What did you do today? (2014)

Not so much today but did get the conrod finished and the two bearings and bolt to suit.

In this lull in the rain I went out to unwrap and re-oil a machine I have in storage and ended up taking a bit off it. So instead of sensibly using the engine crane and big trolley I messed around with ratchet straps and my smallest skate to get the dirty 200lb lump along and over the door threshold. Really should modify that door but now the lump is cosy and dry in the living room. (no 'lump' is not code for 'wife' you will be suprised to hear I am not married.)

Well attacked the tailstock this evening.

This is what took the time

That square block replaces the round keeper, it's bored the same size as the barrel, has a fixed key fitted and a lock.

These are the bits that go in.

On the left a dummy barrel, made out of stainless because I had it in the right size, keyway nearly to the end so it can slide thru the square keep block but not come out because of the key and bushed to take the screw shaft extension.
One bush is at the end, that's the hand wheel end and the other bush is 50 mm inside because of the screw that sticks out.

This dummy barrel is not connected to anything, it slides in the square block and pushes on the original barrel. The screw extension is just that, the outer end mimic the end of the screw where the hand wheel fits and the other end is threaded into the screw.

This is the only part that has to be modified from original in that it has to be secured to the original screw either by drilling and pinning or loctite. I used loctite but if push comes to shove you can break the seal.

This is it assembled.



Linkage isn't finished.
It need a clamp block right at the far end next to the handwheel to take that bar that has P [ pivot ] on it and C [ clamp ].
There is a C on the end of the dummy barrel.

To use you unlock the orange lever that the lever feed will push the barrel out nearly 6" pull it back, lock the orange lever and you get 4 1/2" of screw feed.

However you can use both together if you want screw in on fine feed whist drilling, lever out to clear chips, lever back in, lock, and carry on using the handwheel.
or lever in to get up to the job, lock, then hand wheel, or if it's just fast drill use the lever feed on it's own.

Not a new idea, Clausing had a similar arrangement but it means buying a new barrel and screw so spendy. This way need no modification to the machine [ except for the dab of loctite ] and nothing has to be to microns, no taper to cut in fact it's that agricultural I did the lot with now drawings at all.

max usable travel.

... Nifty !!

MichaelG.

John,

Great minds ?

Already worked out where I can get the two screws without being in plain sight, not that it matters, and miss the graduations.

They are not that critical as I'm fitting one of the cheap linear scales with remote DRO to it.

Got these on the other lathe and they work fine for what i do. I know you have a proper DRO on yours but for my work that's overkill.

I have posted this on the HSM forum as well and can't believe the number of replies I got saying just cut the tangs off ?

Hang on they fit one lathe, 20mm out on another and 1 1/8" on this one but alter the tooling to just fit one ? It already fits one. The fault is in the machines not the tooling.

Anyway I have now got, or will have shortly when I fix the linkage, an increase from 3" travel to nearly 6" and lever feed to boot without loosing the screw feed, AND the flat earth society will be pleased to know i haven't had to drill any holes in my machine.

That's a definite No- No, can't drill holes in your machine but it's Ok to chop the tangs off

Thank you to both Johns!

Brilliant mods.

Geoff - ModRock not what it used to be, but doing what I want.

Nice mod JS. Unfortunately it shows why magazines are on the decline, a few pictures and anyone with half a brain can do it - who needs drawings or a long article.

Can't understand the 'don't drill' attitude. The great thing about owning a Landrover is you find chopping great chunks out let alone a few holes is the norm while shineymobile owners worry about the slightest scuff from car park door opening clashes.

You would be surprised by how many that do need the article.

I once posted something on the web that simple it was only about 4 tapped holes in a block of metal and a guy asked for drawings. When I pointed out that mine wouldn't fit his machine and to take the idea and run with it i was castigated for not being helpful.

You can't spend your life riding round Tesco's car park with L plates on, at some point you need to get out on the road.

As regards altering machines we all work differently and who says the manufacturer got it right in the first place ?

Why did Myford make the 7 series carriage move 0.861" per hand wheel turn ? When with a bit of forethought it could have gone exactly 1" and no need for expensive, complex hand wheels to be offered as extras.

But hey it's a Myford [ faces East, incanting 3 hail Mary's, 2 Moore and Wrights and a Mitutoyo ]

If you are a fan of butchery ™ keep reading later when the 7" angle grinder finds 15 minutes work to do.

Depends on how good you are at welding Jason.

I was going to suggest that John wrote it up... not that it would need to be much more than the posting above.

Neil

I'd hazard a guess that it would invoke the same level of interest as the screwcutting clutch so might need drawings for up to a dozen popular lathes. JS shudders at the work involved but perhaps that is where MEW could employ a pro draughtsman.

Modified my Mk3 Worden &C grinder to give variable wheel head hight. Used some bits that were surplus to requirements for the Quorn. As it turns out the wheel centre to column centre distance is exactly the same as the Quorn wheelhead so that can be swapped onto the Worden should the need arise , not planned but a happy coincedence.

I plan to drill the column and mill a slot in similar to what has been done on the Quorn so that I can have a screw operated rise and fall. the wheelhead will also be keyed to the column to maintain registration of the wheel to the table.

I came up with a ridiculously (to me) complicated arrangement to drill the steam passage on the S50 cylinder at an angle. According to Tubal Cain's article, that I'm following, the angle is about 14 degrees. So, not having an angle vice, I clamped the cylinder on an angle plate and rested this on a piece of 3/4" square bar that was clamped 3" from where the angle plate touched the table giving an angle of 14 degrees. Was quite pleased with the result although I haven't taken a pic of it.

Before the final clamps were fitted.

Final arrangement of clamps

Gary

Hi Gary,

I still have the jig I made for my Stuart 10V.. it's a piece of wood with a 90-degree notch cut out of it at the appropriate angle

This is one job where the cheap and cheerful angle vices everyone sells come into their own. I always eyeball the path of the drill before commiting - I haven't gone wrong, yet...

Neil

With you there Neil.

Every steam passage I've drilled has been done on the drilling machine, the angle gauged using Mk.1 eyeball and a normal vice to hold the cylinder blocks.

Quick and easy.

Geoff - Treatment caught up with me again, so incapable of doing much right now. Bummer!

Well, last night I gave my workshop a deep clean(ish) in preparation for a distinguished visitor.

All ready for battle to recommence on several projects...

Today fixed a carpet cleaning machine. Series wound motor had some blown windings which had caused arcing at a circuit board. Ominous yellow flashes from within the machine followed by the circuit breaker going. Ther sparking had caused much tracking across the circuit board.

Unlike a computerised washing machine board that died the same way, this one only has two diodes and a capacitor, plus a pair of connectors on it. Amazingly at up to £38 the most expensive is as much as the cheapest washing machine board - go figure?

Apart from swapping the motors, all that was needed was getting all the carbon off the board to get the resitance between the mains terminals back over 200Mohms from 7kohms!

Neil

Did you have to fix the carpet cleaning machine to clean the workshop!

Only in I could earn sufficient brownie points

Neil

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Edited By Neil Wyatt on 22/02/2014 15:15:38