Member postings for Derek cottiss

These holes are for two separate pieces, not one.

Your L5 might differs in some details from mine, but I have tried to investigate this from your photograph, the Operating & Servicing Manual and my own L5 - using a torch to see what's hiding under the saddle.. The diagram is not too informative and does not show the Locking and other screws and pins.

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Those holes hold two blocks called the Front Strips, Left-hand and Right Hand; the latter having a rebate in its upper surface, both having a row of three holes according to the diagram.

These act on the underside of the overhanging shear to prevent the front of the saddle from lifting, and the locking screw must be tapped into the Front Plate, RH.

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The smaller holes - the outer ones for the FP, LH (top on your photo) and the single one you marked with a red square, are for dowels / guide-pins set into the Plates.The RH plate is the locking one, the LH plate is held with a hexagon-headed set-screw from underneath into that tapped hole.

If you look carefully at your photo, you can just see where the plates were by very slight colour changes.

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I am not sure what the rebate in the Right-Hand Front Plate does, only that it faces upwards, to the right and the front - which would reduce the locking area.

I could not see this rebate on my lathe - though I might have replaced it wrongly having had to dismantle the machine to move home! I have noticed if I am a bit too heavy-handed engaging the feed with the tool already on the work, I cause a slight dig-in by lifting the saddle, but once hands-off the lathe runs as it should - so now use the control delicately, pinching the lever and trigger between finger-and-thumb and easing it upwards.

Of course it does. You can prove it to yourself. Hold a piece of broomstick in the chuck and use a marker pen in the toolpost to draw the thread onto the wood. Alter the changewheels upstream of the gearbox and see what effect it has.

Please advise which of the manuals you have and the page number that is relevant to your machine. Do the gears you have on the machine right now match what is there?

Harrison L5 manual here (one at the top of the page, one at the bottom):

http://vintagemachinery.org/mfgindex/detail.aspx?id=3031&tab=3

I am reasonably sure it is not what you want, but am including it just in case. It is the screwcutting chart for the 'basic' L5 model:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/364215982969

the bit im finding confusing is the change wheels .it has an imperial norton box but does changing the change wheels alter the tpi on the box ?

Get some old rubber conveyor belting, may be 10mm thick and put on the floor under the machine. You do not state floor type so I take it it's not concrete ? Noel.

A long time ago in an internet galaxy far far away I recall reading the website of a chap who was taking the microwave route for smelting

He was heading up past 800 degrees C at the time, maybe his site is still out there if you search about

Here's a simple one but the more serious guys are definitely out there

You could, but you would be an irresponsible trader and, hopefully, dealt with as such.

I find ebay a valuable resource - been in it from the start with 1500+ transactions. Altering algorithms etc. has so far only resulted in making it more difficult for genuine traders whilst trying to prevent others from being stupid.
I think anyone who bought a lathe unseen and then, still unseen, paid by bank transfer would be being amazingly stupid.
Leave ebay alone please.