[cyclestart]

For years I've accepted that the x-axis gib needed frequent adjustment. Taking things apart today shows the gib is making contact only along a single line and has reached the point that the gib now has a gouge along it's complete length. It's also bowed. My thought is to flip the gib so the gouged side will now be the 'set screw side'. New set screw divots will be milled into the gib at an angle so the screw flats have perpendicular contact with the gib. Trying to make the gib flat will also be part of the fun.

Has anyone had this problem and discovered another solution ? Preferably somethng that doesn't involve re-cutting the dovetails or heavy scraping.

[metalmayhem]

has the time between adjustments remained the same or have they become less frequent over time . I'm just thinking if it's taken this amount of time to seat itself as it is , then you very well may start your troubles all over again if you flip the gib

where is the wear , is it at the top ?

[cncuser1]

I found that my gibs had 3 problems that needed correcting:
1- The gibs were too thin which means they tilted in the gaps, they had uneven contact. So I soft soldered some mild steel to the side of the gib that contacted the setscrews. After adding the extra material I had maximun .010" gaps between the gibs and ways.
2- The set screws needed flats in the gibs, not holes with cone shapes. Improper contact between setscrews and gibs tended to tilt the gibs. . The flats in the gibs had to be machined in line with the axis of the screw. The setscrews need to be flat bottom, not pointed.
3 - The gibs were too wide. In your sketch the gibs move relative to the the Table, with contact along the face with a red arrow. I made sure the gibs did not contact the table on the face that is just below the letter E in your sketch.

I am now scraping the ways of my X2.

[dazp1976]

Mine had a gouge along it's edge too.
My assumption was it needed to be raised a little as it was put in. such as lifted up with a small screwdriver as it was tightened.
My gouge looked like it was down to it being set in such a way that it was lower than the table dovetail.

I bought a new gib for it.

[cyclestart]

where is the wear , is it at the top ?

It's at the point labelled 'CONTACT', the length of the gib.

The setscrews need to be flat bottom, not pointed.

The set screws are flat, no point.

In your sketch the gibs move relative to the the Table, with contact along the face with a red arrow. I made sure the gibs did not contact the table on the face that is just below the letter E in your sketch.

It's just a rough sketch. I'm not sure if the short sides of the gib contact the table or the saddle or neither. I'll check for a tell-tale wear mark on the table. It makes sense that the gib should rest on the stationary piece (the saddle).

I am now scraping the ways of my X2.

Me too someday. Right now I lack the tools to do a proper job.

I bought a new gib for it.

Going that route as well. At $5/pc trying to straighten this thing isn't making economic sense.

I've done a test on this junk gib and the idea shows some promise. Lacking Engineers Blue some lipstick was pilfered from the wife's bathroom. Please don't judge me, she'll do that soon enough. The first picture shows the situation as it was, a poor photo but the pen points to the line of contact. The second picture is after flipping the gib and milling the new divots. The area of contact looks much better. The factory divots can be seen, they just spot drilled. The third picture was found by google search, similar to to what I did but with an extra divot in the centre.

[cncuser1]

What flat surface are you rubbing your inked gib against. Don't use a belt sander, please.

If you don't have a surface plate use the top surface of the table on the X2 mill. Touch the table with a file to remove burrs. Lightly rub the gib against the table to find the high spots. If you can't scrape the gib then use a small, smooth file on the high spots only. If it were me, in a pinch, I'd prefer a black or blue felt tip marker to lipstick. A tube of prussian Blue oil paint can be easily had at an artist supply store. For quick jobbies it works great, no need for the full-on scraping supplies.

[cyclestart]

What flat surface are you rubbing your inked gib against. Don't use a belt sander, please.

The belt sander has good lighting, the only reason the gib sits there. Looks like it's time to clean up saw dust.
The gib was put in it's installed position and rubbing was done by moving the table back and forth in the usual way.
I already knew the gib was bowed and that's not what I was checking.

I'd prefer a black or blue felt tip marker to lipstick. A tube of prussian Blue oil paint can be easily had at an artist supply store. For quick jobbies it works great, no need for the full-on scraping supplies.

I've always thought of felt marker as a substitute for layout dye but not a replacement for engineers blue (hi-spot finder). Then again it probably would have worked. Artist's oil paint sounds like a reasonable alternative. I'll probably get the real thing as where I live everything more than bread and milk needs to be ordered by mail anyway.

Thanks for the scraping tips as there's no guarantee the new gibs will be much flatter than the present one.

[cncuser1]

Prussian Blue ( that's the colour) oil paint is what was used for ages before the water based paints started being used. I use felt tips to debug sensitive mechanisms because it is fast drying and my work doesn't use lubricants. I only suggested felt tips as a quick and dirty solution, The other stuff is what you want to fit the gib.