Member postings for Len Morris 2

Hi all,

Agreed the back plate stops the pins dropping out but it would allow too much axial slop for my liking. I know the pins are hardened but I've found that modern tooling takes the fear out of that. I've not got the pins out yet so don't know how I'll hold them. For an easy life I might just polish them and relieve the holes in the cast iron body. As far as I can see, the method used by Pratt on this chuck is cheap and nasty and just allowed them to save a few pounds on its production.

Anyway, thanks for all your comments. I now know how to get the pins out and will post some pics and comments on the final job.

Best regards,

Len

Hi,

Thanks for those quick replys. I can now get the pins out with confidence on the fly press. I'm not a fan of press fits on items that need regular cleaning and so intend to lap the pins for a sliding fit and lock them axially in place with cap screws leaving them free to rotate for fork alignment. Petty much the same as with larger 4 jaw chucks.

Best regards,

Len

Hi Everybody,

I have a PB 6 inch 4 jaw chuck in need of some TLC. I'm not sure how to remove the forked pins that retain the jaw screws. They have no obvious fixing on the chuck back face. All that's visible are the flat ends of the pins. I suspect they just press out but would like to know for sure before I start forcing things. Can anyone help?

Thanks and regards,

Len

Nearly all the steel I machined at work was D2 and in its annealed form it's lovely to work with. Best to use a tipped tool but HSS will work fine correctly ground (but not as long). A lot depends on your lathe power. High speed (1000 rpm) and medium cuts (20 thou) will leave a super finish on say one inch bar. Coolant works well but only if it's copious, otherwise do the job dry. An occasional squirt from a squeezy bottle is next to useless and will crack the tool.

Len.

Further to my earlier post please note that the terms "Hyperspace" and "Safe Place" not only rhyme, they are synonymous.

Basic fact is that matter is evil and naturally seeks it's own dimension known as hyper-space.

Lost a small non standard screw on the kitchen floor. Half a day looking for it, another day making a replacement. Found it a week later stuck in the tread of my boot!

Len

Thanks for that Pete, helps a lot. Just the information I was looking for. A length of silver steel will fit the bill perfectly.

Just for interest, scaling up a picture from an auction site gave me 18mm by 311mm.

Good to work from the original dimensions in case I ever find an original Harrison clamp. I doubt it will be from an auction site though. The complete set up, (including the telescoping cross slide screw) was listed for an eye watering £1000!

Len.

Hi Clive,

I think you might be a little confused. When the taper attachment is being used, the bar, bed clamp, and the dove tailed base are locked solid. None of these bits have to move or slide in operation. Up to now I've been using a simple piece of angle iron and 2 G clamps when setting up with excellent machining results! Just thought it would be nice to have a more engineered solution.

Len

Thanks for the directions. Just shows a good picture is worth a thousand words.

Len

Hi,

My M300 has a taper turning attachment but I'm missing the lock bar and bed clamp to make it work. All easy enough to make but knowledge of the original bar length would be very helpful.

Len

Thanks for those comments. Much to think about. My steady is a travelling one made by Harrison (for my M300). The handbook shows solid pads although mine has roller bearings (19mm diameter and 6mm wide). Both needed replacing as they were jammed solid with swarf. The new ones are sealed on each face.

I can see that rollers will limit the smallest diameter that can be supported so like the idea of making some solid pointed inserts for fine work.

Most steadies seem to have bronze support pads. Others have steel roller bearings. Which are best?

Hi Oldiron,

Yes apparently you can still buy liquid Mercury. It's illegal in the USA but in the UK it's available from a couple of laboratory supply companies. Not cheap at £25 for 100 grams. My small stock has been built up over the years from scrap thermometers, tilt switches etc. Needs careful thought before it's used but looking back, as kids in the 50's we used to roll it about in our hands in amazement, and that was in school labs! As I said, shifts lead deposits a treat.

Len

Hi Everybody,

Liquid Mercury will shift lead deposits very quickly. In the old days when gun ownership was possible I used it with great effect to remove lead deposits from barrels and it was standard process with shooters. With sensible precautions it was quite safe. Not sure if if would be possible to do in today's PC world.

Len

Hi Dave,

Sadly I think Ajax is right. Spare the effort and just weigh the larger ones in at your local metal dealer. Some 10 years ago Lancashire had no end of industrial Ironmonger shops. As they closed, clearance stock was put in the shop windows at silly prices. Brand new 5 inch diameter 1+1/8 bore cutters any width any form for one pound each. Leaving one shop with a slab cutter 4 inches wide and 4 inches diameter a chap entering asked me how much I'd paid. To the response of £4 he said it used to be priced at £395! Turned out he was the shop owner.

As a final thought, you could always get the Mig out and make something 'arty' with them. You'd be amazed what people will pay.

Len

Some excellent advice there so thanks to Everybody. I like the idea of clockmaker's dial wax. Found it on E-bay and the shop selling it is within 5 miles of my house!

I also like the idea of using Black-it. Amazingly I have a new kit on hand but never thought about using it for this application!

Being pragmatic I think oily crud works well and is probably what most of us live with on a daily basis but on a new machine restoration it's nice to start with fresh dials.

Lots of things to try

Regards

Len

Hi Everybody,

What is the best method of highlighting index marks on lathe dials, steel rules etc?

Have tried paint, felt tip pens and Typex but without much success.

Thanks and regards.

Len

Hi Clive,

Thanks for that, I'm sure you are right. It's the only thing that makes any sense. Not surprised your manual shows no ball and spring as with a wedge of the correct length it can't go anywhere.

With some confidence from your reply set off to make a wedge conscious of the need to keep everything parallel and get the angle right. Lot of work, but then had a 'lightbulb' moment. Simply use a standard 8x40 dowel.

Worked a treat.

Thanks for your help Clive.

Len

Hi Everybody,

Have a problem and really need some help.

When I took my cross slide apart the backlash adjusting arrangement that separates the nut halves was missing. The manual seems to show a ball, spring and grub screw. Simple enough to replace so didn't give the matter much attention until I came to assemble all the clean bits.

My cross slide is threaded M6 for the grub screw all the way through. With the nuts in position (front doweled, chamfered rear nipped on bolts) an M6 bolt just passes straight between the nuts. Clearly, whatever I put down the M6 hole will not engage the rear nut chamfer and push it back.

Trying to speak 'Harrison', the ball is shown as UB-008 which I think is 8mm diameter. The grub screw is shown as FS-0892 which could be 8x92 mm.

The whole thing makes no sense and it's basically stopped the job as I,d rather not fit the slide and have to remove it later on.

Any advice or information much appreciated.

Len

Hi Everybody,

I'm giving my M300 a refurbishment. The oil level sight glasses were totally useless. Talked with sales at the 600 group. £9.95 plus vat plus postage by courier. Total cost £41.43 for 3. Tried to clean and repair my own but failed miserably.

After much searching on the net found "Harrison lubrication engineering - the home of the Nipple Shop". They are in Bolton Lancashire. Many of their parts are listed under Harrison numbers although I don't know if there is any association with the lathe manufacturer.

Sight level glass £2.19 plus vat plus postage. £12.08 for 3 and they arrived the next day.

Perfect fit, excellent value and really put a sparkle on the refurbishment.

Len