Help with stiff radial arm of kitchen - Walker

Hello, I am hoping for some help with a problem with the radial arm of our E2 Kitchen- Walker. When we got the machine in 2016 the arm moved easily but recently it has got almost too stiff to move in the central position (ie when the arm is parallel with the bed). Once it is beyond the stiff position it moves freely again on both sides. We have kept the column roller assembly and the bevels greased (as per manual) and we tried the column roller adjustment which requires “releasing the lock screw and turn stud with pin through hole until the arm swings freely”. But we couldn’t get the arm to swing freely.
Hoping someone can point us in the right direction.
Thank you

Stiff radial arm

Addyboon said:

Hello, I am hoping for some help with a problem with the radial arm of our E2 Kitchen- Walker. When we got the machine in 2016 the arm moved easily but recently it has got almost too stiff to move in the central position (ie when the arm is parallel with the bed). Once it is beyond the stiff position it moves freely again on both sides. We have kept the column roller assembly and the bevels greased (as per manual) and we tried the column roller adjustment which requires “releasing the lock screw and turn stud with pin through hole until the arm swings freely”. But we couldn’t get the arm to swing freely.
Hoping someone can point us in the right direction.
Thank you

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17/11/20 update
Some information from an engineer’s inspection : the column seems to have dropped onto the base ring and is binding there. (The problem is not in the column adjustment bearing) Using thin slivers of metal (forgot their name) he reckons that the gap between the column and the base has closed to a thou (I think that was the measurement) and in some places it has closed completely. The oil is now seeping through the gap which I think is a good sign but we might need to strip the motor from the top of the column and see if there are any visible problems. We can’t do that for a while. I’d like to raise the arm on a chain block to take the weight of the column base and flush with oil but I don’t expect it will be so simple. Any suggestions ?

Addyboon said:

Using thin slivers of metal (forgot their name)

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Feeler gages in the US. Don't know if the same term is used in the UK.

Just to finalise this one briefly- it was the bearing at the top of the column that had failed - we raised the motor on the lead screw and replaced the (approx £200) standard bearing and the new bearing brought the outer column off the inner and it is no longer binding and it’s working perfectly- So pleased

Addyboon said:

Just to finalise this one briefly- it was the bearing at the top of the column that had failed - we raised the motor on the lead screw and replaced the (approx £200) standard bearing and the new bearing brought the outer column off the inner and it is no longer binding and it’s working perfectly- So pleased

Click to expand...

Thanks for that. 19 out of 20 people come on here asking for advice and you never hear from them again. I guy once asked me for advice on a large British horizontal boring machine. I went to the trouble of sourcing a CD-Rom with the handbook and drawings on it. He never got back to me. I don't want a thank you, I just want to know if my advice was relevant.

Nobody is that busy that they can't spare 5 minutes.

Regards Tyrone.