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WTB K.O. Lee 618 Bevel Gear

hahnpv

Plastic
Joined
Aug 18, 2019
Hi Folks,

I have a K.O. Lee 618 surface grinder with a broken bevel gear. Unfortunately I don't have the part that broke off so I can't attempt a repair. This is the bevel gear that drives the leadscrew which raises and lowers the surface grinder head. The pictures below show an intact gear which I pulled off the Internet. If you think you have the right part please let me know and we'll double check dimensions. Thank you,

philip

kobevel1.jpg

kobevel2.jpg
 
If it turns out to be unobtainium, such things can be made - especially for such low speed applications

A tooth count and accurate OD mic check can be used to establish Diametral Pitch -or "DP"

Additionally, a tooth count on mating pinion would enable calculation of the pitch cone angle

I was given a box of bevel gear cutters by a forum member - maybe the right cutter is in there - be happy to look

103 year old info chapter in here

A treatise on milling and milling machines .. : Cincinnati Milling Machine Company : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive
 
If it turns out to be unobtainium, such things can be made - especially for such low speed applications

A tooth count and accurate OD mic check can be used to establish Diametral Pitch -or "DP"

Additionally, a tooth count on mating pinion would enable calculation of the pitch cone angle

I was given a box of bevel gear cutters by a forum member - maybe the right cutter is in there - be happy to look

103 year old info chapter in here

A treatise on milling and milling machines .. : Cincinnati Milling Machine Company : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Thanks. I am definitely considering making the part if I can't come across one. The pinion is intact and probably 45 of the 60 teeth on the bevel are as well, the gear cracked when a previous owner dropped it while in transit.

thank you,
philip
 
If I am not mistaken, K.O. Lee. machines is now owned by Leblond and is well supported for spares. Try them.

I had no idea. I just submitted a replacement part request online, I'll update the thread with what I hear. Thanks!

philip
 
Hang on to your wallet! And be sitting down when you get that price.:eek:

There's a very good chance those bevel gears can be matched up to ones purchased from Boston Gear or maybe Martian Gear. My KO Lee T & C grinder has that same gear arrangement on the elevation mechanism. I have not have mine apart since I bought the grinder and I know it will need some TLC in the future. Right now, I refuse to take it apart to get information off that gear. Maybe one of the forum members will come forward with help on it. Ken

Edit: Oh, if the stock gears will not work with the old gear, replace both and modify to work for you.
 
Hang on to your wallet! And be sitting down when you get that price.:eek:

There's a very good chance those bevel gears can be matched up to ones purchased from Boston Gear or maybe Martian Gear. My KO Lee T & C grinder has that same gear arrangement on the elevation mechanism. I have not have mine apart since I bought the grinder and I know it will need some TLC in the future. Right now, I refuse to take it apart to get information off that gear. Maybe one of the forum members will come forward with help on it. Ken

Edit: Oh, if the stock gears will not work with the old gear, replace both and modify to work for you.

I assume you know about Leblond's pricing because of personal experience? I am actually impressed by the way Leblond manages itself. I really like their new lathes. If the required gear is on the shelf, I'm pretty sure the price will be reasonable. If however, it has to be made as a one off part, it will be expensive. The latter strategy is what Monarch uses for L&S spares. So I am curious on Leblond;s response and pricing to the OP's request. To the OP, please tell the forum on the answer you receive.
 
$405, in stock. About an order of magnitude over my price limit :)

philip

Rule 1 when dealing with old machine tools IF the needed part is available ,be happy pay up.
Rule 2 either make/repair or do without [rule also applies when the part is not available]
I recently replaced the master cylinder for speed control on my Clausing 5914 $450 !! After trying to repair original cylinder several times with little success was very happy to get one.
PS My guess yesterday it was going to be at least $300 and up.
 
Rule 1 when dealing with old machine tools IF the needed part is available ,be happy pay up.
Rule 2 either make/repair or do without [rule also applies when the part is not available]
I recently replaced the master cylinder for speed control on my Clausing 5914 $450 !! After trying to repair original cylinder several times with little success was very happy to get one.
PS My guess yesterday it was going to be at least $300 and up.

I get your point, but I don't need the machine restored to stock - it would be nice, which is why I am asking - and my needs are really wants since I play with machine tools in my garage for fun on the weekends. I paid scrap for the machine as it was tipped over during transit, cracking the gear and the gear mount casting. The leadscrew was stripped out from use.

Right now I have a replacement leadscrew I'm driving with a long armed ratchet. It works fine for now, and with a dial indicator I'm able to hit the precision I need. I'd love to restore it on a budget, but if I can't, I'm likely going to drive it directly with a stepper motor, 10 TPI thread and 200 steps/rev is 0.0005" per step without microstepping. A little control panel with up/down buttons and a rotary switch for a multiplier much like a CNC pendant.

philip
 
As I said earlier, match the two gears up to a set from Boston Gear or Martian, Or one of the other gear manufactures out there. You will still have to modify things to get everything to fir. Might put you out $200 at most.
Doing the stepper motor route, is going to be costly, too. AND down the road, the stepping motor will get cruded up with grinding grit and crap out on you. Just saying.

How about posting basic dimensions and spacing, doesn't need to be exact, ball park good enough, and I'll be glad to do some searching and see what I can come up with.
Ken
 
As I said earlier, match the two gears up to a set from Boston Gear or Martian, Or one of the other gear manufactures out there. You will still have to modify things to get everything to fir. Might put you out $200 at most.
Doing the stepper motor route, is going to be costly, too. AND down the road, the stepping motor will get cruded up with grinding grit and crap out on you. Just saying.

How about posting basic dimensions and spacing, doesn't need to be exact, ball park good enough, and I'll be glad to do some searching and see what I can come up with.
Ken

This here is good advice ^^^

If you have access to a lathe, you can always graft a new set of teeth on to the old hub. Been done before, can be done again.

But you pretty much need to sit down and figure the DP and angle of the teeth to pick the correct gear.
 
Doing the stepper motor route, is going to be costly, too. AND down the road, the stepping motor will get cruded up with grinding grit and crap out on you. Just saying.
I get it, but I have good NEMA steppers and drivers sitting on the shelf at home, leftovers from various projects. It is essentially a free stopgap solution (no longer needed - see above).

I suspect you will have to change your price limit. You will not be able to make one yourself for less, even at $5 an hour.

Lucky me, I bill $0 an hour on Saturday mornings.

Even better yet, I found the exact gear parted out on eBay for $50.

philip
 
Even better yet, I found the exact gear parted out on eBay for $50.

philip[/QUOTE]

You better go buy a lottery ticket or 2 !! Good for you ,amazing what pops up on eBay.
 
You better go buy a lottery ticket or 2 !! Good for you ,amazing what pops up on eBay.

More patience than luck. I've had the surface grinder almost a year now looking for that part, search every now and then, didn't think to post here until the most recent round of searching.

philip
 
For completeness, the gear installed along with the casting I brazed yesterday... first time brazing, I practiced on some scrap then fixed this and the top lever on my South Bend lathe. Machine is back to fully functional.

grinderdrivezoom.jpg

grindercomplete.jpg
 








 
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