Now that the carriage bounce is sorted out thanks to Paul and Ray, the next item is the crazy wobble in the form roller gear. I tried to attach a video to this post but failed somehow. The video here shows how bad it is.
The set screw and split sleeve are present in the end of the form roller and are tight, but I can’t see any sign of the gear being keyed to the shaft. I’ll have to disassemble it to see if the Woodruff key is present. Are there any subtleties to taking this apart or putting it back together?
Also, the short, spring-loaded section of rack that this gear first engages has a non-standard tooth profile. Is this factory or has the wobbly gear worn the teeth this badly?
Despite this ugly scene, the press still inks and prints fine but this needs to be fixed.
(Please don’t judge the atrocious filth on the rack too harshly. I’ve yet to make it over to that side with the toothbrush, q-tips and popsicle stick scrapers. I’m convinced the previous owners of this press never cleaned anything except the rollers.)
Many thanks for any advice.
I have seen both steel and bronze bushings. It’s possible that yours hd been rehabbed. A new bushing should negate the wear on gear teeth.
A bit more information: the Woodruff key is in place and fits properly. The gear is a very sloppy fit on the shaft and thus is thrown out of alignment when the set screw is tightened.
It has a (bronze?) bushing that the keyway is cut into. Is this factory or has the gear been rehabbed once before?
The teeth on the gear have been worn due to the run out, so if one is available and affordable the best solution would be a new gear. Otherwise, I guess I’ll have to live with it, figure out how to broach a 1/8″ keyway, and rebush the bore myself. For now, making a whole new gear is a bridge too far. Hmmm…although I have been looking for an excuse to buy a dividing head for the mill.
Oh, and I RTFM again and found the specs on the key. That guy who wrote the Vandercook red book really knows his stuff.
Thanks, I’ll have at it and let you know what I find.
In case I need a Woodruff key, do you happen to know the size?
Gears that slip off too easily might have a be reamed at the bore. A gear that won’t budge from the core can be struck from the inside while rotated by hand.
By design, starting teeth have a pointed profile.