Is your Advant Edge CNC Tool Dressing Machine getting a little dirty, not operating smoothly, or isn’t holding the too, holder quite right anymore? Learn, step by step, how to properly clean yours properly
Video Transcript:
So, you’ve had your AdvantEdge dressing machine for a little while now. It’s getting a little dirty and grimy. Maybe the tool holder isn’t going in and out of the spindle smoothly anymore, or perhaps it just won’t hold the tool holder quite right anymore. It’s probably time to pull this spindle apart, clean it, get it back together, and make it as good as new. I’m going to show you how to do this in this video. Check this out.
Alright, to pull this spindle apart and get the internal workings out, there really isn’t a whole lot to it. To start, it’d be best if you got your manual. Inside it, you should have a bill of materials to give you a better depiction of what you need. You’ll need a pair of pliers, a crescent wrench, and an Allen wrench.
The first thing we’re going to do is make sure the machine is powered off. Engage the emergency stop and ensure everything is removed out of the tool spindle. Now we’re ready to remove the belt cover.
Once the belt cover is removed, we can go in and actually remove all the internal workings out of the spindle. You do this by simply removing this nut right here. A word of advice: these can be difficult to remove sometimes. It might be really seized in there, or it’s just tough to get a good bite on it. Don’t be afraid to use a wrench or a pipe wrench to hold onto the front of the tool spindle to help yourself break this nut free. It is a right-hand nut, so once you get it broken free, it should screw out just like a normal nut or bolt would. Once you’re done, the whole assembly will come out.
Alright, so you’ve got the internal assembly out of the spindle. It’s time to clean it. First, we’re going to focus on these jaws. We’ll start by pulling the fingers right off; they just rock right out of the locator. Pull them aside; this is going to be really grimy and full of debris. We’ve got to get it all cleaned up and looking brand new. On here, you have an O-ring that ultimately holds the fingers open. Replace it; if you’ve got it apart, just put a new O-ring on it. Get it cleaned up and looking brand new, making sure it’s fresh.
Once you have that all apart, this part of the assembly cleaning is done. Now we can move to the spindle. Coming in from both sides of the spindle, you’ll want to scrub using some rags and degreaser, whatever you need to get in there and clean out. There’s a little counter bar in there where these jaws sit, and the top of this edge sits in that groove. You’ve got to get it clean. That’s the only way these fingers will open and clear out of the way. So get in there with what you need, clean it, scrub it, and get all the debris out.
Alright, so you’ve got everything cleaned up and you’re ready to start putting this back together. A word of advice: don’t use any type of wet lubricant like WD-40 or any type of oil lubricant. Start with a PTFE, some type of dry lubricant that you can spray on all these components inside the spindle and on your locators. Let it dry as they recommend. Once that’s done, you’re ready to start. Throw your new O-ring back over your locator and reset your fingers. It may be a little tedious; you might have to use a small screwdriver to help set these, but once they’re all in there, they hold themselves.
Now you’re ready to make sure they function correctly. They should spring down and come right back up with a nice smooth movement. You’re now ready to take this whole assembly and load it back into the spindle. Part of the reassembly is the same steps as disassembling, but there’s a bit of advice I have for you. These jaws need to be in a closed position to go back into the spindle. I recommend using a rubber band or a string to hold these jaws closed until you can fish it through and then cut and remove it.
Once the jaws are closed, throw it back into the spindle. Screw it back in, but don’t tighten it up yet. Use something sharp to cut the string or rubber band and remove it. Once you have it loosened, grab something to snake it out. Personally, I prefer string over rubber bands. Once you can reach and grab it out, you’re ready to tighten this up and test it out. Reverse your process, tighten up that nut as tight as you can, and let’s test it out to make sure those jaws are actuating the way they should be.
Now you can put the belt cover back on, and you’re good to go. Get it dirty again!
You now have the information you need to disassemble and reassemble the spindle on your dressing machine. Get out there, use it, and enjoy!