Index 645 Way Question

Kbieber8 · Jun 13, 2014

Hey everyone,
I am new to the machine world and just starting to learn the hobby. I bought an Index 645 and am starting to familiarize myself with it. I was curious about the ways. Other machines I have seen (Bridgeport) for example, have hand scrapped ways, you can see the scaling. My mill looks like it has smooth ways. Is that another way that ways are made? It doesn't appear there was ever any scaling. There isn't any play in the table and it runs through the ways smoothly, it was also a machine being used in an active machine shop.

Kyle

sidecar580 · Jun 13, 2014

Those ways could be ground....hard to tell without a pic.
JOHN

4GSR · Jun 13, 2014

The ways on my 645 are scraped. They are scraped smooth with no detection of points per square inch. Could have been ground originally, I doubt it, but they are not harden either. They are tougher to scrape than most cast iron I've touched!

Kbieber8 · Jun 21, 2014

So with smooth scrapping you wouldn't see the scaling like I have seen on BP knees? Is that what points per square inch points to is how many scales per inch? What is the repair process if any for the ways? Mine seems to move smoothly with no major gouges.

RC99 · Jun 21, 2014

The distinct marks you see on Bridgeport ways are there for decoration... Or some (like me) may even say to catch fine grit to create a lapping paste to wear out the ways faster so they can sell you a new machine quicker then otherwise

Most decent machines have them, just they are usually hidden away on the mating ways..

Most machines these days have ground ways except for the extreme high precision jig borers/grinders and the like.. Scraping is a high labor input thing to do, hence shunned by modern manufacture methods except where necessary... Usually on the shorter matching hidden part that slides..

CBlair · Jun 21, 2014

If it is working for you then leave it alone, no need to repair if there is nothing wrong. However your question is sound. There are many ways to skin a cat and even in the same factory you will find different methods for different years. Some with a machine like yours may have distinct scraping marks, others machines may have been ground. Or perhaps if your machine is old the marks that were left from scraping may just not be visible anymore. But if they are in good order, and it sounds like yours are, then there is no need to worry.

Charles

Kbieber8 · Jun 23, 2014

Great, thanks guys for the input.

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