I am cleaning up this mill and re-commissioning it with CNC (so far got steppers rotating on the floor).
Currently the knee gib is out and I am trying to clean the various knee mating surfaces.

There are two typical hand-operated gib clamps on the LHS of the knee ways.

The clamps are M10 thread with the typical 'pull-to-reposition' handles.
When the clamp is removed from the knee, left in the hole is a plunger pushed by the screw to apply the force to the gib.
The gib has no machined recesses to accept the end of the plunger.
So the plunger probably has an angled head to match the dovetail angle.

How can I get the plunger out ?
Once out, how does one re-position with the angles matching ?

Tried applying a flexible soft tube and mouth sucking without any joy.
Ran some compressed air through the now vacant gib gap, and simply moved the plunger further into the gap !
Coaxed it back with a 300 mm rule from the bottom.

My next attempt will be a small magnet on a stick, which may not work if the item is non-magnetic.
And I have an industrial vacuum pump (that needs some minor work to get going).

I can see the top plunger down the hole.
It has no tapped hole, has a bright finish and no sign of bruising from the M10 screw.

Any suggestions ?
John


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