Member postings for Bazyle

Strictly speaking it isn't a wood lathe headstock just a standard one that has had bits sawn off. - the front part of the backgear guard and the rear arms for the layshaft. Headstocks do appear from time to time on ebay.. You can still get a lot done without backgear and some modern lathes don't have it nor the old Drummond roundbed.

Google it. I had thought being a lead based one it wouldn't be available but it seems to be from various suppliers. Just glancing at the Google synopsis there is some variation in the declared melting point that might need further investigation.

The software is developed by someone (or team) and signed off by their manager. Why do these people never actually use it to find the faults? All the other forums have issues too.
Trouble with keyboard shortcuts is you have to put down your coffee to use lots of them. Although I'm new to computers, started as recently as 1973, I do find the mouse better than punched cards.

The leadscrew clutch handle is a significant identifying feature.

You can see the other centre in the base that they needed for turning the spigot. This method would have been a lot faster for production that trying to set up in a (uncommon at the time) 4 jaw chuck. Interesting also to see the hole in the base that the nut needs for removal. I wonder if they thought of that in the first pattern for the prototype.
The Boxford cross slide nut has a threaded hole down the middle, a hole going sideways and the idea is that a suitably shaped screw pushes a short wedge ended rod against the side of the hole to hold it.
The drawing for the assembly that is around on the net shows it the nut the wrong way round so that the cutting force is taken by the rod not the larger area of the spigot. I don't recommend this method.
Also some lathes have a hole down the spigot to the thread for oiling but that attracts swarf.

I think it is a tight push fit in order not to contribute to play in that axis. Mine does not have a centre dimple but has a steel sleeve evident suggesting it was bushed to tighten it up. It is also very slightly proud of the surface while yours is flush. I suspect yours has been peened to tighten it.

The dimple does not mean it was threaded but might have been turned to size between centres as that was common back then. Often older parts have a boss cast in to make the centre, perhaps opposite a turned section which can look a bit out of place subsequently. (the over arm of some small die filers is a very good example - see my Excel die filer album)

However I'm interested to hear your findings as I still have to take mine apart sometime 

Edited By Bazyle on 19/09/2022 18:15:43

A similar previous thread

Definitely get a junior hacksaw. The blades are harder and thinner than a regular hacksaw and cheaper to replace when trashed on a hard spot.
If getting new files put red tape on them and save for brass and aluminium. When blunted move to steel. Meanwhile get used files from boot sale etc for steel. Make handles using scraps of copper pope as ferules - no you don't need a wood lathe to make a file handle, square will do or a bit of broom handle.

If you are anywhere near St Albans we are having our club exhibition with a used tool stand nest weekend, 24/25 Sept.

If you are a member of a club they often have available bits of metal in little auctions of a sales table at meetings though some will moan that it is of unknown origin, type, quality etc. You could get a few bits in standard sizes like 1/4,3/8,1/2 or metric equivalents as they are bound to be used one day. If you are concerned about precise size then get the next 1/16 up and you will soon have some undersized bits as you practice turning them down to precision bar.

Another pain in the ... is the assumption that because you have internet access you must have a mobile phone signal in your house not standing on the roof to get the confirmation code.

As well as size and weight don't forget power consumption can both fry your bank balance and your fusebox.

By the way have you looked at your passport where it says place of birth? I hadn't noticed before last week that it gives the city but not the country of my birth, which happens not to be in the UK though it is, I thought, the well known capital of a not too obscure country. On entering Italy the passport official had to ask me where it was, and on exiting my sister got asked where her town of birth was (slightly less well known as their civil war did not result in independence).

Since lots of place names get duplicated round the world for a variety of reasons a passport is not so definitive as one might think.

Hope you are not using the drum switch as the main on/off. That will burn the contacts - you need to get a 'no volt release' unit. Probably got that in the Myford wiring but in case you decided to use this motor on some other little project.

A 6mm endmill seems way too large for a 10mm collet though as I only have 8mm ones I don't have the same sense of their capability. A 3mm on a 6smm shank yes, I think lathework with watchmaker's collets is also different, lower stress, especially if working with a graver. So for turning one might get on ok making a 1/4" winding arbor because you would be going carefully knowing it was way bigger than normal.

One possible area of difference is in the nose internal angle and where abouts on the collet it is making contact. ie near the outer end or nearer the stem. Not sure which is best but it might be a difference. I take it you are comparing like with like ie using the same sized endmill in the late. Never liked the concept of gripping a dead hard mill with a hard collet both polished as that is just how you design bearings to slip.

You might want to call in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Have a look at ebay and you see lots of silly adds with 10-20 or even more and silly prices to boot. Ask yourself why you wouldn't bid for such an item (ignoring your large collection). Nobody wants to buy anything less than 2 inches nor more than a handful at a time. Then as you see from posts on here most of the beginners want to go with lblunt carbide 'sets' because they think grinding HSS is some kind of major skill.

Actually it's just given me an idea. A bucket at club meetings or in clubhouse for unused and spare bits - bring one in and take one for 50p.

Look for a lathe headstock with ball bearings (so post ww2) that is fully enclosed for rigidity and as it won't provide a quill feed if you need that a saddle & cross slide from a larger lathe which will need some brutal machining to reduce to just the slide. Though I would suggest it would be better, at least initially, not to ape a mill drill and forgo the quill action.

The early small Bridgeport head was often grafted onto the horizontal support for a A&S 1ES.

The toggle is at the top. It could come loose if one is used at the bottom as it is not always under tension in the wind.

The normal 'everyday' flag is indeed the cross of St George (whom we all know wasn't even English) but at times of national significance is replaced by the Union Flag or a special one. So since the Jubilee we have flown the jubilee modified version but replaced it with the normal Union Flag (at half mast) after receiving the news of the Queen's death. Raised it to full mast for the proclamation of the new king for 24 hours then halfway down again but will revert to the cross at 8am on the day after the funeral. The Union Flag will be up again for the coronation. Eco considerations now preclude all night illumination and HSE factors (and age of churchwardens) save us from running it up and down too often.
It gets complicated as the CofE can make recommendations but the PCC is actually in charge locally and vicars are only in control of the religious side of things.

Pete - the top three just look like they are held up by magic. I guess I am missing some obvious bracket at their outer end.

Mark - just keep an eye out for long term vibration loosening a supposedly tight grip.

After re-lowering the church tower flag to half mast at 1pm after the proclamation of the new king I had a good look around to the horizon which is some ten miles to the north but could not see a single other flag. I might borrow my neighbour's birding binoculars and have another scan tomorrow.