lahola1 wrote: ↑Tue Sep 26, 2023 11:47 am
I wouldn't bother with the time, labor and expense getting a replacement rack from ebay unless your planning on keeping the MKVII for yourself because your not going to get more than $300 for it unless it's cleaned up very well and running great with all of the important parts. I would sell it for the best price you can get and give the new owner the broken piece of rack and any info you learned on replacement rack pieces available on ebay.
Agreed if you are selling it. You rarely get back money you put into it for a resale, unless it's a crucial part that it needs to sell at all. There is plastic rack for sale on Amazon frequently, although not always for the right gearing. And anyone doing this should look into metal rack replacements. You'd probably be better off removing the remaining rack. Whoever buys it either won't know that something is missing, or understands the cost of replacing it already.
I'm not sure how useful that rack is for horizontal movement since adjustment can also be made with the quill. The question is its usefulness in drill press mode. Can it lift the weight of the headstock? Is trying to do so the cause of broken racks?
I think I'd be interested in a Mark VII with no headstock or one in great disrepair. I like the look of the stand and apparently conventional headstocks will mount on the way tubes so the cost of shipping the base and tube framework might not be absurd. I don't see much advantage to the MK VII headstock except possibly a working bi-directional motor.
Which reminds me, what happened to old fashioned truck freight shipping. I've seen 300 pound car engines shipped across country for $75. Seems like that's what it would cost to ship a pillow these days. Of course I'm probably in geezer mode and remembering the old days back in the 1900s again when everything cost a lot less.