Fairbanks Morse Model 45- rebuild

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windybob
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Joined: Mon Jan 14, 2019 5:59 pm
Location: Ames Oklahoma

Re: Fairbanks Morse Model 45- rebuild

Post by windybob »

I was pricing bead rollers yesterday. They don't look very difficult , to make a simple one. I want to get a set of 1/2 in bead dies, but the difference in price between the 1/2 in, and a 3/8 in was remarkable. I ordered the 3/8 set. Looks like I will be making a bead roller, so I can put a groove towards the end of some sails.
Call Dan Benjamin for parts. P M me for the phone number.
FlJet
Posts: 130
Joined: Tue Aug 04, 2020 3:41 pm
Location: North Central Florida

Re: Fairbanks Morse Model 45- rebuild

Post by FlJet »

Windy, If I was going to be doing any more than the one of these, I'd be buying one myself. But I just won't ever use it after this project. And my sails are in decent shape so I shouldn't need to work on them.
FlJet
Posts: 130
Joined: Tue Aug 04, 2020 3:41 pm
Location: North Central Florida

Re: Fairbanks Morse Model 45- rebuild

Post by FlJet »

Well my goal was to get this mill finished and up on my tower by the end of 2020. Didn't happen. The end of my year was...interesting. Most of that seems mostly behind me and/or it's not a surprise any longer so I'm getting a little chance to make some progress again.

New Tail Metal-
I took my new tail metal, screwed it to the living room wall, and through a little trail and error got my tail lettering projected onto it. I'm not sure if my "original" tail was original or not. My new tail is the same size and shape as my old one +/- half and inch. But the image I have is a little different proportion to my new metal. Of course, the image I have is a scan of a copy of a manual from 1952 at least. Maybe the image was skewed somewhere along the way. This picture is the image projected on the new metal, I've not actually painted anything yet. I was trying to use masking tape to tape off the letters and avoid making a template. But then I realized that the gap between "FAIRBANKS" and "MORSE" wasn't uniform. More gap between the AI and M than there was between the KS and E. Plus I'd have to tape this side off, and then flip my tin on the wall and do this all over again. So I took this down and stuck a big piece of paper on the wall instead. 5 minutes with a pencil and a ruler and I was able to transfer everything and make the gap uniform. I still need to cut out my lettering and maybe reinforce the paper in a few of the more narrow sections, but for a tail or two, it will work just fine. If anyone wants this when I'm done let me know and I'd be happy to mail it to you.

New Brake Shoe-
Found some brake shoes for the correct ID hub. The guy at the auto parts place in town gave me a really funny look while I was waiting in line holding the windmill hub and shaft. He had to help a couple of people in front of me before he got to ask just what exactly I had. Ended up with a box of 4 shoes for about $20. Had to cut and weld a couple of extensions on each end to get it to bolt up and hook to the brake lever (part 5). I was trying to copy part #11, without having an old part #11 to copy. Windy sent me a photo of one off of his 6-footer he tore apart, and I had this parts list to work from. I still need to figure out a spring of some sort to keep the shoe from dragging on the inside of the hub, but I'm not unhappy with the results. Though I guess I should hold my judgement until I get this thing installed and it's spinning in the wind.


Up next-
Two springs- the one for the brake shoe, and my main shaft oiler spring. Past that I'm not lacking any parts. I just need to find the time to blast and paint, do my final assembly, and schedule the boom truck out. Seems so simple when I type it out.
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windybob
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Joined: Mon Jan 14, 2019 5:59 pm
Location: Ames Oklahoma

Re: Fairbanks Morse Model 45- rebuild

Post by windybob »

Glad you're making progress. I know how life gets in the way a lot.
Call Dan Benjamin for parts. P M me for the phone number.
FlJet
Posts: 130
Joined: Tue Aug 04, 2020 3:41 pm
Location: North Central Florida

Re: Fairbanks Morse Model 45- rebuild

Post by FlJet »

Two months gone this year and I'm just getting the chance to touch this thing again. It's been driving me crazy. Finally had some good weather, and a free Saturday. Broke out the little hand-held sandblaster and started cleaning parts. Out in the sunlight, I finally found just the smallest evidence of the original green...on one of the connecting rods. Were the internals painted originally? Or is my only surviving paint some overspray that was probably not properly prepped, and then spent it's life in oil? Regardless, it seems to match the green that Windy found under one of his bolt heads, and the green I found on a couple of Woodmanse mills online. The green I picked out might be a tad darker, I'll need to get a little sprayed and see.

So far I only managed to get the internals blasted down to clean metal and then wet them down with WD-40 to keep the rust off of them while I finish everything else. I hate doing that because it just attracts dust, but the Florida humidity will sprout a rust bloom on that clean steel overnight so it seemed the best option at the time.

Family is in town this weekend so I'm not getting anything done this week. But the boss told me I had to have it finished and installed before May 17th so I better carve some time out here soon. (the boss being my wife, and May 17th being her due date).
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windybob
Posts: 3503
Joined: Mon Jan 14, 2019 5:59 pm
Location: Ames Oklahoma

Re: Fairbanks Morse Model 45- rebuild

Post by windybob »

Krylon Hunter Green is pretty close also.
Call Dan Benjamin for parts. P M me for the phone number.
FlJet
Posts: 130
Joined: Tue Aug 04, 2020 3:41 pm
Location: North Central Florida

Re: Fairbanks Morse Model 45- rebuild

Post by FlJet »

Slow and...intermittent? I'm not going to win any race, but I'm going to finish. Just had the chance to put my hands on this mill again this weekend. Got a few more pieces painted and found some original stenciled letters as I was prepping everything. 8FT Model 45 (which I knew), but then "R.C WHITENER" "WILLISTON" "CAR". Williston is a small town about 30 mins from me, and it's where I bought this mill ~10 years ago, though it had been moved at least once before I purchased it. Doing a quick search, Mr. R.C. Whitener was a Williston resident until his passing in 2006. Not sure if he was the purchaser, or the re-seller. But the last part has me stumped. "CAR" Assuming I'm seeing that right. Any ideas?
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FlJet
Posts: 130
Joined: Tue Aug 04, 2020 3:41 pm
Location: North Central Florida

Re: Fairbanks Morse Model 45- rebuild

Post by FlJet »

I also spent some time prepping the new tail metal for it's lettering. In an effort to help the new paint stick, I hit my stenciled letters with the Dremel. This looks way cooler in the photo than it does in real life. If it looked this good, I'd be really tempted to outline the letters and clear-coat it. Going with black letters as I believe that was what it came with originally.
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FlJet
Posts: 130
Joined: Tue Aug 04, 2020 3:41 pm
Location: North Central Florida

Re: Fairbanks Morse Model 45- rebuild

Post by FlJet »

Well I finally pulled the front bearing. I just didn't like the fact that it looked like a machined piece of steel. Which it is. Best I can tell this mill came with a roller bearing originally. I'd be happy with a roller bearing, a bronze bushing, or babbitt. But I just can't leave this steel bushing in there. Plus they machined it LONG and it's got me in a little bit of a bind with my shaft. I could cut it to the 2-1/2" it's supposed to be, but I'd still be running steel on steel and I hate that thought. Hunting for a roller bearing but having a tough time finding one for a 1-1/8" shaft and 2-3/16" housing. Having a bronze bearing machined to fit may be the easier route. Any other suggestions?
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windybob
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Joined: Mon Jan 14, 2019 5:59 pm
Location: Ames Oklahoma

Re: Fairbanks Morse Model 45- rebuild

Post by windybob »

Yes those came with Hyatt bearings, or at least mine did. They were rusted so tight, I had to destroy the shafts and bearings to get things apart. I went to McMaster Carr and bought 2 sleeve brass bearings to re-assemble everything. The mainshaft had a different size than the crank gears, but they had both sizes. 1 1/8 shaft would be standard, but you might need to buy an oversized one and have turned.
Call Dan Benjamin for parts. P M me for the phone number.
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