Member postings for Zan

It looks as if the grooves get deeper towards the chuck then go parallel then start again I suggest the reason is the saddle is loose on the gibs and is twisting forcing the cut deeper by rotating as it moves along before it jumps and catches up. Try without power feed and see if a smooth finish can be obtained... The gib needs adjusting, but perhaps it's a symptom of a badly worn machine.......how old is it?.... Is it generally in a good conditions? .......if the screw is bent then it will be obvious when it's rotating under power without the half nuts engaged. Have you fully cleaned the half nuts? Trapped swarf may cause problems. A lot of investigation needed this sort of problem is difficult to assess without seeing it in person. Good luck!

So what's this to do with model engineering? Get real this is Facebook and Twitter rubbish

I had a similar wear problem it was solved by building a completly new ashpan which was sealed at the back. The original design was open a pond tge ash dropped directly down onto the axel box and caused the wear, it was a very efficient grinding paste. No problems now!

Just get a block of cast iron and machine it to match the size of the top slide and base so it fits in the existing socket. This extension could be fabricated with cap screws and a couple of dowels, bonded with locktite I recently did this, the setup is far more rigid and no more fouling the tailstock. An alternative is a plate drilled for bolts into the t slots perhaps with a spacer to bring the height but this will be more fiddly to set up after needing the topslide for short tapers or screwcutting.up just build it. No drawings needed. I suggest positioning the tool post on the left of the cross slide just overhanging its edge or the saddle would not be well located on the lathe bed when working with collets faceplate or very close to the chuck. The backplate idea sounds good, but you won't be able to offset the post so easily unless it's a big one........added for edit  If it's exactly the same height as the top slide then holders work in both systems without any adjustment.  

Edited By Zan on 29/03/2018 09:33:54

Cutters dropping out? Not fully gripped? Slow to use.? - quicker than changing an R8 collet no difference for a Clare ot clarkson type....How strange The ER system is extremely rigid and versatile, I rarely use anything else the inbuilt size variation makes it ideal for both imperial and metric cutters and any size of drill. My 32 system is also used in the myford as highly accurate collet system mush better than the draw in type which demands work close to the nominal size of the collet. I did have a screw in system but sold it as it was impossible to hold parallel shank cutters such as the cheaper ones obtainable at shows or any carbide cutter. Get the ER system you won't regret it

1 go fir R8 spindle releasing a Morse taper is difficult and it wasn't designed fir milling it's a locking taper and in a mill spindle boy does it lock my 2mt (below) even with a special ejector was a sod to remove or bash it out with a hammer , bad news.

2 vdf drives are on both my mills, both lathes and drill. Wouldn't be without them

3 I did have a Rishton very similar to the emco but latter has the ekevating handle in an aquard place. But both have round columns. Avoid these

4 DR O straightforward to fit esp the new breed og pf very compact magnetic versions my 3 dro are glass/ ball and bulky

5 if possible view the machines, the spec can lie to you hands on needed

Looks v good Michael I like the robust shank, although I would make it to 3/4" for the R8 collet. I particularly like the standard cap head for locking, better than the M8 cks cap screw in my commercial arbour (which I don't like it's getting worn due to its smaller AF dimension). I would also make the shank longer, the short ones mentioned above often gave problems with finding adequate vice clearance.  Regarding a possible key, it would have to be locked into the cap to allow for different saw widths. Question, would a carefully positioned round key work? Fitted into a hole drilled through the cap into the body so it was half in each

Edited By Zan on 09/03/2018 18:48:36

My arbour for the Bridgeport is substantial but no key. Yes the telescopic saw holders were poor, but useful for small diameter stuff. Mine is lurking somewhere, but not been seen for decades!

No coms port, that's why I went for the uc100 which is fed by USB cable. I tried 3 port cards before splashing out on the uc, non worked due to address conflicts. In anycase coms port is obslete and if my computer gives up the ghost I'd be back to square one.

Make the back vertical and make sure you cover the socket, it will get splashed with coolant even if only applied by brush

agreed Andrew, but most arbours now don't have the keyway. I cut a 3/32 slot today 3/4 deep at 100 rpm single cut without any problems or slippage

Edited By Zan on 06/03/2018 14:27:18

Yes too fast I run my 32mm dai at 200 with no problems and long tool life so reduce speed or diameter of cut

I use sulphuric acid. Very effective at removing the mess it comes off as very thin flakes. Also discovered by chance that it also removes the black mill scale found on thicker steel plate, a tiny rub with the finger will remove it with ease. Obviously take sensible precautions and rinse well. Essential to oil or prime the component straight away or it will quickly gains red colour!

Edited By Zan on 04/03/2018 20:57:33

Speed and depth of cut is usually limited by stopping the saw slipping in the holder but a singke pass at 1-200 should work

The uc100 needs a specific Mach 3 obtainable from their website. I have problems with mine with "uc100 not detected" it's been tracked down to the USB cable not being fully secure in the uc100 dongle it's a poor connection. It gets lost say every 10-15 startups

Check there are two LEDs lit on the dongle itself

Edited By Zan on 03/03/2018 18:34:41

hi. I'm building Hotspurs Wenford a n early Beattie /Adams well tank engine. There were quite a lot of these converted to tender locks to give a better range due to small water capacity. These to me look rather nice and I fancy building one. I have Bradley's books on the subject and have obtained a copy of the full size tender drawing from LSWR.org. There are three problems. I like the quirky nature of the well tank including its crosshead pumps and donkey engine on the running board but these will be lost with the tender version. I'm concerned about the extra time to build the tender (the well tanks are already made). The main trouble is the small size of the tender and is the main question.......is a tender of 20-22" long big enough to sit on and still be able to fire and get at the coal? Is the feeling out there that the seat will completly ruin the appearance of the setup? Any advice would be appreciated tks