Member postings for MW

I've changed most of the things on my lathe but i won't touch the headstock, so long as it's in good order i dont want to open that can of worms!

Michael W

You're all right, and you've identified the source of the problem, thank you.

But the solution isn't quite so easy, the gib is pushing onto an open planed vee, the cross slide image shows the Vee ways both closed. Im pretty sure i've made the drawings to spec, why they have designed it this way i'm not sure, it isn't possible to insert screws on the left hand side because the column is dovetailed both sides. I'm coping on my solution for now.

I think what you mean is that the form of the bed dovetail needs to be reverse so that the gib is pushing onto a closed surface.

For eg. On the same model, there's a small bed stop that needs to be 20.54mm long, with a slot most of the way down the body to 17.75mm, then an M5 hole needs to go through below that, but i've only got less than 3mm of room left? it's not a critical part but the measurements just don't add up, it's very frustrating when the way it's been drawn just doesn't make sense in reality and you end up scrapping something.

Michael W

Edited By Michael Walters on 14/04/2016 09:51:04

Ah it's ok i've fixed it.

The dimples are nearly completely aligned, i sandwiched the whole thing together with a G clamp to spot through and make sure they were right in place.

Here is a crude illustration to show you whats going on;

The writing is a little small but i hope you can see it,

The gib is dislodged from it's seat whenever i tighten up the grub screws (it's pushed up and away).

My solution was to make two steel "finger plates" as i call them. with 1 hole in the middle and another at the top. One is tightened right up against the body with a socket screw and the other is left to apply pressure to the top of the gib to keep it in place. Unorthodox but seems to be working and i can't think of another way to make it stay there.

Michael W

Ps. i only just caught sight of your post Neil, but it makes sense i dont know why i didnt think of that. I'll know in future what i should do!

Edited By Michael Walters on 13/04/2016 13:33:52

Hi friends,

I got me a case of the jumpin' gibs,

I'm making a miniature milling machine and the vertical plane uses a dovetailed slide which holds the knee by a gib strip, this has 4 grub screws to nip up the slide, i spotted through with dimples on the strip and rounded off the screw head, but whenever i tighten them up, it tries to hop out!

Perhaps the screws are touching close to the edge of the gib and it's throwing it off. I'm thinking of placing two hold down screws ontop of the exposed area of the gib to keep it in it's place but, do you think that will work?

Michael W

I take it this isn't always possible, the navy can decide to operate wherever it suits them but i'm sure they wont deliberately go somewhere with heavy fishing traffic if they can help it.

Michael W

Only trade outside of ebay if you have good reasons to trust them, none of which are presented here.

Michael W

Thats only because it's an imperialo lathe.

Michael W

Just recently looked at the prices of some of the few machines now rolling off the line at the myford factory, 8 grand? for a 3 1/2 inch centre lathe? jeez, you've got to have some serious cash to throw around. They look pretty but i'm sure you could only want that if you were a myford fan who saved up for years to own one.

Michael W

So only an "approved" manufacturer could be considered "orthodox"? sounds like another law dreamt up for the purposes of walking on the little man.

Aside from this opinion, the practicality of policing this seems unfair, there are far more worthy causes to be chasing and could you really label someone a "criminal" for modifying something they legally obtained? Just doesn't seem like you could get anyone to agree on what constitutes a mod anyway. This could get into silly territory, does the air freshener on the dash or the repair to one of the hinges on the glove box mean i'm now "modifying" this?

This is what the M.O.T was designed to cater for anyway. 

Michael W

Edited By Michael Walters on 11/04/2016 11:50:47

It's okay, i once turned a diameter down to 24.5 as opposed to 25.4

Michael W

Thanks for the compliments,

I have a wickes shop nearby and i may take you up on that advice, my only reason for using a block of a steel was because my workshop is comprised mainly of wood, and it's an afforded luxury to be able to use a metal work surface that isn't my cross slide or milling table!

Michael W

Edited By Michael Walters on 09/04/2016 23:21:45

Hi Here again,

He may reply himself, but i have contacted him about an electronic leadscrew motor in the past (he has motorized feeds on every slide of his machines) and he's very helpful;

he advised me to use a 12v 38mm dia. DC motor, you can buy a speed controller circuit and 2A plug transformer on ebay and have this up and running, i have tested a prototype i made doing this recently. It's all china post though so it'll take a few weeks to get here on standard shipping.

PS. His entire system is a bit more complicated than this, as you will see on his website as he has made a discreet box to control all his motors from 1 point, i wouldn't attempt that to begin with mind you!

Hope this helps a bit

Michael W

Edited By Michael Walters on 08/04/2016 18:18:02

I had a problem where i needed to make 3 miniature "lock handles" for my home made mill, i was going to thread them but to no avail as i only had the wall thickness to thread into (1-2mm), it couldnt go all the way through because i needed to have an M5 thru hole which would cross it's path, so instead i brazed them with success;

And a close up of the almost cleaned up one.

I only used a common butane/propane torch, i prepared the surfaces by sanding and fluxing the join, then i arrange them assembled on a 5 inch square block of mild steel i use, as i dont have a fire brick, then heated them both to cherry red and slowly poured the brazing wire onto the join.

Never successfully brazed before so i'm proud =)

Michael W

Edited By Michael Walters on 08/04/2016 16:52:44

So what is it for? I take it the lugs are used as part of a "spline drive" motion or spur?

It looks impressive, it certainly doesn't look like a hobbyist build, judging by the sheer size of the workspace. If sieg sold that machine, they'd have riots at the factory in shenzhen because of the overtime they'd need to work just to keep up with demand i suspect!

Michael W

Edited By Michael Walters on 05/04/2016 11:47:20

I kept my parents gardening implements in good working order with the help of my workshop, i consider it my useful contribution to society..I probably wont get a knighthood for it like he will one day.

Michael W

I have to agree that carbide is very useful, especially if you're new to machining harder materials like cast iron, at first, i often ran my lathe at high speed and found HSS just sparked and eroded. So i switched to carbide and found it worked out.

Now that i have more experience with cast iron, I often tend to prefer slower speeds, i rarely find the need to use any of my machines at high speed except for maybe small drills and linishing.

Alot of hobby machines seem to be trying too hard to get as high a speed as possible when really it's quite unnecessary. You can quite satisfactorily work at lower speed and as the late Joe Martin once said "i never knew anyone who ruined a part from taking too light a cut". If you visit the swindon rail museum, you'd be surprised just how slow the victorian lathes were operated at; these were not intended to be ran fast. 

Only last week, on a post about grinding, someone asked if it was possible to use a slower (1200rpm) speed for grinding, only for a number of people to tell him(or her) it was not possible. I remained quiet, but the image conjured in my head was that of a medieval blacksmith using a treadle operated grinding wheel, so i'm pretty sure his foot couldn't keep up with 4000rpm, so it must be possible. 

Michael W

Edited By Michael Walters on 05/04/2016 00:15:57

You're quite right Neil, I have a set and i took one look at the tips and knew they were going to be bad, i've only cut 1 or 2 things as a trial but what do you expect for like £7? (i think thats how much i paid for it).

Luckily i had alot of, superbly made i might add, sherline tooling which seemed to work wonders on my old miniature machine. So i wasn't that dissapointed, i just waited til i could afford some decent bigger HSS.

So i'm just holding onto them til i can be bothered to re-grind them one day. 

Michael W

Edited By Michael Walters on 04/04/2016 12:21:04

Not really close but i'm from north herts, hitchin. Welcome

Michael W

Hi Ian,

I have some 3/16th HSS and i understand how small that is, i haven't used it though. I've never done an experiment to see which is better for small and finishing cuts, like you said, much easier to reach a sharp point. Most of my tooling is 1/2 inch.

The main reason i bought it was for grinding boring bar/internal shouldering inserts.

Michael W