Mod to M Type Myford lathe traverse handle.

I was offered a casting from Geoff Walker to buy, which when done, would fix the wrong direction of handwheel which catches me out ocasionaly. The casting came flat ground at extra cost but it saves machining a large area and removes any scale and less dust on my mill. I marked it out whith an angle plate and height gauge to check that it will clean up and holes in correct position. I then datumed up edges with carbide milling cutter ready to clamp flat and drill and bore holes etc.

Then I clamped it up flat on buttons so they can be moved about to drill and bore etc and blend radius corners.

The next job was to bore the clearance holes for the gears.

The slot for the leadscrew nut casting lock was done later just spun round till both holes were in line and the slot was milled straight as the radius was large and and shaft didn't touch the sides.

The gears were made next and I had to make a new plate for the dividing head I had from the Midlands exhibition. My daughter bought me the arbour for the mod gear cutters and so I only had go buy two cutters one for each gear tooth count.

The gears were also broached for a 1/8 square key as well as cutting the other side into the 3/8 silver steel shafts.

More to follow.

David

Edited By David George 1 on 17/03/2020 18:14:12

The gears etc

The side plates were firstly cut in the 4 jaw chuck then on a rotary table and finally angle plate of tapered shape. Also the bonze bush clearance was cut.

The bronze bushes were turned a light press fit to prevent spinning. At this point I could try to see if it Fitts an no problem except the gear for the rack unknown to me was to long and was catching the rack support strip but machine 0.050" off the lengthsolved that problem.

The new handle came as the old one has a taper pin fastening and I didn't want to change it.

Assembled it before painting no problem and fitted the screw cutting indicator with a new bracket to plate ready for painting.

Final on lathe and finnished.

Job done.

I found that to remove and replace the plate I had to unscrew partialy, the shoulder screw pivot for the leadscrew bronze casting as you pull out the plate. To do this I put a screwdriver slot in the end of the shoulder screw thread so I could use a screwdriver down the tapped hole to partial unscrew and screw up on assembly, and then lock the locknut. problem solved.

David

Nicely done. Quite a lot more complicated than it appeared on your posting on the Drummond Group. YOu should post a link from there to this.
What is the blue lever hanging down? Saddle lock?

Nice work.

Steve.

Bazyle the handle is a saddle lock. It is simply a threaded rod pushing on a piece of phos Bronz with an angle on front face so the saddle is clamped to the main guide face. It works great when facing or parting.

David

Lovely work

Your lathe looks immaculate

I've also been following this on the Drummond group. A very tidy job and it does show that the amount of work involved is considerable. Worth it though, an M Type that can give an ML7 a run for its money !

Very nice David, some seriously good engineering there.

And you also sorted that problem with the rack gear, my thoughts were you may have had duff from HPC which would have been a real surprise.

Just looking back through some workshop notes and I made the pattern for this apron in 2012, 8 years ago, my how time passes by.

Atb geoff

Very nice work David. it's so good to see one of these fine lathes in such good condition, well looked after and most importantly being used as it should. This modification is well designed, looks like it's meant to be there, both yourself, for the excellent workmanship and Geoff,for his clever design work deserve a pat on the back.

Dave

Thanks for posting that David. Although I don't have it now, my first lathe was one of these and the handle movement was a source of real concern especially when I acquired a lathe with more conventional travel.

At the time of owning the Drummond/Myford, I lived next door to a Mr Winfield and it was only years later that I discovered that this was the maker of the Winfield lathe.

Brian

Edited By Brian H on 19/03/2020 08:41:44

Edited By Brian H on 19/03/2020 08:42:12

Thanks for all your praises but if it hadn't been for Geoff Walker who picked up mistakes in my drawings in time I wouldn't have finnished it yet.

Geoff. Sorted the gear problem and as usual it was me. I had measured the distance to the casting and had not taken into account the upstand pad which the rack sits on so the end of the gear was catching the pad because it was too long problem solved. Also the new bracket for the thread indicator needs redesigning as the tailstock catches it.

David