hi from Belfast ...

well mate you could be right because i have no clue as to what it is but i will say the chisel part looks like it was sharp at one time so if it supported something it should have been more squared off imo .... the sad part is it will prob get binned as i have no use for it ...

As before, don't rush to bin it. Firstly a Myford Vertical slide is not a cheap attachment, and secondly it gives you the ability to do basic small milling tasks in the lathe, so binning (!!) or selling it will only reduce what you can do with your new investment.

My money would be on a double swivel vertical slide with an indexing attachment fitted to it. The item that SOD has labelled "support" is the detent plunger that engages with the space between teeth on the indexing gear that is fitted to the end of the main shaft, (labelled as missing pulley by SOD ). The holder for the detent plunger can be slid along the slot to accommodate various diameters, and hence tooth count, of the indexing gear wheel. My guess would be that the two "roller" type parts could be to carry/guide a weighted cord that is used to ensure that the indexing gear is kept against the appropriate face of the indexing detent plunger.

i will keep the slide and see if anyone wants the other part for the cost of post ....

sounds like you know what you are talking about mate and i didn't have a clue as i'm new to lathes ....

I wouldn't be in too much of a rush to get rid of the indexing unit, especially just for the cost of postage. Even though you say most of your work will be on motorbikes it would be handy to have that unit when you need to cut the hexagon heads on those "very special" bolts that the main dealer wants an arm and a leg for, or for that special adaptor that needs bolt holes spacing on a pcd - and there are 13 holes or similar. It won't cost anything to keep on a shelf for the time being until you are absolutely convinced that you'll never need it.

At the moment if you're new to lathes don't throw anything out or give it away until you've found out what it is and what it can be used for. As you get more experience you'll find uses for all sorts of stuff that you won't even recognise at the moment.

Hi Gary, wondering which type of motorcycling you enjoy?

Jim

been on the road for 38 years now and i have had them all .. x7 cb900 gpz600r r1 gsxr1000 z900rs zzr1400 xjr1300 to name just some of the bikes ... now that i'm midway through my fifties i own a suzuki vzr 1800 cruiser aka m109r ..

i love the cruiser and it suits my more relaxed style of riding now and i really don't know how i'm still alive after some of the antics i got up to when i was young and on the sports bikes ... do you ride a bike yourself ?

Back in the day, ie 1960's I rode an Enfield Bullet, BSA A7 and A10, Triumph 110 and a Rudge Special. Following a big-off I realised that sticking to 4 wheels might be a good idea as I believe every one had a limited amount of luck and mine was about to run out. Still enjoy attending the odd race meeting.

Jim

yeah i go to the northwest 200 and ulster grand prix most years but they have slowly ruined the races by fencing the track off and pushing people further back .. it's crap being so far back and 5 rows of people in front of you ...

Then you would have enjoyed the classic era when you could stroll through the pits (even at Dundrod), give a rider a push should he need one and sit on the bank with the lads racing by within inches of your legs. For some reason this was later considered unwise and occasionally even dangerous for both rider and spectator. After watching a sidecar outfit leap the hedge at Leathemstown Bridge and land not far from me I realised why.

And it was totally free entertainment. As a racing friend once said, there are few sporting events where the competitors pay to entertain the spectators outside motorcycle racing.

I enjoy the Southern 100 Races - The Friendly Races, which are the nearest you will get to the 'old days'.

Jim

oh don't worry Jim i did enjoy the days when you were 18 inches from flat out bikes and going to the NW200 for the whole weekend and having a good laugh and piss up ... health and safety has a hold on everything now it's just the way it is ... i remember walking up to Joe Dunlop and having a chat in the pits and watching him and others work on their bikes the smell of petrol everywhere and him standing with a fag in his mouth ...ah the good old days ...

Hi Gary

I believe the plate mounted to the spindle on the vertical slide is for mounting a gear train to enable dividing. The fact that there is a plunger or detente fixed to the plate confirms this IMHO.

In fact, after looking at Lawrence Sparey's book "The Amateur's Lathe", pages 178 & 9 figures 195 & 6 the very thing is shown as a photo and as an engineering drawing.

The book is available S/H on a well known auction site for under a tenner. Dad bought my copy for 21 shillings in 1970!

The book and the dividing head are both useful bits of kit.

HTH

Dave

Edited By David Davies 8 on 27/02/2022 21:39:51

thanks mate .. the only thing i know for sure is it has not been used for a while and even though there are a few parts missing it weighs a ton ...

My curiosity got the better of me and I bought this item ! The Myford swiveling slide is remove. As soon as I saw it everything fell into place ! The "handle" is a Myford driver plate, This is screwed onto the spindle that runs through the bearings, the spindle is Myford form. The other end of the spindle is 5/8" and keywayed with a fine threaded retaining cap ! The 2 "belt pullies" are carriers with loose bushes 5/8"dia and keywayed and the pointy item is a detent. The gear holders are long enough to take 2 wheels. There is a lock on the spindle and a pair of stauffer greasers. It uses Myford change wheels. All neatly made

USE ! Using the 4 bolt holes, bolt down to a machine. Attach chuck or face plate to the spindle nose to hold the work. set up a gear train eg 40t on the detent, 20/60 X 25/75 and you have a dividing train of 360 divisions. Not sure what I'll use it for but very interesting. Those of you with a better imagination than I may choose to send ideas as to what ! may use it for ? Noel.