Member postings for JOHN BURNELL 1

I dont suppose i do just yet, the 2 x chucks look to be in good shape, im more curious about the way to go with the type of fitting ie mt2 with a m10 draw bar set up, my workshop wont be ready for a month or so, my clockmakers lathe done ok but became very limited as i had to modifi dial posts on clock movements to fit new movements but to be honest i like the idea of doing other engineering projects i have lived and breathed clocks for a long time fancy a change now and then other than clocks, has anybody got any idea of the model ?

regards john

Just received my Portass lathe wich i am very happy with, im not sure of the model maybe a d5 ? im thinking of getting a set of er colletts but im a bit unsure what to go for so looking for some advice, the tailstock taper is an mt2 and this seems to fit the headstock, my thoughts are to go down the mt2 route with a draw bar set up but to be honest i dont know, so would really appreciate any help, i have added some pics, so i can get some opinions on the lathe in general, i have searched the web for a user guid but not had any luck but im not sure of the model anyway as it just has its name PORTASS SHEFFEILD

REGARDS JOHN

Just thought i would say its cost is £450 including delivery, it sounds like a fair deal to me,

john

It all seams fine 4 jaw chuck 3 jaw chuck tailstock, without drill chuck,, it looks to be in good shape spoke to the guy he seems a good bloke, im in merseyside its getting delivered from Nottingham thought would give it a go, its a 1950s machine and he says its been used to make parts for model steam engines i think he said and he reckons he has done some accurate work with it, so im hoping alls well,.

john

long time since i have been on the forum, i need a bit of advice on getting a new lathe, from my other posts you will see i have a cowells 90 clockmakers lathe that i am happy with except that its a bit to small to work some biger bits and pieces, anyway im looking at a portass d5 which is still small im thinking about getting tailstocks etc for it and the availability of parts, its just the right size for my workshop, the others i have looked at are the chines lathes but im told these are not that good.

regards john

Succes, got my L/H thread stud bar 6mm threaded it through the centre peice of my tailstock secured a nut on the thread fited coller secured that fitted turning handle , works great, tottal cost £5 i have added a few pictures, thanks for all your help and sugestions.

regards john

Hi James, I will post some pictures of my work if it goes ok, i am quietly confident if my LH threaded 6mm bar fits ok i have a good chance of doing a fair job, fingers crossed .

regards john

Thanks for the info i will keep it in mind, i am hoping the thread will fit the tail stock casting if so i reckon im in with a shout of sorting something out, we shall see it will be an experience.

regards john

I think i might not have explained properly, the faceplate thread is 12mm and the headstock thread is 14 ? so the plate is from a diferent lathe i think, my tailstock is mt0 but the lh screw that goes through the centre to move the chuck back and fourth has snapped so i have ordered some LH thread stud bar and am going to try and make something up.

regards john

Yes the plate and the headstock thread are most defanatly different, i have ordered some 6mm LH thread stud of ebay going to have a go at making somthing to do the job, i will post some pictures of the lathe, the plate of the unimat would fit, anyway many thanks for your help, as a mater of interest is there any other tailstock that fits, this is just in case i find one,

regards john

Thanks will do the thread is 6mm,

regards john

Is there any other machine with a very similar tail stock arangment ? as i said i have read in older threads that the ml 7 will fit, all is not lost as i can still use it for centering etc and in ref to drilling this is going to be my difficulty but as i only need to drill to re pivot my clock repairs i will aft to find a way to move the tailstock along, im begining to think the centre going through the tailstock something was wrong as the face plate does not fit either it is supposed to be m14x1.5 but on measuring the thread on the plate its 12mm but to be honest i am still happy with the unit i will aft to get my thinking cap on just need some ideas, i will get in touch with cowells but dont fancy paying a few hundred pound when im only using the lathe for pivot polishing etc,

regards john

Does anybody have contact for Cowells? i have also heard that the tailstock off the ml7 is the same ? the tail stock has mt0 fitting i was thinking of trying to rig somthing up to move it back and forward till i come across somthing

john

Still getting to grips with my cowells lathe, so the thing is i have been cleaning the unit up, so i got to the tailstock and realised it seemed to be jammed up ie not retracting and moving when you move the tailstock dial, so on some further messing around and to be honest using some brute force i have managed to completley destroy the threaded bar going through the centre snapped it in half, i think its a reverse type thread on it, my main question is what other tailstock will fit as it seems imposible to get any advice would be very apreciated.

regards john

just had a little go of grinding some hss, made sure the tool was dead centre to the work in the tool post and ive got to say felt quite happy with the results, done some facing off and trimming off a 20mm round bar aluminium, looked to me to have a nice finish, the thing i did notice was the little pip in the centre when i faced off, i could not get that out? i think i will still get a ready made set, but im going to keep having a go at the grinding hss as i did get it free and its not often i get anything free so may as well use it, ive got to say what a great forum everybody trying to help , i realy appreciate it,

regards john

As you may know i have just purchased my Cowells 90 lathe, i was thinking of grinding some 5mm hss bar stock i got free, but im new to this and was thinking of buying some ready made tools the carbide inserts not the cemented type as i beleive these are not good, then later on having a go at grinding my own, just after some opinions .

regards john

I repair clocks, i have just picked up a cowells 90 lathe im delighted with it, im using the collet chuck with the e16 collets, the tool post has a gap of just over 9mm, im wondering about tooling, i am going to grind my own, im just wondering about hss stock size is this the way to go ,

regards john

Thanks , thought it might have been the way the tool was set up,

Just joined the forum, i repaire Antique clocks, so picked up a very nice Cowells 90 i think i have no paperwork with it so i have ordered the user guide of amazon, i am not very experienced with lathe work other than polishing pivots actualy making parts im very green, i had a little play with my new toy today had some lathe tools i got for free of a mate, hss and put in a peice of round 3mm brass just moved along taking it down, as i was moving back to the start the tool was still touching the rod so made lots of scratches, and to be honest the finish was a bit rough, my thought is set up wrong, any way still totaly enjoyed myself,

regards john