Member postings for Baz

I am intrigued, what has bought this about then? Am I missing something?

Darren the machine you link to doesn’t appear to have the horizontal spindle externally threaded.

Rod, it’s funny you say that, I also seem to remember something about them being casting sets, to be honest they are very basic construction, ideal for a model engineer to make. I know they used to sell a rotary table as a kit of castings. Will whip a nipple out tomorrow and see what’s behind it, grease or oil, I have never lubricated it since I purchased it. It used to belong to a deceased Basingstoke club member and when he died found its way to Home and Workshop, I purchased it from Steve Holder at an Ally Pally exhibition, the horizontal had never been used, all gunged up in that preserving grease, strangely since I have had it I have never used the vertical head, it has been permanently set up as a horizontal mill

Darren if you look on Myford-lathes.com site under milling machines, half way down the page you will see a re- painted example with only one nipple, possibly a mark 1

Just just come in from the workshop and remembered your post so had a look at my Sharp mk2 number 616, it has two nipples on the horizontal spindle. If Rod’s was the first and mine the last going by serial numbers they must have made at least 100 !

Providing the tool does not rub and is nice and sharp I don’t really think the angles are that critical, somewhere between 5 to 10 degrees will do the job.

Easy way is to buy a dehumidifier, failing that WD40 or Duck Oil sprayed regularly. You may also want to look at ACF50, it is a very good anti rusting fluid, not cheap but it does work. Usual disclaimer applies, just a satisfied customer.

Plenty of pictures and info on Lathes UK website. Never seen a mark 1 but have heard that they were a total disaster, the mark 2 however is a beautiful little mill, options included cabinet stand, power feed with three selectable feed speeds and a slotting head. Only minus point is that there is no quill downfeed, all drilling has to be done by winding up the knee. I have no idea how many were made but not very many appear on the second hand market.

Just undo the four cap head screws in the top of the saddle and remove the right hand lead screw bracket and the apron will drop away, you will then be able to see the gear that meshes with the rack.

David the way coal supply is going we may all be looking at gas firing in the future. I would imagine that a Sweet Pea / William would be a much easier conversion than a conventional loco firebox as there no obstructions, axles etc in the way, something as crude as a Sievert burner mounted on Sweet Williams firebox closure plate may do the job. I am amazed that nobody else has replied so far.

Cannot remember it being done on a Sweet William or Pea but have seen a Simplex converted.

As the dresser presumably moves in an arc across the grinding wheel am I correct in assuming the face of the wheel will be either slightly concave or convex?

Diogenes I never gave that a thought, I shall slacken them all off this morning.

I am also closing the workshop up for approximately three months, the dehumidifier will be left running with a drain running through the wall and everything will be given a generous spraying of WD40 or Duck Oil. Fortunately the house alarm system also links to the workshop so security shouldn’t be a problem.

Forgot that one! Also forgot to mention Bracknell Club, must be an age thing.

For the Surrey / Hants border I would think Guildford would be the nearest, then Basingstoke followed by Andover and Reading but they may be a bit too far away.

About 45 years ago I briefly worked for a company making flow control valves, they had a couple of capstan lathes, cannot remember if they were Ward or Herberts but they had a polygon box attachment that mounted on the turret and allowed the machining of squares or hexagons. Does anyone remember these attachments or can they explain the workings of them?

Every one that I have seen has a cast iron body. I certainly wouldn’t pay more than 50 quid for it though.

I always wanted a Wilesco, had to make do with a Mamod Traction engine and a twin cylinder stationary engine.

Edited By Baz on 26/12/2022 21:09:26

Best wishes to all for Xmas and the New Year.