Hi:
I'm new to the group - please bear with me. =C2=A0I have a BP I bought =E2= =80=A8a while ago and need to remove a broken knee gib - sounds like a common =E2=80=A8event. I ended up cranking the knee to the bottom and ended up turning =E2=80=A8the jack screw low enough to cause the bevel gear to come off the jack screw. then =E2=80=A8tried pushing up the bottom of the gib wi= th a J bar (not a good idea). =E2=80=A8I've talked to lots of people about thi= s=2E One suggestion is to remove =E2=80=A8the head, ram, table, and saddle and l= ay the column on its back. Seems =E2=80=A8like it might work - I wouldn't have to fight against gravity wedging =E2=80=A8the gib any more than it's already gone! Another idea was to drill and =E2=80=A8tap the top of the gib, put a bolt through a plate on top of the knee =E2=80=A8and tighten the bolt, hopefully lifting the gib. Seems like I wouldn't =E2=80=A8be able to get a decent sized thread in it, though.
Any comments would be welcome. Also, anyone have ideas of the weights =E2=80=A8of the parts (head, ram, table, knee, column; I might be putting this =E2=80=A8beast in my basement through a small (half door) vertical opening =C2=A04 =E2=80=A8feet up from basement floor and no tree outside to= tie off to. Rock and =E2=80=A8rubble foundation, etc..