Member postings for Phil P

Chris

The Hofmann rotary table was available in two guises, one has division plates and the other has a normal graduated hand wheel.

I have the 8" division plate version myself and agree with you that it is a superbly made bit of kit.

When you get one, let me know and I will send you a spead sheet showing all the available divisions and the number of holes in the plates etc.

There is a 10" one on ebay just now.

Phil

Edited By Phil P on 07/07/2019 22:11:34

OK lets put this to bed, I have stuck with cap head screws and just slightly domed the ends. The Tool "Holders" are now finished.

A few piccies.

Some people might not recognise this toolpost design, it was originally intended for an Emco lathe. I bought the original block and one tool holder from Neil Hemingway in Rochdale many years ago.

The quick change toolpost visible at the back of the cross slide is like a miniature Dixon type but the tool holders are less than 2" long so it is tiny. It gets used with various parting and grooving tools as well as chamfering and boring bars, all upside down of course. I have made a few special holders for this one as well.

Phil

Having now seen how much these square headed screws are going to cost me, the true Yorkshireman instinct has brought me to my senses and I am going to stick with cap heads and just modify the contact end so the thread cannot burr up.

I am now making an additional four toolholders each having three screws, but the seven I already have are currently fitted with cap heads and have been for the last 25 years or so.

33 new square head screws would be very costly, so cap heads all round is the plan, anyway thanks for all the advice guys.

Phil

Hi Barry

Thanks for the info, but they do not seem to do M5 ones, or if they do I could not see them.

I thought the prices were for a pack of 10, but it seems they are the price each !!, so I am not too worried that they don't have what I need.

I will have to keep searching, I know they are available somewhere, because they are used on the small "Multifix" cloned toolposts.

Cheers

Phil

Hi

Does anyone know where I can buy some M5 x 25mm or 20mm long square headed set screws please, these are to fit some quick change toolposts I am making.

Thanks

Phil

Just a quick update on this one.

I have just finished a total rebuild and refurbishment of the Fobco as a standard bench drill, but whilst doing it was offered a Boxford PD8 floor standing eight speed drill fitted with inverter speed control also.

So I have decided to to buy the Boxford instead and let the Fobco go to a new home. See adverts section.

Phil

That industrial stand is worth a bob or two on its own.

When my dad bought his brand new Super 7 (belongs to me now) in the late 80's, he insisted on having that type of stand but was told they no longer made them as they were too expensive to produce with the rolled edge tray etc.

They ended up finding a good secondhand one and re-finishing it just to sell my dad the new lathe.

Phil

Edited By Phil P on 13/06/2019 19:22:05

Rob

I have just sent you a private message. I have a parts diagram that might help you.

Phil

I have the whole series as a scanned PDF, but it is way too large to send as an attachment.

Phil

Hi Nick

I know it might not be in the spirit of doing everything yourself, but you can buy a 2mm chucking reamer in the UK for less than £2 post free on Ebay, even if the quality is not perfect I think at that price I would be tempted to buy one and try a test hole before making one.

Phil

Yes, it is Mike Sayers from the Pickering club.

Phil

I hobbed the gears for Mike's Bentley blower engine supercharger, it was about eight or nine years ago but the wait has been worth it to see the finished result.

It will either inspire all of us to do better model engineering, or just give up and take up knitting or something. !!

Phil

He told us it has cost him Aus $11000 to do the round trip and have the model air freighted over with insurance etc.

Phil

I went yesterday, excellent show I thought.

Here's Mike's Bentley, worth going even if that was the only exhibit on show.

This chap had come all the way from Australia to exhibit a model Saunderson tractor.

He is taking the Duke of Edinborough award back with him as well.

Does anyone know if there is any truth in the rumour that the show will be be going back to Harrogate at some point ?

Phil

Can you not just put the reamer back through them ?

I would not use emery paper in a drill myself, it would end making them bell mouthed which is not good.

Phil

Having looked at lots of photo's on Google, I think the wind up table system was only fitted to the 7/8 model and bigger machines.

I am a bit undecided what to do at the moment, I currently have one of the typical cheapo Chinese pillar drills, and whilst it is just about capable of drilling holes, there is not much else good to say about it really.

All my other machine tools apart from a bandsaw are good old fashioned British made quality items, and I would like my drill to be the same.

I might just buy the Fobco if the price is right and mount it on a fabricated stand and see how I get on with it for now.

Phil

Has anyone on here ever converted the bench mounted version of this drilling machine into a floor standing one by simply swapping the 55mm diameter column for a longer one ?

Looking at photo's of both it seems the floor standing one has both a bigger base and table. I was wondering about bolting the smaller base to a frame to increase its footprint, but would be interested to hear any opinions or suggestions please.

I have a chance to buy a bench model locally and would want to also make a new extended spindle for it to accept 2MT drills and chucks instead of the JT6 one fitted as standard. That would take up more working height hence the reason for converting to floor standing.

Thanks

Phil

Hi Michael

Thanks for that info, it looks like i already have a full set in that case, so search over.

Its curious that 32 collets are mentioned though, I make it 29 for that set.

Phil

Hi Andrew

You may well be right about that, I recently bought a 3/64" collet from "Myford" on ebay, only to be refunded and told it was out of stock. Maybe they never had one in the first place !!

I would be interested to hear from anyone else who actually has one just to confirm either way if they were ever available.

Thanks

Phil

Edited By Phil P on 06/05/2019 11:30:22

Hi Gray

That looks to be a superb bit of machining you have accomplished there.

A pal of mine has just finished a Meek clutch for his Warco lathe, (with a bit of help from myself with 3D CAD drawings and gear hobbing etc. We took the liberty of "enhancing" the design in a few areas. 

It will be displayed on the Bradford MES stand at Doncaster next weekend, after that I will take some photo's before he refits it to the lathe, and send you some copies.

Hope you are well.

Phil

Edited By Phil P on 05/05/2019 14:23:13