Member postings for old mart

Fine pitch Whitworth thread form inserts are hard to find, but Cutwell do them down to 48tpi. They are not cheap and the op would likely be better off going the hand finished way.

I've just read your last post, are you sure they are 55 degrees and not 60 degrees?  

I would also be inclined to make a bored sleeve to go over the thin wall to stiffen it before threading. 

SRB photographic specialise in these types of adaptor and a look at their website is recommended.

Edited By old mart on 02/02/2020 22:37:01

Edited By old mart on 02/02/2020 22:39:59

Edited By old mart on 02/02/2020 22:42:48

32tpi would be so close to a point that thinking of a tip radius of 0.0037" produced by hand is mind boggling.

I would get er11 carbide tooling for that job, especially as the diameter is so nice and big.

I take it that the finishing cuts after the photographs were taken were by resetting the Y axis two or three times to get the journals cylindrical.

I agree with Baz, they will be imperial. We have a bench mount Fobco 7- Eight at the museum. There is information on Fobco drills on lathes UK:

**LINK**  

Where in W Sussex?

Edited By old mart on 02/02/2020 21:42:08

Edited By old mart on 02/02/2020 21:43:45

As it is inherently flexible, you should only make small depths of cut and feed slowly. I have a vertical slide for my 7 x 12 mini lathe that replaces the compound. unfortunately, it is too far off the axis of the spindle to be of much use, I have only tried it out once in ten years.

Like Mike Woods, I saw one of the Lidl ones in my local store yesterday. Of course an overhead beam is needed for this type. The crane type would be great if there was enough room for it to sit between two machines. Making a trolley for one is possible if great care was taken in the design and manufacture.

Edited By old mart on 02/02/2020 16:59:20

If using tee slots for the rear toolpost, I would definitely make use of two for stiffness. After all, stiffness and the inverted tool are the main advantages over compound mounting.

You need to get the tailstock off the end of the bed easily if necessary. And at the left end you need at least a foot clear of the end of the spindle, and more if possible. Having things overlapping is ok if really desperate for space.

Edited By old mart on 02/02/2020 16:43:26

Some of the lever indicators have a centre zero, and others have a lever to set the direction of travel. As for the angle of the pointer, all types just require turning the pointer to the angle required. No harm will be done to the instrument, they are designed to do this. Sideways bending should be avoided at all costs, it is the commonest cause of damage. Later models of Mitutoyo have a groove in the pointer which acts as a safety to break before the mechanism is damaged.

The main thing, Derek is to get lots of practice, read one of the books on turning and gradually the turning will become second nature. Always remember to use the safe practices and never become complacent, having a healthy respect for the machinery is the best policy.

I made a rear parting toolpost for the Smart & Brown model A which takes industrial 26 and 32mm blades. The top half can be turned around and it is positioned right on the edge of the cross slide. No adjustment is required, as the carbide inserts are not ever sharpened. Because the forces are upwards, I also added a rear saddle lock, which was easy as the rear screw hole for the travelling steady was in exactly the right position, and the locking screw passes through the existing tapping in the saddle. The locking clamp is easy to remove if the travelling steady is used. It is visible in the picture.

I am left handed, but only use my left hand exclusively for writing, otherwise it is whichever hand is more convenient. The only thing which I think is essential if you are left handed are scissors. One day I will buy one of the left handed digital calipers, but only because they are easier for anyone using a lathe. I feel sorry for anyone, right or lefthanded who cannot manage 95% of things with either hand.

It is a shame, even if the modern ones were just for the super rich, not at all like the Nortons of the sixties and seventies.

If you can dismantle it into smaller parts and strap them to pallets it will be safer. That is what we did when the museum inherited the Tom Senior mill and the Atlas lathe. Then a pallet truck and a vehicle with a tail lift can be used. Watch the weight, though, the van which was lent to us had to make two runs because it was only a four wheeler.

You could have a look at the hard drive in your laptop to see if it is the old ATA, or the current SATA connections. The old ATA connections consist of a double row of pins about 45mm long, the SATA ones are much shorter. If the connection is SATA, then it is worth buying a 240Gb 2 1/2" SSD drive for the pc. Since that drive is a common current type, it will still be useful when the laptop is finally retired. An SSD will give the pc a new lease of life.

Old pc's running out of date operating systems are best kept off the internet. The increasing problem with them are the electrolytic capacitors failing on older motherboards and power supply units. It is possible to replace them, and the skills needed can be learned, and I recommend googling "madcaps forums", a very valuable source of expertise on the subject.

I had an Atco mower with a Villiers midget engine, and when it fell to bits, the carburettor got put on one of those sixties mopeds with the two speed gearbox. I can't remember the make, but it did 35 mph after the mod.

No, I had the left one 18 months ago, and am waiting for the right. The left was full replacement and lining the patella, and the right hopefully will be partial on the inside half.

I am 70 and have to have Lisinopril and Indipamide for slightly high blood pressure, or I wouldn't be allowed on the waiting list for my second Knee replacement.

Steve, all of the three jaw chucks for the museum's lathe and the er25 collet plate have their registers intentionally reduced to allow fine adjustment of their concentricity if required. Some people get so incensed about my butchery that I'm in danger of being excommunicated, or having a fatwa against me.