Ideas, explanations needed

Cheez Dawg

Cheez Dawg

Flawed Perfectionist
Silver Member
I have just spent about 4 hours trying to figure out why this is happening to these purple heart shafts and maple shafts I am trying to cut...

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I know it is a little hard to see, but the passes are leaving small ledges or steps on the shaft.

I have double and triple checked everything so many times in the last few hours that I have all but given up.

What is happening is at no specific point on the shaft, as the router is cutting a pass, it seems to me like the whole slide is moving out between 0.005 to 0.010, leaving a small ledge or step on the shaft, then continuing to cut at the larger diameter.
It is doing it at multiple places, and not in the same spots. There is nothing on the taper bar, the spring loaded cross slide is working smoothly, and everythin else is solid.
I have checked everything and taken everything apart to find a reasonable explanation, but I cannot find one.
I should say I am working on a Deluxe with the PC laminate trimmer.
SOOOOOO frustrated right now.
Anyone have any ideas on why this could be happening, and how to fix it?
 
just a thought

my first thought is from experience....especially with shafts..."flexible"...are you touching the shaft to see how smooth it is in the middle of a pass...you cant see it move but you are definitely flexing it if anything is touching it....just a thought
 
another thing is that if the crosslide is loosing its backlash/slack as it pushed outward from the taper bar and the vibration could be backing the crosslide adjuster outward....have you tried locking the top crosslide with the center "larger" allen head?...Chris would probably be able to immediately know whats going on.
 
Have you contacted Mr. Hightower? He should be able to help you. I had a simular problem and It was the cross-slide bindng. I ended up lowering the taper bars so there was a more direct alignment. That solved the problem for me. But I recommend you give Mr. Hightower a call.
 
LGSM3 said:
another thing is that if the crosslide is loosing its backlash/slack as it pushed outward from the taper bar and the vibration could be backing the crosslide adjuster outward....have you tried locking the top crosslide with the center "larger" allen head?...Chris would probably be able to immediately know whats going on.
Click to expand...

I don't touch the shaft while it's cutting.
Also, I tighten down the top slide so it cannot move.

Thanks though!!:grin-square:
 
A piece of dirt or some other foreign object stuck on your taper bar, or the bearing/roller that runs along it will cause that.
 
Two thoughts

The first thing I'd check is the fit of the cross slide to the dovetail. Make it as snug as you possible (but still allowing the carriage to move under powerfeed). If there is too much play/slack and the powerfeed encounters any resistance during the cut, the carriage will "cock". Depending on the direction you are cutting, the depth of the cutter will either increase of decrease resulting in the "step" that you are seeing.

The other thing that I check regularly on my Hightower is the rack. Especially when cutting ebony, the wood chips/dust will build up in rack and the interfere with the pinion gear. If it gets too bad I've actually had it stop the powerfeed. I use a bottle brush to clean the rack on a regular basis

It would be nicer if the rack was mounted upside down so the chips/dust did not accumlate in the rack.
 
TRy holding the cross slidetoward the taper bar. The spring may not be strong enough to hold it against the taper bar. Any dust on the roller bearing can move the cutter slightly away from the taper bar...JER
 
I had something like that happen on my deluxe once, it turned out that the router was not locked down on the mount as tightly as needed and would move just abit once in a while. I thought it was tight enough, but if it can be moved at all by hand force, it's not tight enough. I also put a lock washer into the assembly for good measure.Sounds silly, but that's the way it is.
Oh, BTW I also always try to cut 'uphill' on the taper bar meaning the roller bearing in always climbing up the taper bar.

Alan
 
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Cheez Dawg said:
I have just spent about 4 hours trying to figure out why this is happening to these purple heart shafts and maple shafts I am trying to cut...

PHS002.jpg



PHS003.jpg



I know it is a little hard to see, but the passes are leaving small ledges or steps on the shaft.

I have double and triple checked everything so many times in the last few hours that I have all but given up.

What is happening is at no specific point on the shaft, as the router is cutting a pass, it seems to me like the whole slide is moving out between 0.005 to 0.010, leaving a small ledge or step on the shaft, then continuing to cut at the larger diameter.
It is doing it at multiple places, and not in the same spots. There is nothing on the taper bar, the spring loaded cross slide is working smoothly, and everythin else is solid.
I have checked everything and taken everything apart to find a reasonable explanation, but I cannot find one.
I should say I am working on a Deluxe with the PC laminate trimmer.
SOOOOOO frustrated right now.
Anyone have any ideas on why this could be happening, and how to fix it?
Click to expand...

The cross slide may be binding a bit and then it all of a sudden moves out. Mic the shaft at the point and before where it changed. See if it stopped tapering for maybe an inch then moved out and began tapering again. I bet you will find a straight cut for maybe an inch before it returned to where it should be.
 
BarenbruggeCues said:
Cross slide is binding and letting go..........make sure you have smooth action on the slide.
Click to expand...

I think you hit the nail on the head. I did some measurements on one of the shafts, but the measurement seems good right up to the point where it seems to "let go".
The slide moves very smoothly, however there seems to be a little play in it.
Upon trying to tighten up the play in it, the slide will not move.
As soon as it starts to move freely, the play returns.
Also, I changed the spring out for one that is slightly stiffer. It holds the roller against the taper bar perfectly.
I'll see what I can figure out tomorrow.
Thanks everyone for your input.
Without all of you gracious people helping others, newer cue makers like me would be lost!!:grin-square:

How could I keep the cross slide from binding? I've tried to adjust it, but like I stated above, there doesn't seem to be any room for adjustment.
I also keep it well lubed withWD40.
 
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Blue Hog ridr said:
I looked at the pics of your main player, Dawg, you don't seem to have a problem building those. Pretty snazzy.
Click to expand...

Thanks!
It's been quite the trip to get to this point. Hopefully there won't be too many more bumps and potholes on the journey!!
 
I have come to the conclusion that it's the spring-loaded slide slightly sticking, then letting go and leaving the "ledge".
I tried cutting the opposite direction - from head stock to tail stock, and it cut great. I guess that's the way I'll have to cut shafts from now on.
Thanks for all the help and ideas!
 
Cheez Dawg said:
I have come to the conclusion that it's the spring-loaded slide slightly sticking, then letting go and leaving the "ledge".
I tried cutting the opposite direction - from head stock to tail stock, and it cut great. I guess that's the way I'll have to cut shafts from now on.
Thanks for all the help and ideas!
Click to expand...

You need to use a better lube also. WD-40 is a good cleaning agent but a poor lubricating one. If you don't mind the mess oil or transmission fluid works well. you can also use a dry lube such as Boshield or something like that but they are much more expensive. I never recommend the use of any silicones in or around the shop however.

Dick
 
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