bent sliding chip covers under saddle

Looks like you asked and answered your own question. Might be smart to dismantle and clean the machine if the former owner screw them up, what else did he F up?

enyaws said:

Looking to possible purchase this otherwise nice machine. Trying to imagine how much work is involved just getting the chip covers out to replace if available or possibly straighten. I'm thinking that the knee and saddle need to come off as the covers must wrap around the cross nut. Also wondering what else an idiot that did this could have done that is not visible. Many thanks for this forum. Long time lurker, first post I believe.​

Click to expand...

Seems really odd, that much damage. Almost as if somebody thought they could just take a jemmy and snap them out for cleaning, then pop them back in, and got carried away - figuring once out, they'd hammer them back flat before sliding them back in. Or maybe I'm just getting overly suspicious?

Yes, it has to come apart to repair them or make new. No, it isn't hard to do. Done properly, of course! Not quite the same as motorcar wheel covers!

How's the rest of the mill look to you?

As a retired tool maker for over 40 yrs I think I know what to look for. Everything else is like new, clean and tight. Its running and sounds good. All is operable. The bent covers are so uniform that it almost looked like a new cover design for a minute. It was bought at an auction and the fellow is flipping it. I need to make a quick decision as its under a tarp in the rain. Hope I dont get booted off for mentioning that its an Enco. not sure if covers are available as they would be for other makes

enyaws said:

not sure if covers are available as they would be for other makes

Click to expand...

Cover material for the accordion/bellows and window shade type is all over the 'net these days. Not a show-stopper.

Plain interleaved plates, you know how to make - metal or polypropylene, even - faster than any order would arrive if even they were a stock item. Minor nuisance, also no show stopper.

The ones on my USMT "Quartet" may not be original, here. Hard to tell because so much of what USMT/Burke/Houdaille-Powermatic did looked sorta shade-tree + hardware-store parts-bin instead of "factory built" anyway! Bit of work with Copper or Rawhide sides of a Thor hammer, they are flat enough again.

As to the other, I lost track of Enco vs Emco a long time ago, but one of them was OK. Austrian, were they?

I leave it to you to sort out which!