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unexpectedly hard to move the saddle on Jones and Shipman 540

implmex

Diamond
Joined
Jun 23, 2002
Location
Vancouver BC Canada
Hi All:
I just bought a Jones and Shipman 540 AP.
I've never run one before so I know nothing about how they're supposed to feel and sound.

Three questions for all you experienced J&S drivers out there please:

1) The cross travel is heavy...it's quite an armbreaker compared to the Kent I just sold whose saddle must weigh twice as much as the J&S but could be moved with two fingers.
Cross feed backlash is around 0.050"
It's smooth and not lumpy or crunchy but wow...I'm going to have muscles in my shit running this machine...is this normal for a J&S 540?
(this is after the hydraulics have run for a while...I'm aware these machines use hydraulic oil to lube the slides)

2) The cross feed ratchet is noisy; and when I reach in under the travel increment adjusting cover to feel the ratchet wheel, it's bone dry.
Would it benefit from some grease?
(the power downfeed ratchet is nice and quiet by comparison)

3) The machine is leaky...I'm told they're all like this...is this true?
It's not a lot...but when I commissioned the machine I noticed Kitty Litter in the bolt holes of the base (the ones you use to bolt the machine to the floor) and I typically have a half a teaspoon sized puddle on the floor after the weekend.

So please let me know your experiences.
Other than those minor disappointments, it's an awfully nice grinder, and it is in awfully nice shape for a 50 year old machine.

Cheers

Marcus
Implant Mechanix • Design & Innovation > HOME
Vancouver Wire EDM -- Wire EDM Machining
 
I'll make what may seem an obvious statement first - make sure you haven't tightened the little black star knob in the middle of the handwheel.If you have, then back it off half a turn and try again. This is only tightened down when you need to use the fine cross feed, and it brings the worm gear on the fine feed into play.You may just be fighting the worm here, as otherwise it's a smooth, light action.

Don't grease it anywhere, there are a series of oil ports all over the machine that always get neglected, and giving them some attention does pay dividends in noise and feel.

And yes, they do all leak, but some worse than others!There should be several drain lines going back to the tank, but again these can become blocked with age. Mine seems to leak but only into the small catch trough on the front, below the saddle, but never gets any on the floor. All the seals for the ram and the hydraulics are still available from J&S, though I've heard that prices can be a bit eye catching
 
Hi Peter:
Thanks for that information; Yes I've loosened the fine cross feed knob on the handwheel and also the cross slide lock under the left side of the table.
It feels like I'm working against a heavy weight, and it's consistent across the whole travel.

Does it take a lot of torque to move your cross slide?

I can align the handle for the crossfeed to the horizontal plane, balance 10 pounds of steel on the handle and not rotate the crossfeed handwheel.
That's about 2.5 ft lb of torque which doesn't sound like much but is a fair workout if you have to do it all day.

Does that sound like your machine too?

Cheers

Marcus
Implant Mechanix • Design & Innovation > HOME
Vancouver Wire EDM -- Wire EDM Machining
 
No, that definitely sounds a lot stiffer than it should be. It feels like a lightly damped action, but not heavy at all.
What is it like just using the fine feed knob to move the table? It almost sounds like the worm is not disengaging, and I wonder if it may have seized in position.If you undo and remove the allen bolt in the top of the fine feed knob you can squirt oil down the hole to lube the worm, and it will flush any crap from around the base of the knob.
I'll have a look at mine later on tonight when I get back home again
 








 
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