Member postings for not done it yet

Tell us more. Length, length of thread, material, why ACME, etc?

Dies are available for purchase (recommend them for finishing a roughed/part formed turned thread). Square threads are often substituted for ACME threads. Do you need a new nut?

HPC Gears can supply a range of items at reasonable(?) prices.

Table feed rates, according to lathesdotco, for the Centec 2B were 4'' per minute tops.

0.65, 1.19, 2.18 and 4 inches per minute are the figures quoted. Of course, with a VFD fitted, I can choose whatever speed I fancy....

You've won. Quite likely someone, somewhere, sometime watches these fora. Likely to end in a call for 'name and shame' if it went to any other conclusion. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately for you) it was likely an advertiser on these very same pages, and were tipped off to watch out for possible impending

trouble. Not an outside bet that it might be someone who might not want to 'rock the boat' or have the boat rocked? It is something I have noted on at least a couple of occasions, since joining the forum.

I suggest you read their terms and conditions carefully. That is your (and their) contract. It should not be ambiguous and if it is, then as the purchaser, your clearly correct interpretation would stand up in court.

I go with those that say that bottom screw is a screw with an 'off-centred peg' on the end. It will turn one way or the other to 'uncam' the insert from its secure tight-fitting position. Technically, I would guess, it does not need to actually be tight, once the securing clamp is fully tightened and, although it would normally remain tight, if it came loose, it could not unscrew unless the insert moved.

I would guess that it will release the insert by turning it inwards - clockwise - as it would normally be initially positioned almost fully screwed home, thus tightening the insert by turning outwards, in an anticlockwise direction. Well, I have a 50%chance of being correct!

I think he means 'whatever number you chose', not necessarily number 1. Disengaging the half nuts while traversing forwards, before stopping the lathe and shifting the cross slide back, prevents running into an uncut area and breaking the tool. On reversal of the lathe, to return for a subsequent pass, the half nuts are engaged at that same number on the dial indicator (as lathe is now running in the reverse direction. Hence while disengaging half nuts they are always re-engaged at that same point every time. The important thing is the same number and always on the same turn of the dial indicator, as the thread would not necessarily be picked up on that same number without driving the lathe backwards

Anything that is safe and works would be fine. Start with connector strips and build from there if there is nothing available commercially.

Only twelve wire connections and three or five link connections, so not too difficult. Better screw clamp connections would be better than the usual cheap strips with screws into the conductors. Fitting good connection terminals to each wire is also safer.

The question of suitability for any particular milling machine? Yes. But not to all.

MG,  looks like a US product.  Might be OK, if you are that side of the pond, but a bit hefty to import to the UK, I would think.

Edited By not done it yet on 26/07/2016 12:02:24

A lot of muscles required, I reckon, if starting to tap after drilling a 32mm hole, unless! in possession of a complete set of taps.

This link gives the size for Whitworth theads. Wrong thread angle, but gives a good idea of amount of material to be removed.

http://www.engineersedge.com/hardware/whitworth-screw-threads-chart.htm

Too thin oil may contribute, depending on the seal type. Other factors may be you overfilling, there may be too much bearing play, the seal may be damaged 

(or worn), or the seal bearing point on the spindle may be damaged (or worn).

There must be provision for draining the headstock and usually some form of level device. Doubtless the drain will be at the lowest level of the box and the upper level device may be a dip stick or level plug. Both should be fairly easy to find by observation.

Do tell us the seal type.  Is it a lip seal, felt seal, or other?  Lip seals require a good sealing contact point, but can be displaced slightly to use a different sealing point on the shaft.  Felt seals usually have a thrower to prevent direct and continual immersion of the seal in oil.  Some seals do not have any seal, per se, but actually 'screw' the thrown oil back towards the gearbox.  

The last, but not least, reason for leakage may be a blocked breather, causing a pressure difference between the interior and exterior of the headstock.

Edited By not done it yet on 25/07/2016 06:41:23

BPlease loopraking using the VFD is a good attribute but do make sure it is appropriate for your application.

If it is required for 'fast breaking', the resistor power may be important, too. Beware something may 'brake' if you 'break' too quickly. Or is that the other way round?

About twice the thread depth less than the fixing bolts. What bolts/cap screws are you using? 1.5'' is 38mm.

ie. the air is escaping out through there all the time.

Shirley not that difficult to ascertain if that is the case? Feel with back of hand, a cup of water to check for bubbles, soap solution?

Which side of the trap is the pressure guage? Might give a clue.

An early mistake, when making a back plate was that of measuring while 'warm'. A spot on measurement, and cut carefully to size, ended with a loose fit when cool. Lesson learned. Luckily it was for a four faw chuck, so perhaps not quite so important.... as long as the fasteners do not come loose.

At idle, the current used will be only transformer losses -although these welders were not designed for maximum efficiency at idle! Think here of the different amounts of heat produced when welding! If the welder had to dissipate the arcing current when idle it would soon melt!

There will be tables on the net giving maximum power and maximum distances for the cable run. I assume you really mean 16mm^2 conductors. That is a large cable, easily able to transmit a few kW over that distance. The tails on your meter are likely that size - good for 100A in that use.

Look at the rating plate on the welder. I doubt it will be more than 6kW and likely only 4 1/2. And that would be flat out. Voltage drop for the welder would only mean a slightly reduced welding current/voltage requiring a higher setting on the machine. Look at the consumer unit rating - that will have a supply rating and will likely include a 45A cooker breaker.

Common sense should prevail with only the welder in use as a high current userat the time, of course.

I very much doubt Platinum is used for contacts these days, other than for high quality installations. Mostly Palladium at best, I would think. For small mass produced motors the contacts are likely a thin coating or surface alloyed with the precious metal. Old magneto contacts were of Pt, but replaceable contact points for the Kettering ignition system have been throw-away items for a long time....

Same with CATs. Early ones contained quite a worthwhile amount of Pt (very popular pikey targets) but now there is far less, most of the (reduced amount of) precious metal in them is Pd.

Eradicate all wild bees and nests eradicated? So speaketh a true environmentalist? Banning beekeepers might be a better proposal!

Every powered hacksaw I have used has cut more than just over a half inch square in an hour! (see Ady 1's post above) Or maybe he cut several slices off in that time?

I'm surprised nobody has suggested the blade must have been put in back to front or upside down! Maybe using a slitting saw in a horizontal mill might be an option?

Personally I cannot see any particular advantage in attaching a vertical slide to a top slide, bu I can foresee some disadvantage. Replacing the top slide is, IMO, the way to go.

Disadvantages are more stress on the machine, and less rigidity. Some machines might benefit with depth of cut control by the top slide, but I'm not for buying that - depth of cut is just on e of the minor nuisances of using this method of milling, as I see it, and fine setting by the long travel can be facilitated by engaging power feed and turning the chuck by hand.

you just said goodbye to £120 or more.

No beekeeper worth his/her salt would try to make that sort of money from a swarm.

May have been a prime swarm but old queen. May have been a cast, but would have been much smaller than a prime. Not many primes would be 40k, either!

Temperament may be vile, and last but not least they have no health certificate, although most are healthy. They need to be run on for several weeks to be sure they are of good temperament, health, etc

All the start winding does is push the rotor in the same direction every time, and provide extra power to overcome the starting load

There is bound to be a slight (at least) difference in speed at which the start windings are turned off for forward or reverse.  The rotor is accelerating at the time, so the resulting force on the switch will be different, dependent on which direction of travel. Physics fact!

I still think that fault is caused by the run winding being out of circuit in that direction

If that were the case, please explain how the machine works OK at lower speed settings

Edited By not done it yet on 21/07/2016 07:14:59