Shaft Treatment

Yes it has been unbearably cold! So I got done litte with working on the cold cast iron. But there are some new pictures of what I have been concentrating on lately: Polishing shafts. Here are the throw off linkage shafts.

And here is the flywheel shaft after the sequenced emery cloth treatment.

And the back shaft with the side arm still to be done.

And this is what the rear of the press looks like right now. On some of the parts I noticed the old ink remaining here and there seeping through the paint. So I will have to go for another coat.

And this has me considering changing the banner picture for my blog!

Oh and I was able to pull out the key holding in the pinion for the main gear that I talked about in the last posting. Seems every time I even think about leaving something and then get at it I discover more. This time it was that the key was not the right width, but was too high and had been filed to a taper - and then was driven in only one third of the way! Good thing I got it out, now I have a new propper size gib key on order.

Gear Misalignment?

Is this a problem I'm asking anyone who has an opinion - don't hold back.

The main gear and the drive pinion are out of alignment by about 1/4 inch (on the left side). By the corrosion on the main shaft it looks like the pinion did at one time sit about 1/4 inch to the left, which would bring all of the gear-teeth surfaces into full contact. Is that something I should correct? Looks to me like the pinion is shrunk onto the shaft as I don't see any pin or screw holding it.

Main Gear Camwheel Cleanup

I just about overdosed on gasoline vapours. Right now it is -22 degrees F out there, and it is fairly cool in the garage. I removed the right side arm and the large gear cover, and proceded to clean off the grease and junk off the main gear and it's pinion.

That took a lot of gasoline and a lot of rubbing with a terry-cloth rag. But the gear and the pinion are nice and clean now. And then I looked over every tooth, and aside for a little piece of metal that was embedded in the root between a couple of the large gear teeth, everything looks good. The pinion is not aligned very well with the main gear (it's out be about 1/4 inch), and I am wondering if the pinion is deliberately moved towards the press frame to keep the shaft positioned in place. But there is hardly any wear on the gears.