Monarch 10EE Cross Slide Fill Material

[sneebot]

The image below shows the Cross Slide nut channel. There is material packed into both sides of the channel-- what is this?

I assume this is just to keep foreign material out of the areas that were used to run the lube lines?

 

[Brandenberger]

Original was sulphur I believe?
Lots of discussion about removing it on the forum.

And potential replacements (I used body filler, Bondo-type) when rerunning copper lines.

 

[Brandenberger]

One other note: it isn’t necessarily only for keeping foreign material out… the lines don’t seal against their exit points well so I believe the sulphur also provides and important sealing function to make sure the lube gets to where it needs to go.

 

[sneebot]

I had searched but didn't find anything with my query terms-- Monarch and Sulfur brings up some hits- thanks.

 

[daryl bane]

Molten Sulfur it was. I used Silicone caulk as a replacement. Holding up just fine.

 

[sneebot]

Molten Sulfur it was. I used Silicone caulk as a replacement. Holding up just fine.

How much room is in there when you take out the Sulfur?

I'd like to run the cross slide DRO cable up (from bottom) into this space and out the back of the saddle to keep things clean.

 

[daryl bane]

Your milage may vary, but I don't think there is enough room to do this. But you never know till you get it out and the lines in.

 

[Brandenberger]

Seems to me on my 1962 EE there was enough room for 2 or maybe 3 of the 5/32” or 3/32” copper tube, reasonably carefully arranged. I don’t think there’s room unless you did some extra milling and I’m not sure how much meat you would want to lose?

You could consider whether milling off some of the of the nut profile would free up some more space in a corner of that area. But you’ll also both want to be able to replace the DRO cable and clean out chips and oil from that channel eventually,

 

[sneebot]

I may be able to get a 4mm cable on the reader head-- looking into that.
Not interested in modifying the nut, but I'd take a keyseat cutter to the side wall for a 4mm cable where required and dig out some of the sulfur for the bulk of the run.

I thought I might run it in the floor of the nut channel but going over the rear V the floor is only ~0.07" thick.