Improved rubber flap for knee mills

[slow-poke]

When I purchased my very used 8x30 knee mill, the rubber flap that protects the ways was missing. I tried the PA toolbox liner as some have suggested and found it was to bulky and inflexible especially when the table was up and towards the column. I have had good success with thin silicone mat on my lathe, so I purchased similar for the mill and it's definitely much better. Link to Amazon below. First image is all the way up and back. I imagine a full size bridgeport might need a longer piece, I did fine larger offerings at Amazon for $3-4 more. The one in the link is plenty big for a 8x30"

Amazon.ca

 

[Jswain]

Looks great!

 

[jorogi]

I used pond liner.

 

[PeterT]

I tried some on my lathe but eventually removed it. Maybe it was not real silicone but I've heard it can swell & degrade with certain oils & cutting fluids. As long as it does the job for a good amount of time, mission accomplished. Depending on the durometer, you might also find that swarf embeds in it. Other flexible materials might hold up better but some are stiff & curl in weird ways.

 

[DPittman]

I tried some on my lathe but eventually removed it. Maybe it was not real silicone but I've heard it can swell & degrade with certain oils & cutting fluids. As long as it does the job for a good amount of time, mission accomplished. Depending on the durometer, you might also find that swarf embeds in it. Other flexible materials might hold up better but some are stiff & curl in weird ways.

I used a silicone baking sheet on my lathe but the oil made it swell/curl and get a bit goopy. I did have it on for quite a while however.

 

[MrWhoopee]

Here's the stuff I used. Neither hot chips nor oil have affected it. Not nearly as flexible as that silicone, but very durable.

McMaster-Carr

McMaster-Carr is the complete source for your plant with over 595,000 products. 98% of products ordered ship from stock and deliver same or next day.

www.mcmaster.com

 

[Mcgyver]

Most won't stand up to oils, but seek out neoprene rubber, that's the stuff that stands up to the oil. I bought a piece from Mcmaster, do a search there, they have black in various thickness as well as the one Mr Whoopee linked to.

 

[PeterT]

Yes, Neoprene is very oil resilient & comes in different thicknesses which might help with folding issues. I bought (well, was donated) an offcut from a distributor in Calgary but I think its generally available in most cities. Its used a lot around here for big gaskets, many in harsh environments.

Neoprene

Neoprene is a homopolymer of chlorprene, that is flame resistant and will not support combustion. Neoprene is most commonly used in applications where a combination of either heat, ozone, and oil resistances are required. Norwesco stocks nearly a dozen different grades and finishes of Neoprene...

www.norwesco.ab.ca