Thread: Lead Screw Bellows

Have a talk to some auto upholsterers. I've seen them stitch up concertina boots like that - you might be able to get a leather one for less than that.

Michael

Might be a long shot Greg but Franz Singer might have something adaptable. Unfortunately Singer's prices are stiff .

X - Balg für Deckel FP1 Fräsmaschine | eBay

A search for balg or bälge on German Ebay may uncover other alternatives.

BT

hi

You need to find a industrial sewing machine with a walking foot , or somebody who owns one .

If you can, use the old original bellows as a pattern . Lay it out flat on pattern paper or something and draw around it . You can then take it to somebody to sew it up

Leather isn't cheap these days . But you may get lucky and find a large enough off cut somewhere . Cheaper material alternatives are around . Mike

Possibly try: Bellows | Roll Up Covers | Way Wipers | Telescopic Covers | Gortite | A&A Family |

They make bellows for all kinds of applications, and I think they sell the material too.

FWIW...my Deckel FP1 is from the era before bellows. Deckel experts claim that the early machines like mine show much less leadscrew wear than the later machines because swarf still gets in behind the bellows on the later models and is left to do its worse unseen for years. The open machines on the other hand get brushed clean frequently.

What model Thiel? I think I read somewhere that there are still parts for the 159 and maybe 158 in Germany.

Greg

Hi,
I have been looking for oilers and found this site Machine Bellows - Arc Euro Trade. They are a lot cheaper than $270

Ewan

Thanks for the replies fellas,
I have seen the stiched ones Michael and they were going to be my next try, there is a place here in Melbourne that makes them I just have to check their pricing.
They don't need to be leather but having seen the rubber type ones on the mills at TAFE I'm not a fan of them.
I have seen Franz Singers ones Bob but he only ever seems to have the Deckel curtain type which are different to those used on the Thiel.
The ones I'm after are circular and fully enclose the leadscrew (see pics)
The Gortite site looks like a possibility Greg and I know what you mean by not having the bellows at all which I have considered.
However the bellows design on the Thiel (it's a 158 by the way) makes it near impossible for swarf to enter unless there is a tear.
One of my bellows was torn a bit but even then there was very little swarf inside and what was remained trapped in the concertinas well away from the lead screw itself.
I am more concerned with keeping out dust as I do a fair bit of welding and cleaning old rusty parts on a wire wheel in my shed and these particles seem to get deposited everywhere.
I can easily check and wipe the ways but it is a lot more dificult to do this on the lead screw .
If you do come across a source of Thiel spares Greg I would be most interested.
The Arc Euro site only seems to have the curtain type too but I might send through a query and see if they have other options thanks Ewan.
Thanks again for all the input and I will keep you posted on how things work out.
Cheers,
Greg.

Good luck in your hunt for a suitable round bellows.
I too am on the look out for a few round bellows dust excluders for my Elite AR5-E tool and cutter grinder.
The sites that I found on the 'net seem to want to make custom ones. Couple of Aussie ones I found are
http://www.oreca.com.au/index.php?p=1_2
and
Dust Excluders, Dust Boots, Bellows Sewn - Bellows
Unfortunately neither of them list any off the shelf sizes.
As the ones I want are not very long I'm going to try to check out some automotive power steering racks or similar common(don't know what yet) applications.
Cheers.

If I'm not right, then I'm wrong, I'll just go bend some more bananas.

Looks a lot like the boots from car steering racks, CV joints, or protecting the tops of shock absorbers.

Like this

A visit to SuperCheap, Autobarn or Repco, perhaps ???

Cheers,
Andrew

Now that you show us a photo, a likely source would be a motocross shop or motocross bike accessory supplier on eBay etc.
They are available in just about any diameter, length and colour....
Joe

I was thinking the same thing. Rancho shocks have long travels so they might be better.

Dave

I had figured CV boots would be too short but hadn't thought of steering rack boots, that might be an idea thanks Andrew.

I had considered fork boots Joe but all the aftermarket ones I've used on my bike are made of that horrible sticky neoprene type of rubber which is the same as the covers on the mills they had at TAFE. The smaller chips stick to it like sh** to a blanket and it is not particularly hard wearing either.

The Ranch shock covers might be an option to, I will contact them to see if you can buy the boots on their own thanks Dave.

I'm after a column boot for a tool and cutter grinder which are expensive, I'd been looking at the square boots that old cameras have as they seem to be folded up from flat sheet with some sort of rubber coating or doping to impregnate the cloth. I expect you'd need to make a jig to hold it folded and maybe heat it to iron the shape in.

There was a lathe out there which had aluminium telescoping tubes to protect the screw which may be a suitable alternative: you'd have a rotating shaft seal fitted to the end of the larger tube and the smaller tube would be wiped clean by the shaft seal as it goes in and out. It'd be feasible to have three or so sections to get it small when retracted.

Whilst not much chop for a lead screw, here is an article about a home made way cover posted on PM. My 13 has telescoping aluminium tubes protecting the Z axis screw but nothing on the X. The X is fairly well protected. To protect the Z dovetail I simply drape a sheet of insertion rubber in front of it. I vacuum the mill down after use.

Making bellows for Deckel-type mills - Part 1

BT

Greg.

Are you familiar with this mob?

http://www.oreca.com.au/

Bare minimum, they will be 20% cheaper than any written quote you have.

I have it in my mind some place, that those are available as an accessory to suit pneumatic cylinders. I’m thinking Festo or SMC. But a 5 minute google, didn’t find any.

Phil.