How to refit spring in cross feed handle?

[PaulR]

I decided to dismantle the handle/scale from the cross slide on my Sieg mini-lathe as it was starting to feel a bit 'scratchy'. Taking off the 'inboard' scale a small curved spring designed to keep the scale in unison with the mechanism popped out. 'Easy' I thought when I came to reassemble it, 'just press it down with screwdriver'. After struggling with it for 10 minutes and taking the skin off two knuckles when the screwdriver slipped off I took out the manual. The manual has a top tip... 'press the spring down with a screwdriver or similar'!!!

Can anyone suggest a better way to refit the parts? Sorry I don't have a photo to hand but the spring is less than semi-circular and perhaps 1/4" wide. The gap is too narrow to get at the spring even with snipe nose pliers.

[crueby]

Sounds like an e clip or similar? 


https://www.designworldonline.com/what-is-an-e-clip/

[PaulR]

Sounds like an e clip or similar? 


https://www.designworldonline.com/what-is-an-e-clip/

I thought those were called circlips? Anyway, it's not one of those, it's just a thin band of spring steel formed into an arc which sits in a recess on the er.. shaft thingy!

[redhouseluv]

You need circlip pliers ......  makes putting them on/off a lot easier!

[PaulR]

Bad drawing alert, it's a bit like the red part here which has to be pressed down to fit within the outer circle.

[redhouseluv]

Sorry NOT a circlip

[PaulR]

You need circlip pliers ......  makes putting them on/off a lot easier!

Cheers Sanjay but it's not a circlip, just a curved band of spring steel.

[PaulR]

I suppose I need something like a screwdriver with a curve cut into the blade.... maybe I can make a little tool, daresay I'll need it again.

[redhouseluv]

Is it an Sc3? Arc have an exploded diagram, but I can't see the spring washer thing?? https://www.arceurotrade.co.uk/machineparts/Super-C3-Parts-Diagram-and-List-2012.pdf

[Charles Lamont]

My ancient Beaver Model A milling machine has those things to provide the friction for the dials. I have had to replace some and they are not easy to get right. In my case fitting is helped by there being a groove on the inner part for the spring to sit in, but it is still difficult to assemble. If I remember rightly, one thing is to make sure the diameter the spring tips sit on is smooth and the tips of the spring are smooth and rounded so that they cannot dig in and jam. 

[PaulR]

Is it an Sc3? Arc have an exploded diagram, but I can't see the spring washer thing?? https://www.arceurotrade.co.uk/machineparts/Super-C3-Parts-Diagram-and-List-2012.pdf

Mine's the baby SC2 but SC3 has the same part, no. 45 on the diagram. It doesn't look like a spring so I'm not surprised you missed it!

[PaulR]

My ancient Beaver Model A milling machine has those things to provide the friction for the dials. I have had to replace some and they are not easy to get right. In my case fitting is helped by there being a groove on the inner part for the spring to sit in, but it is still difficult to assemble. If I remember rightly, one thing is to make sure the diameter the spring tips sit on is smooth and the tips of the spring are smooth and rounded so that they cannot dig in and jam.

Good suggestions - thanks, I'll have another go this morning.

[PaulR]

My ancient Beaver Model A milling machine has those things to provide the friction for the dials. I have had to replace some and they are not easy to get right. In my case fitting is helped by there being a groove on the inner part for the spring to sit in, but it is still difficult to assemble. If I remember rightly, one thing is to make sure the diameter the spring tips sit on is smooth and the tips of the spring are smooth and rounded so that they cannot dig in and jam.

Good suggestions - thanks, I'll have another go this morning.

This seemed to be the issue - the ends of the spring were very sharp and there were marks on the shaft where they'd been pressing. After a bit of filing it went back on easily so I did the other feed handle too while I was at it. Thanks Charles!

[redhouseluv]

Glad you got it sorted - when I had mine I did several of the mods which are suggested on mutiple websites - I kinda regret getting rid of it, but space and money .......