Stretched the tailstok ram
 

The ram wouldn't retract more than about halfway.

I took it all apart, looked for debris saw essentially none but cleaned
anyway, stoned the edges of the keyway, it still started to stick about
halfway.

I was sure I hadn't bent it or anything...

The chuck taper was still in the ram, good and tight; popped that out and
no stick.

Last drilling job was pushing a Forstner bit through plastic pipe to
make it a little bit bigger ID. I guess it got hot, the ram grew, the
taper went in more.

Stretched the tailstok ram
 

"xpzzzz" wrote in message ...
The ram wouldn't retract more than about halfway.

I took it all apart, looked for debris saw essentially none but cleaned
anyway, stoned the edges of the keyway, it still started to stick about
halfway.

I was sure I hadn't bent it or anything...

The chuck taper was still in the ram, good and tight; popped that out and
no stick.

Last drilling job was pushing a Forstner bit through plastic pipe to
make it a little bit bigger ID. I guess it got hot, the ram grew, the
taper went in more.

Look for galling along the quill OD where the lock mechanism comes into contact with it and stone again.....install and test fit...any raised areas will present as shiny in appearance rather than dull...repeat if needed.

Stretched the tailstok ram
 

xpzzzz wrote:

Last drilling job was pushing a Forstner bit through plastic pipe to
make it a little bit bigger ID. I guess it got hot, the ram grew,

'Makes no sense. How would the ram get that hot from a chucked-up bit on
the end of an arbor?

I had a similar problem that got worse and worse on my ShopFox 14x40.

It turns out, they must've bored the ram bore in the cheeze-metal casting
before they did the other machining, or maybe before the casting aged
enough to stop changing shape. Hell, they might even have bored with a
dull tool, and gotten the work too hot.

But in any case, the bore wasn't straight, and the ram was. I carefully
reamed it about 1/2 a tenth, and it moves OK now, and tracks -- eh... OK.

I'll probably sleeve it at some point, if the walk in the tip (while
extended) becomes an annoyance.

LLoyd