Re: Rong-Fu RF-45

Thanks Dan, your discription does help a lot. The discussion of the
driver thimble sounds a lot like the drawings from Roland's articles
on mill/drill conversion a few years ago, are those the plans you
mean or has he released some for the RF-45 series he's working on?
I have the Projects Seven book which includes those articles, but I
don't know if it is as complete as the actual magazine articles. One
of the drawings shows a thrust bushing but I can't figure out where
the heck it goes, unless it's into the orginal end plate which isn't
shown.
Terry

> I am using the original ball thrust bearings that came with the

machine on the

> right side of the table. On the left side, I bored it out and

pressed in a

> bronze bushing. In my parts box are a couple sets of Timken roller

bearings

> that I have been planning on putting in to replace these. To

adjust preload,

> there is a 1/4"-20 socket head cap screw with a driver thimble in

the end of a

> piece of tubing that the timing pulley is attached to. The timing

pulley has

> two set screws in it. One is tightened onto the tube and the other

goes through

> a slot milled in the tube and rests on a flat spot milled into the

ballscrew.

> Adjusting is done by slightly loosening the set screw that is on

the ballscrew

> and then tightening the 1/4"-20 cap screw. Roland has plans for

this that you

> can get from Cardinal Engineering. I don't know if I can describe

how much to

> set it for- I just tighten a little, then run the machine, and

measure.

> Sorry for the poor description, but I think Roland's plans from

Home Shop

> Machinist are the best thing to check out.
>
> Dan