Question for Early Day Haas users, maintenance staff

[Eagle View]

I have a 1992 Haas VF-0 that we use daily, at one time last year I was machining an end on a long bar and popped the plexiglass out of the left hand side of the enclosure. I have tried a couple of times to put it back in and have failed..

Please tell, what is the secret to getting the gasket the plastic side and the plexiglass all to fit together. I tried again yesterday for an hour and gave up. The gasket seems to grown as you handle it and I can't get it to stay in the wall or on the plexiglass while I open the gasket to accept the other piece. There has to be a trick to it.

Thank you in advance

Eagle

[fuzzyracing1967]

Can't help with any tricks,but I do know that the rubber gasket does grow over time from I think the coolent.I have replaced them on are vf4 and a year later had to cut them down becouse they were pushing the windows out again.If it's worth anything I allways had a second set of hands when I did that just to hold things in place while getting everything in it's place.

[rawen2]

Edit: I've never seen what kind of gasket the Haas uses for its windows so the following might not apply.
Here's a trick I learned years ago from a guy putting in a new sliding rear window in my pickup. You'll need a helper for a window this big though.
If the rubber gasket has a cross section that looks like an "H" this should work.
Install the gasket on the plexiglas first - all the way around and make sure it is seated on the edge completely.
Then wrap a small nylon rope or large string in the outside groove of the gasket. Go around the entire perimeter 1 3/4 times. Start the wrap on one bottom corner and go up so that the string will stay in the groove.
End the wrap 1 3/4 turns later on the opposite side near the bottom corner. Leave the end of the string sticking out on the inside of the window. You might have to tape it to the glass to keep it from falling into the groove with the rest of the string.
Now set the bottom of the plexiglas into the opening with the string trapped between the frame and the gasket. While your helper holds the window in place grab the end of the string on the inside of the enclosure and slowly pull it out. As it pulls out of the groove it will roll the inside of the rubber gasket over the lip of the frame. Your helper should be pushing on the glass at the same time you pull the string.
Hope that was clear. If not, ask questions and I'll try to clarify.
Ralph Wenzl

[lkenney]

Rawen2

Thanks and by cracky we give that trick a try. The Haas Gasket is a "H" gasket. Thank you for a great idea.

eagle

[georgef]

Wow, thanks, Ralph, that's a great idea. I have a lot of old Haas VMC's, and I think your suggestion will save me loads of time.

Georgef

[Ben Olson]

if you need a new gasket Faucher industries in Vancouver BC sells rubber window gaskets in bulk http://www.faucher.ca/eng/faucher/index.htm

( of course you could also buy them from Haas )