WM FA Outrigger Question

[pnyberg]

I didn't want to hijack Jim Roger's thread about how to clean out the standard outriggers, so I've created a new one for my problem with one of my Fine Adjustment Outriggers.

The 2009 mill I bought was a demo model from Hannibal.  Several upgrades had been done to it, including the addition of 4 FAO's along the rail.  Of these, the one at the hitch and the one at the tail are unique.  The two in the center are a third style, but appear to be the same as each other.



These are spring loaded affairs.  To set one up, you step on the foot to force it down against the spring, throw the bail to engage the pins, then let the leg slide back up so that the pins will seat themselves in the first available set of holes.  Then crank down as desired.

Yesterday, when I released one of these FAO's from it's storage position, it just fell to the ground without my having to step on it.  And naturally, it wouldn't spring back up on it's own, I ended up having to bend over and lift it up to get the pins into a set of holes.  It's not the end of the world, but it's not the way it's supposed to work.

Today I took the faulty unit off to investigate. There seemed to be a part missing.  So I took the working unit off to compare.



That little piece of silvery metal in the middle of the square hole in the bottom of the leg is a keeper that attaches the bottom of the leg to the bottom of the spring so that when the leg is pushed down the spring expands.  You can see the eye on the bottom of the spring being held in there.  This piece is missing on the broken leg.



The spring pulling up on the middle is all that keeps this piece in place.  Obviously on the broken FAO that wasn't enough to do the job, and it fell out somewhere.

So, now to the problem.  I called Wood-Mizer parts this morning and described what I needed.  The parts guy knew exactly what I was talking about.  He said he used to work with this style of FAO on the factory floor.  (Apparently this style of FAO is no longer being used.)  But the part is not in the system.  He said he would do some investigation and get back to me, but so far no word. 

In the event that WM is unable to come up with a replacement for this little piece of metal, I'm looking for any ideas on how to go about restoring the full original functionality of my disabled FAO leg.

Thanks,
    Peter

[Larry]

Know a welder?  4" of 3/8" rod with a little kink in the center would do it, along with 5 minutes of time....make that 30 minutes as most like to gab. ;D

[Hilltop366]

Is there room to put a 1/4" hole just above where the spring holder use to be?

If so, perhaps you could drill a hole through both sides and put a 1/4" bolt with a self locking nut.

[DR Buck]

Is there room to put a 1/4" hole just above where the spring holder use to be?

If so, perhaps you could drill a hole through both sides and put a 1/4" bolt with a self locking nut.

Zactly what I wuz thinkin'    ;D

[pnyberg]

While I as scratching my head trying to figure out to the 1/4" bolt solution, another approach occurred to me that seemed simpler.



I took a piece of 3/8" steel rod I had hanging around in my workshop, sawed off a few inches.  I used a big file to put two flats on one side and a V groove in the center of the opposite side.  I installed it in the bottom of the FAO with the flats facing up and the groove facing down where it will catch the loop in the end of the spring. 



The replacement part has stayed in place for about 4 months now.  The second original spring keeper went missing yesterday, so I made another replacement in just a few minutes this morning.

The W shape of the original allowed the spring to go slack, the replacement piece keeps a bit of tension of the spring.

--Peter

[Magicman]

Peter, as you said, the new ones are completely different.  I just added three to my sawmill.  There is no spring in mine.  When I pull the pin out, it drops to the ground.  I then lift the foot up until the pin will go through the first available hole, then crank it down.  When disengaging, I crank it up and then pull the pin and lift the foot up and reinstall the pin.

[T Welsh]

pnyberg, Great fix,Need is the mother of invention! Tim

[Hilltop366]

Well there you go.... done.

The reason i suggested the drill a hole/locking nut idea was that the original part came out and I figured a bolt would not.

But a guess a free piece of rod would be no great loss if it does!

Happy milling!

[Bandmill Bandit]

Did you file a groove in the rod so the spring stays put as well? Might want to do the if you havent to make sure the spring stays centered. other wise looks pretty much like I would have done.

I suppose you could get fancy and do a bit of bending to make it into a W shape but I dont see the need to do that.

[pnyberg]

Yup, groove in the middle on the bottom to hold the loop in the end of the spring.

--Peter