11:39:19

Fantastic piece of help. I now realise that the bolt has sheared mid length. I am sure I can make something to do the job & feel a lot more confident now that I have a picture & can see where I am heading

Thanks one & all

Be fair, both companies supply manuals with their machines that include exploded diagrams. Chester have at least 24 manuals for their machines on their forum:

www.chesterhobbystore.com/forum-50-w.asp?p=search%3Fkeywords%3Dmanual

Neil

Hi Sam,

To prevent that the head on your WM16 slips out of alignment, have you done the 3-bolt mod? There is a video here.

Thor

That's a useful video Thor, even if Sam doesn't do the 3 bolt mod it shows how to insert the bolt without removing the Z-axis.

John

Sam, I have just got a WM16B and the part numbers seem to correspond to the Precision Matthews PM25MV apart from the fact that theirs is R8 taper. A manual is available for download. Sorry can't post a link but it is easy to find on their website.

John

Hi Sam

FYI

​Have att. scan from my WM16 manual... page 4 - part # 9 - head tee bolt



​It is shown as a M10 x 60, is there room to replace it with a M12 x 60

George.