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What is involved to install a flip head on an older FP2NC?

rimcanyon

Diamond
Joined
Sep 28, 2002
Location
Salinas, CA USA
I am considering buying a later FP2NC with a flip head and D4. My FP2NC has D2 and the older style vertical head. The flip head and D4 are both features I have long wanted. My machine has less wear than the flip head machine. Is it feasible to transfer the flip head and horizontal slide from the newer machine to my machine?
 
Dave:
If you are talking about fitting the entire "Y" slide assembly, think the answer is "perhaps" Not seen this done, but might be possible.
Think the general dimensions of the dovetails that the slide rides on are the same within manufacturing allowances.
Think the limit stops and all are the same. Depending on machine, believe the travels may be somewhat longer on the "Flip" "Y" over the 3150 camel back slide machine, so retaining the "Flip" ball screw would be in order.
The vertical head lube setup is different and would need to be carried over from the parts machine.

There might be additional things to consider....The earlier machine likely has softer vertical ways (that has been my experience)
My 3150 RPM FP4NC has vertical ways soft enough to be hand scraped with relative ease...
My home "Flip" FP3NC has vertical ways so hard that my carbide tipped scraper either hand or power would not touch it...left scratches but never moved any metal...
Net result is that i think the later machines are better at avoiding the nagging vertical way gauling that can infect these FP-NC machines....
Further on my FP3NC the factory scraping was much more aggressive on the moving vertical slide than it was on my FP4NC..My belief is that the factory was aware of the gauling issue and was taking steps to reduce its occurrence.

Almost forgot...you will have to adapt the electrical cable conduit for the smaller size used on your earlier machine....The conduit mount on the later slide will be for a larger OD conduit....

Cheers Ross
 
Thank you Ross. I am encouraged to go forward with the project. The later machine has the galling, and my machine does not.

Rich, thanks for the dimensions. Will check and report back.
 








 
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