Lead screw gauge

Hi all, I’m new to the site, and have just bought a Chester DB7, lathe my question is, the lead screw handle has a bracket that limits the travel, can the bracket be removed and will the gauge still engage ok, I can’t really see it’s perpose anyway.

Do you mean the far RH bracket that is locating the leadscrew?

Tony

Sounds like the thread dial, yes you can just undo the long cap head screw that it pivots on and remove. Ideally put a small screw back in the hole so any swarf does not find it's way into the apron.

It’s the lever that engages the lead screw, there’s a small bracket with a notch, the warco 180 is the same as my Chester, apart from the bracket, I can’t see what the bracket does apart from making engagement aqward.

I assume the bracket arrowed in the image below:

Seems to serve little purpose and looks quite crudely made. Could it be a shipping device?

John

Does it limit the amount of disengagement? Agree with John it seems pointless, unless the cams or slots opening and closing the half nuts (or is it a single half nut) are loosely toleranced.

Bill

I would be aiming my question towards Chester Tools. They should know why it is different from other ‘virtually identical’ machines and the reason for that difference. I suspect there is a reason for it and it is not a shipping device.

I note there seems to be (several) differences between similar machines from individual suppliers - motor power and weight being others, at least.

The bracket is there to prevent accidental engagement of the lead/feed screw, I found that when it was it new it was a bit notchy, Pulling the sleeve handle up to clear the notch and getting clean engagement is a bit of a knack which develops over time. It helps if you move the saddle with the hand wheel at the same time,usually away from the chuck this help aligning the half nut with the thread on the lead screw.

Steve

Edited By Split Pin on 17/12/2019 17:37:31

I wondered if the handle needs to be pulled out, to clear the bracket, so that it can turn to engage the half nuts.

This assumes that the bracket is there to ensure that the half nuts are not engaged accidentally.

Howard

Thanks for the answers all, Pulling The handle out and pushing down does release it a bit but when it’s released back in, the handle stops half out the half hole in the bracket, do you know if the handle is supposed drop out of the bracket completely, or is it just tight because it’s new, many thanks guys.

Sounds liek the halfnuts are riding on top of the leadscrew threads, stopping full handle movement. Are you doing this with the leadscrew rotating? It might take a second or two for the nuts to fully engage with the leadscrew threads. Or if not rotating, you might have to move the carriage along with the handwheel until the nuts drop into full engagement.

Chester Machine Tools
Clwyd Close
Hawarden
CH5 3PZ
Tel: 01244 531631
E-Mail: [email protected]

© 2018 Chester Machine Tools

Thanks all , I have sent Chester an EMail , just waiting for reply, but have since found the gauge wasn’t fully engaging in the lead screw, stopping it turning properly, and all what was needed was fully tightening the Allen crew locating the gauge on the spindle, it was slightly loose so when moving the handle down it wasn’t engaging in the thread properly, Many thanks again.