Member postings for Alan Waddington 2

Posted by John McNamara on 28/08/2018 00:22:18:

Hi Alan

My lathe did not come with spindle taper plugs

I made two, one Morse and one NC taper at the same time. I did not use a chuck or centres.

I posted posted the method here here a while back.

**LINK**

Regards
John

Great Job John, thanks for posting.......however i seem to be getting further from the job in hand evey time i go in the workshop, so this time i will be buying rather than making.

No idea if it’s just me, but nearly every job i do requires me to either make or buy something to fix an issue before i can start the job i initially wanted to do.

Now here's a knotty little riddle.

My Bantam 2 has a bastard size taper up the head stock, which is rumoured to be MT4.5, or some such. It seems Mr Colchester didn't want us buying standard fittings so he made the head stock a funny size, though it may be something to do with the size of the bearings carrying the head stock. Mr Lathes.co.uk has got some comments thereon.

Anyway I'd have assumed that your Student was the same, but it can't be. I made a bush for my Bantam, but it's 1.517 - 1.362 by 3.07 ins long.

However, when I bought the lathe I was given what was supposed to be the "right" bush, which is much too large. Squirrel that I am I've kept it, and it is 1.809 - 1.656 x 3.036 long. All these dimensions measured with calipers, so somewhere handy but not precise. While those dimensions aren't exactly what you've shown above, they look something useful.

You are welcome to try the second bush and see if it is what you are looking for, send me a PM with your address and advise so on here and I'll pop it in the post next week.

Hope this works! Rgds Simon

The event which pmm1 refers to is run by the Vintage Sports-Car Club. I was until recently a member, but when I discovered that they were running (other) events outside the law, and were not prepared to do anything about it, I left. So, they are unlikely to be helpful to anything I say.

Posted by DONALD HOBDAY on 21/08/2018 19:46:48:

The reason I ask is they come up a lot, seem GVFM but cannot find any reviews.

180volts, could get interesting

Well the latest scientific research suggests Tyrannosaurus had Feathers, and 'screeched' rather than 'roared" so maybe the discovery of a set of brass wheels could be just around the corner

Posted by John MC on 06/08/2018 17:53:07:

OP, are you sure the fit is not the usual Veloce slow taper? Many years ago I repaired a Mk1 KSS crank that had suffered they same as yours. Straight forward turning job, all the diameters can be turned at the same setting ensuring concentricity. What I had to do was bore the holes in the flywheels, both damaged. I bored them just enough to remove the damage and counterbored to take a "head" left on the inner ends of the shafts to stop them pulling through the flywheels. this approach avoids the welding approach. If you do bore the mainshaft holes this must be done with great care, setting up off the crankpin hole, get this wrong and the crank will never true up on assembly.

I believe Alpha are not trading at the moment, hopefully to return soon.

I would disagree with the "aftermarket scene" for post war Velo's being huge. The main supplier is not getting any younger and would like to retire. Anno domini is making itself felt with four other specialists (repairers). Some other classic bike dealers sell the common stuff, the more specialist stuff will become hard to get unless someone picks up the reins, may be the owners club?

Its also been mentioned someone is making complete engines, not quite but I believe that is his ambition. The price will mean that very few will be able to buy these parts.

John

John, i was trying to convey the difference in aftermarket spares availability between early and late Velo’s. Maybe i didn’t word it very well. The MK1 KSS gets very little attention, even compared to the MK2, so the aftermarket scene for Viper and Venom parts is huge in comparison.

Yes i think you are correct about the slow taper. The mainshaft bearing is described as having a 1 thou to the inch taper, which is probably why i struggled to measure it from the old shafts. Incidentally that single bearing is £185 + vat

This got me thinking, if im going to the trouble of making new shafts in modern material, then why not modify them to try and improve location. Your solution of adding a head and counterbore had crossed my mind, however i did wonder if this might weaken the crank halves and should they too be remade in EN24t.

if i did go down this route, i wonder if the shafts could be made plain with no taper, just an interference fit and tig welded on the back side, then a more common bearing used, (which should hopefully be cheaper ).

I would be interested on your thoughts.