Member postings for flintlockand steel

Hello

Perhaps it wasn't clear but I have the aluminium one from the replica which will serve as a pattern.

I'll try Union Steam and see if they can help.

 

Might sound a bit strange but I'd really appreciate assistance with this.

I have a cast iron Victorian inkwell commemorating Daniel Lambert (1770-1809). Daniel was the Georgian period's fattest man at 52st+.

I've had this for 51 years and last week found a 20th Century copy (in aluminium) complete with Top Hat (inverted by his side as a candle holder).

I'd like to complete my old original casting but don't have the facilities.

The top hat is only about 25x25mm and hollow.

Could anyone help?

Cast iron would be great, though aluminium or brass is probably more practical.

Thank you in anticipation

Jon

Thank you all for the valuable information.

Being a first (but second hand) lathe I had made assumptions as regarding it's setup.

Taking all on board I now have managed to set it to an accuacy of 0.01mm in 75mm (the 75mm being the rod length).

Mounted on a leveled sheet of 18mm ply and a small adjustment to the tail stock, I achieved the above.

I think it would take too long to improve on this and without doing the really nice and useful modifications to the tailstock I saw on one recomended site I think this will have to do.

I only turn screws for my old flintlocks and a 0.01mm tolerence is fine.

Thank you

Hello again

Back from India which was a nice warm way to spend Christmas.

I,ve discovered the head and tail stock were about 2mm out of alignment!

Never assume a second hand lathe is set up properly.

I've now adjusted the tailstock (which is awkward to do) and got the centres to meet - looks spot on. So good, so far.

Set to turning a 10mm rod (using a live centre) and was surprised to find that I now appear to have the opposite problem to the one I started with. The turning looks to be about 0.4mm less at the tailstock end. I say looks to be as I only have a digital vernier gauge to hand and it can be a bit of a pig a) to read in poorer light and b) it doesn't always reset to 0. Overall though, there is a difference.

I'm now thinking the tailstock might just be slightly over adjusted despite the centres looking good. I feel the tailstock is just that bit too close to the tool.

Any comments or confirmations greatly appreciated.

Jon

 

Thank you all for the valuable input. I'm almost out of time to do anything now before I go on holliday, but I'll have a really good look at everything once I'm back.

Just goes to show how many potential variables there are with these things and even aparently solid imovable parts which one may accept initially as corect may be the cause of wasted time, frustration and grief.

Merry Christmas to all

Jon

Had a bit of time to think it through and respond to your Q & A's.

It is a Clarke CL300m.

As regards cutting I'm obviously going in with the compound slide and traversing either manually or engaging the screw cutter / leadscrew for auto traverse.

Threads are cut later with a die.

Using a live centre

I did wonder if the headstock had some play but nothing apparent there.

Last night I cut a 30mm screw to hold the frizzen (flash pan cover). This first passes through a saddle (steel spur projecting from the flash pan, through the frizzen then screws into the lock.

It starts fine and is a good fit in the saddle but not being parallel the pan is slack and wobbles and the screw undersized where it meets the lock. It's only threaded where it meets the lock.

Now in daylight I can see that when I bring the live centre up to the bar it's a hint off centre. This after drilling with a centering bit.

The tailstock bolts down solid onto the bed so where is my error arising?

Finally it was the upper compound slide that I rotated (very awkward to reach and adjust) to cut a bevel and it is this that I thought was causing the error despite it having been re-zeroed on the scale.

I've just noticed my Clarke vari speed lathe is cutting out of true. It gets light use, mainly cutting new screws for old flintlocks etc, so it's simple work.

Last night I spent an hour in a cold shed only to realise the 2 screws I'd cut tapered! Thicker at the live centre end.

About 0.02/3mm over 50mm

A while back I did swivel the tool post for an awkward cut. I thought I'd re-aligned it correctly on the scale. Perhaps not.

Is this the likely cause or is there something more serious going on.

Being awkward to adjust at the best of times how should I proceed to get it spot on again?

I believe the one my supplier uses is 100-125mm and mounted vertically on a bench grinder the same way a grinding wheel is.

I think if I knew the precise name or term for this brush I could find it. If I put in soft wire brush etc I get everything but the item I'm looking for

 

Hi

I frequently need to polish up new steel castings and the supplier recomends and uses a "very very soft" stainless steel brush like really fine wire wool mounted on a grinder.

Does anyone know where I can get these in the UK?

PS the supplier couldn't find the manufacturer's details so I'm asking here

 

Thanks for the links there John

Arc are listing it as out of stock. I'd really like to have this up and running as soon as possible. There must be another UK supplier but if I type in C2-FC250J I only get this forum or Arc.

Yes I looked at the US site but given the potential costs I think it will be quicker and probably cheaper to buy new in the UK.

Jon

Hi John

You've been so helpful, I hate to give up on this, but time etc is against any further repairs. The motor was fine before so I'm assuming it still is and the problem is in the board.

Any idea what the part number is with Arc? I tried typing in SMT and drew a blanc.

 

Jon

 

 

Ooops didn't see the last post there. I sorted out the FETs but thought to give it a quick test at that stage.

Not happy. Now, as soon as mains power is switched on (while the speed control is off) the chuck twitches then the fuse blows, where as previously it was running flat out.

Really think I need to get this board off for a thorough checking as it's a trip to Leeds every time and in time and money, that's prohibitive.

Any recomendations as to where to send it?

I guess a replacement board is horribly expensive.

 

Jon

Hi John

Yes 1 FET is totally gone, and the other is doubtful.

If I'm reading this correctly the diode & resistor combo replace the link while the cap bridges to D7.

What are the turquoise lines?

 

Jon

Hi John

Just to say thanks for all the info. After spending some time searching suppliers I went with Farnell as they don't lock you in to large pack quantities. Also orders over £20 from UK stock are free shipping (min card order is £20). As it is it's cheaper for me to drive to Leeds than order on line. Other suppliers were almost double the cost for the bits with their shipping charges.

I may still need the odd pointer but hopefully all'ssorted and I'll have a working lathe by the weekend.

Jon

 

Hi John

I forgot to ask. P1-3 are these the little pre-set pots on the board?

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