Attempting To Make My (new to me) Zyto Beautiful

Just inherited this lathe. Want to change the motor and countershaft arrangement. Want to relocate to above the lathe. Have just fabbed a new stand for it with castors for easy of moving and jacks for when it's in use, will add couple of shelves and framework for motor mount to the rear as I figure it out.

Just trying to figure out how to attach photo's, scratch head.

Hi have a look at this link **LINK**. It will guide you through adding photos.

John

edit—- you are probably aware of this site but in case you’re not http://www.lathes.co.uk/zyto/index.html

Edited By JohnF on 17/07/2020 10:27:30

Thanks John yes figured it out

Motor and countershaft mounted to half inch plate and flat bar. Someone must have had a mate who worked in a shipyard!! Heavier than the lathe 

Edited By Dibnah on 17/07/2020 10:53:20

Dibnah

Having made a number of countershaft arrangements of several different designs over the years I think what a I called a "crypto Myford" version would work well with your Zyoto. Basically a rectangular frame hinged off the bench just behind the lathe bed running up at an angle such that the drive belt from countershaft to lathe spindle clears the back gear pivots. The motor is suspended on a suitably pivoted bracket close to the bottom of the frame. I Imagine a frame around 3 ft long would work OK.

The one I made was for a Pools lathe. The motor was perhaps 2 inches clear of the back of the bed and a similar distance above the bench. The countershaft itself ended up with its spindle line around 16" back from the lathe spindle. Plenty of room to add a second shaft, ex-spin drier bearing carrier units are good, if you go for a two stage speed reduction which uses smaller pulleys. I guess somewhere around 350 rpm countershaft speed would be OK.

By cunning arrangement of the pivots (OK sheer luck!) thew eight of motor and countershaft unit gave adequate belt tensions. Plan B was bungee straps!

I made a belt guard from hardboard sheet which painted up quite well.

Clive

Cracking little lathe, I know of one that is still earning it's keep repairing indusrtial sewing machines.

Dibnah
It looks like you've got the basis for what could be a nice piece of kit.

Good start, but the structure has a very weak geometry. I'd add more struts.

Lathes are great fun, but not if one falls on your feet! Enjoy.

Dave

Dibnah

Rather than trying to create a sturdy bench I'd be looking around for cupboards or drawer sets that could be turned into a lathe support at reasonable cost.

Many years ago my then boss "found" a really solid 2 door metal cupboard the right size for his Zyto. Albeit a bit low. He made a superstructure to take a false top perhaps 6" higher up. Left the headstock end half of it open and sorted a drawer in the other half to hold useful stuff.

My "best" moment was when B&Q had a sale of two door plastic cupboards intended for garden use at a price too good to miss. Maybe Keter brand. I got two, bolted them together with a plywood plate between to stiffen them up and rammed planed to size wood struts down the hollow corner sections to make solid legs. Finished off by bolting kitchen worktop to the top making everything amply solid for a SouthBend 9C lathe. Bit bigger than your Zyto. I'd planned to put a panel on the back but didn't bother as by the time I'd bolted the shelves in it was well stiff.

Second best, albeit as design adviser to a friend so not directly for me, was to use the best pair of cupboards out of his old kitchen with all the joints stiffened with 1" angle iron and roof tiling battens(?) as appropriate. Basically stuff he had. I assume the deal with SWMBO was "You can have a lathe if I get a kitchen.". Not that I asked.

When setting up my Heavy 10 I lucked into a set of shallow drawers perhaps 2 inches deep, maybe 8 or 9 inches wide and a bit under a foot long. I made a stack of 5 or 6 to sit at the right hand rear of the cabinet partially overlapping both back and side. Really useful for lathe tools and the like. Later I added a wood batten to the side to hold morse taper things. Four holes drilled at about 30° upward slope. Now sits on my Smart & Brown 1024.

Clive

My shaper has the same sort of stand, with cross struts

Put in cross struts and bottom struts as recommended by sillyoldduffer, make a reinforced box shape

and check regularly for welding cracks once it's under a working load, I have fixed at least one crack which suddenly appeared in my own frame

GL

Edited By Ady1 on 17/07/2020 15:06:37

Yes agree. I thought I said here but must have been another thread that I plan to make a mechanical connection longitudinally either weld or bolt in the form of a shelf. Maybe even two shelves but wanted to leave that until I'm satisfied with my motor mount plans.