Deckel FP2 Z-axis bellows / Z-Achse Balg

Some of you are against Z-axis bellows on Deckel mills. They have to be removed to get the top few cm of motion. Ross says they are just a gathering place for chips and unseen damage, better to keep it visible than hide it. But in my messy workshop environment, I think they might be a good idea. Unfortunately my mill didn't have a Z-bellows, when I bought it, and the prices were too high.

Recently I was offered some "new" bellows (manufactured in 1977, 13 years after the mill!) at a price to low to pass up, and I needed to gather the other parts to mount them. I couldn't find photos anywhere on the internet, so here are a handful for the next person. I think I might still be missing a clip or clamp on the vertical "arm" for the top mounting plate. If that's right, and and someone could add a photo here, that would be helpful for me.

The bottom of the bellows have this metal tab that sticks out:



That tab slots under the clip on the top of the support, in between the Z-ways:



The top of the bellows is attached to this "Balgblech":



This is constructed from two layers of spot-welded steel. The offset is important to keep the central portion below the headstock/ram level.

The sheet metal top is secured by this vertical bar. Notice that the end-stop for the Z-axis feed can be put into two different positions: there are two possible locations for the dowel pin. In the upper position it permits a few more cm of upwards travel, when no bellows are installed. In the lower position, where it is in this photo, the Z-motion is stopped a few cm lower down, to prevent the bellows from being crushed or damaged.



The sheet metal top is also held down on the top by the two plastic Y-axis wipers:



Here's the big picture:



Hope this helps the next person trying to fit Z-bellows to an old machine.

Cheers,
Bruce