Member postings for Ajohnw

My recollection of the MEW one is that it was a minor variation on a pin striking a star wheel. I don't think I was too happy with the choice of material in places.

Actually I wasn't asking about it but suggesting Neil might post it as a freebee that might be of interest to others but it seems that it isn't old enough. I thought i had a copy of the edition that it was in but it seems to have gone awol. It took the magazine for a while after it came out but didn't find much of interest so stopped buying it. The things I generally find of interest in a mag are the unusual tools not common ones.

In terms of tooling I might make I have interest in a toolpost grinder, tool grinder and finishing a rotary table I started some time ago. Stopped because a small home made one came with my Dore Westbury. Also the alignment of a Chinese lathe I was making it on. My Boxford is more than capable of doing the work. The home made one needed a little bit of extra work to make it work well but when a strap fitted to it was removed the casting cracked. It still works well enough but I should finish the other one. My dividing head is home made too and too small really. Another job maybe at some point but I might just fit a bigger worn wheel to it.

Boring head I have. It's more than adequate, home made and probably on it's 3rd owner at least. I can get it to face on the mill if needed.

My immediate aims are to replace the front bearing on my Boxford as I suspect it will cure a minor niggle I have with it. Finish off sorting out a Pultra and also starting on a Wabeco 4000 that I feel should turn a little better than it currently does. I've already bought a bigger rack feed handle for it and a spring guard for the lead screw. Plus a replacement tool post for it. I can get a decent parting off tool on it now.

At least my tidy up and sort out is showing slight signs of finishing. I'm absolutely gob smacked how many reamers I have now they are all together. I've nearly found everything I thought I had now too. Just a few things to go.

John

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My email remains unanswered as well so snap.

The feed for facing on the ones I have seen are all based around a pin striking a starred wheel of some kind. I'd guess there are other ways of doing it so wonder most about that aspect.

John

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Reading the Draper wiki it suggests that they chose a manufacturer for the mic's they sell. I might have misunderstood the comment bought which should have been buying items off them. To be honest I was more interested in the sale. I had assumed Draper had an American connection as well, not British.

My feeling is that Shardlow was the best which is probably why it's gone. The best always costs. I doubt if my 0-1" by them will ever wear out. It reads to 1/10,000" too and unlike many has a slightly heavier frame to cope with that.

Discounted Starrett might work out cheaper than Mitutoyo for the same basic accuracy which is where the cheaper stuff tends to fall down. In fact they usually don't state it even in the case of this Draper one. Starrett like thimble ratchets though which means that it's more difficult to apply differing pressures to flat, round and sharp corners etc. I have to buy Starrett imperial rules from the USA - why, I can read them to better than 0.005" and mm rules don't come with fine graduations.

I've no idea how digital mic's work. A clue might be the early ones that added a counter. Something similar could be done in a number of ways electronically. I find them cumbersome as the frames are generally a lot heavier to try and get them to read accurately to 1um. My feeling is that this is a step too far by a factor of 3 at least in normal use.

John

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I suspect Hopper best take a file with him to add a bit of a groove to 303 where the fixing screw meets it as mentioned earlier. i suspect a little bit of 303 needs stick out each side of the casting to form a bearing surface so drilling might be hit and miss were as mark with screw and then file a depressions should come out ok.

John

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I did have a Draper finger DTI set bought from RSComponents at very high cost. I sold it eventually as I prefer plunger types and expected a fair price based on what I paid for it and RS still listed it. The person who bought it reckoned Draper had bought Mitutoyo, a couple of others agreed. As they suddenly started producing expensive measurement gear that sounded right to me. Apart from the name on the dial they were identical as well even down to the fingers and fittings that came with it. It's very hard to know who own who these days. I wondered if Black & Decker had some hand in it some where or the other as they are always buying companies up and initially getting them to produce something with B&D on it. Sometimes it's just a case of some company owning a lot of the shares of another or some sort of collaboration.

I wouldn't expect a Draper mic to be equal quality wise to one from Mitutoyo though who ever made it but they have been trying with the expert range. American companies are good at borrowing a lot of money to buy others out so who knows. Some like Ford are ailing but still manage to do it.

I have a set of Mitutoyo mic's bought some time ago when most who were cost concious would have bought M&W. I much prefer Shardlow and Starret but the price was right and having bought a metric chinese lathe I wanted metric mics. At the time they were the only people fitting carbide anvils. People had started raving about them but I recently found out why they had fitted carbide anvils. They had been left in the foam lined wooden box they came in for 10+ years. The foam has degraded and the plating has come of one of the mic spindles. I'd guess if I used a file on it I would find that the spindle isn't even hardened. The Japanese have dominated several technical areas by doing this sort of thing. Looks good but doesn't last as long as the older western equivalents and are much cheaper as well.

John

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Edited By John W1 on 26/09/2015 13:41:24

Perhaps the other 323 in 326 locates it. It doesn't seem to have any other purpose. It looks like 326 is still attacjed in the shot. Maybe they dropped the other bits and decided to rely on the ball to hold the dog clutch in place or the parts have worked loose so just need resetting.

John

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Vertex is made in Taiwan and I believe is a brand handled entirely by Rotagrip. I do know that he has used aerospace companies to manufacture one part from discussions with him so suspect all are. He was having a problem with it but nothing to do with the manufacture, more the way it worked and what it was used on.

Not sure where Sorba are made.

John

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It looks to me that 320 holds 324 in Jason however there are several grub screws about.

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What's needed is a photo of the underside of the block. The screw positions will make it clear as to what holds what. There is also a 323 going into 326 so the drawing might be wrong. That one might keep 324 in place. They could also modify the 326 so that the gear holds 324 in place. 325 is an "oil cup". Brian should be able to tell if 324 is really held in 326.

The other end is pretty straight forwards.

All to save a rack, gear and handle plus a clasp nut but I suppose it is cheaper.

John

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Edited By John W1 on 26/09/2015 09:15:57

My 3-4" micrometer is a bit of a mess but I had no intention of replacing it until I saw this on ebay - seller nothing to do with me etc

**LINK**

I don't know what has happened to the draper mitutoyo arrangement but they did own them and probably still do. At one point they sold some very expensive items with the draper name on them that were obviously mitutoyo. These mic's were a lot more expensive than this but they now only do 0-25 and 25-50 so suppose they are clearance.

Not a size I use that often and I don't like digital mic's anyway as they tend to be rather cumbersome to use but 75-100mm are anyway so decided to risk buying one.

John

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Edited By John W1 on 25/09/2015 17:35:05

I'm pretty sure Brian has pulled the knob out so given that everything else is ok should be able to push it back in as all that holds it in is the detent - 317,319,318.. It look like 320 hold 324 in place and 323 locks 320 otherwise the set up wouldn't work.

What I think has happened is that the bush by the handle has come out so that needs a fix. What I would suggest first is to loosen 302 right off, push the bush 303 in with a clean surface up towards the screw that holds it in place. Tighten the screw which will mark the bush, remove a file a groove in it to suit the end of the screw. This will mean pushing the lead screw back in place. It will have to be rotated so that parts 311 and 322 mesh with each other. I'd guess that the bush has a little sticking out of the casting at each end when it's in the correct place.

The set up reminds me of a Hobbymat so there may be another problem if the feed didn't engage easily and became stiff. The tongue on 324 and the mating slot in 322 burr over. These aught to be hardened but aren't as supplied on a Hobbymat. The fix is to dismantle and see what is fouling and clean it up with a file. Not using too much force on the knob can help prevent the problem - these parts wont mate until they line up. Also engaging and disengaging smartly.

In order to get the knob and shaft 314 back in place 318 may have to be slackened off or even removed. Make sure the ball and spring aren't lost. The peg on the end of it will locate in the slot in part 322 so it should be possible to see the orientation needed when it is pushed back in. Adjust 318 until the detent works nicely.

There should be no need to touch 323 which locks the 320 screw in place.

John

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I've noticed that using molasses and it's not at all easy to get off. Seems to have a different effect on different types of iron / steel as well.

John

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I think some one would be more likely to buy a lathe that looked like it did before the treatment Neil.

John

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The best introduction to one method of removing rust is probably here

**LINK**

There are then plenty of ideas about on the web. This should include a towel soaked in the solution with a steel plate on top. for things like lathe beds.

I've not tried it but there are some results to be seen on a site called stargazerslounge. It looks to be the most effective method of the lot.

Might as well add the machine tool dealers method that in part is based on the fact that machines have usually been oiled frequently. It's pretty simple paraffin and grade 400 wet and dry. You could also try the kitchen scourers that look like the plastic sanding cloths. Afraid I can't remember what those are called because if I want one I use the kitchen type.

John

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Edited By John W1 on 24/09/2015 18:19:58

I agree with Neil. The preferred cutting direction will be determined by motor rotation and best performance by the position of the drive axis to the crank. Myfordboy offers what looks to me to be a well sorted design but unlike most info he provides he charges £10 for the plans. Googling myfordboy compact power hacksaw will find it and videos showing it's use.

My initial reaction to this thread was why not buy a horizontal bandsaw instead. When I sorted my saw out they were so cheap that it was really questionable if it was worth making one. Looking on ebay that doesn't seem to be the case now. The only problem with the cheap one I bought is that the cut length stop doesn't work very well, not much of a problem really. I was buying materials to make one and the retailer said are you sure and suggested I bought it instead. The design I was looking at was very compact. The bandsaw type significantly bigger.

John

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The MEW one I was thinking about was more like a common type of commercial boring and facing head.

The interesting thing about them really is the feed mechanisms. The boring head aspect might be described as well boring. It's just a slide. As long as it's strong enough and well fitted nothing else much matters but I do think it will help to keep the weight up as well.

John

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I've seen all sorts of arguments like that Muzzer. trouble is it doesn't happen - not on well made ones anyway or on any lathe that I am likely to have at home. They do slip round on some lathes - if they have enough power and the cut is big enough. I'd guess this is why they have added the serrations on the multifix types.

As I see it the Dickson style is an old a trusted design that does its job that people have lusted after for a very long time if they didn't have one. Something new comes out and ...........................

Anyway there are other things that would flex more before the tool post flexed such as the base of the holders. A common feature on all of them. Best rigidity is physical contact between the tool and the top of the slide even if this is the ordinary 4 way or a correctly designed lantern type.

John

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Thanks Thor those may interest others. I have a perfectly adequate boring head that I posted a shot of earlier but facing with it now isn't so easy due to the see saw attachment it needs to face.

I'd make a couple of points about many of the ones that are about. One of the reasons mine is heavy, bit short of 4kg, is to provide some fly wheel effect. The main body is a lot heftier than it need be. It was from castings but the same could be done from square section steel rather than round. This then gives a nice long slide and there can be more tool positions than the usual small round ones. The very dear commercial heads tend to be a lot bigger. This is probably more important when the head is used for facing but always having a good length of contact in the dovetails must be good for rigidity. If I made a round one I would probably base the main body on 4in dia steel 2 to 3in thick.

I think mine was designed by Westbury hence the actual tool holder being bolted onto the slide. That way if I ever need it for something I hadn't thought of I can quickly make something to fit to it. He's also the sort of person that would think about flywheel effects for interrupted cuts and general smoothness. Some of the older designs are pretty clever really. Why use a plain bore in the universal dividing head for instance. It even makes sense if it's going be fitted with a collet chuck.

Mine fits on a myford spindle nose. Matches the miller and I have a 3 morse to myford adapter for my boxford.

Michael posted a link showing me how I can get it to face on my miller - a dore westbury. Silly me. It will be tight but I could mount the see saw on the quill using the ring that carries the quill travel stop. Fitting it to the lathe wont be so easy. For that the type with a ring that's moved to engage the feed would be easier. I think that the MEW one worked like that but my memory of the details is sketchy.

John

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As it was a boring and facing head it looks like it must have been the one in 2001. That is around the correct period.

John

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I don't expect any problem selling it Steve.

The dickson type has arrived. I will need to make a new bolt to hold it down as it's a bit taller than the multifix. There is a sort of projecting boss round the bolt hole which I suspect is fixed in place and wont come out otherwise it would be fine. The wabeco bolts also needs sleeving to match the bore of the holder.

I have a lot of the dickson style of holders with various things in them for the boxford. If I take one set correctly for the Boxford the tool just comes out a touch low on the wabeco. Not ideal but a minor problem really. It looks like the difference is too small to allow me to shim up the the actual tool post. The toolpost came with 2 extra holders as well. I sometime think I never have enough of them at times.

John

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The wall will help with that as like block work sound and vibration wise it's pretty dead.

I've also stabelised legs at the bottom by fastening them to the floor - even if they are wood. Fastening to the wall will also prevent anything tipping side ways. MDF seems to be pretty dead too.

John

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John

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