Very Best Wishes

Hello Members ,

I have just registered for this very interesting site . mainly due to My interest in all things mechanical & in particular in the hope of help & guidance in recomissioning My "Bonds Maximus" lathe ?

Apparently this is a "Portass" model , one of the headstock bearing housings has broken at some stage and been repaired by welding ..I am hoping to eother find a replacement or have a new one machined please ? I am a complete novice , never having used a lathe but have had this one for many years & would love to see it working again .

Thank You ,

Steve ..

The maximus on the lathes archive seems to have the headstock cast with the bed, it is difficult to see if the bearing housing has a separate cap with two bolts or a single bolt to adjust the squeeze of the bearing. You say it has been repaired by welding so is it in a running condition or is the repair not completed? If you can post some pictures it would be helpful to see the problem.

Mike

Edited By Mike Poole on 06/02/2022 13:48:25

Thank You Mr Poole ,

Yes , you are correct ..I have just checked the lathe and the bearing housing is cast with the bed .

This is the first time I have studied the lathe .

It is in running condition .

I shall try to attach pictures .

Could You please explain the procedure for uploading pictures ?

I have just replied to Your email with pictures attached as I cannot upload them to the site ?

Thank You in advance,

Steve..

Edited By Stephen Foster 9 on 06/02/2022 14:08:52

Hi Stephen, welcome to the forum.

How To Post Photos is described here. A little convoluted but easy enough when you know how!

Dave

Hi Stephen

Welcome. This Forum is an "Enquire Within on all things". Someone , probably many, will have the answer to your question.

As a Novice, you need to do some study.

Firstly, buy a set of Zeus Charts. They contain a lot of information and are a very useful reference. (I still use my first set, bought in 1958 )

On learning how to use a lathe, there are a number of books.

They will not necessarily illustrate your machine, but the principles remain the same for all lathes.

"The Amateurs Lathe" by L H Sparey tends to be regarded as the "Bible", but Ian Bradley's "The Amateurs Workshop" covers a wider range of activities, some of which are not covered by Sparey, but which you will need one day..

Harold Hall and Neil Wyatt have each written books on lathework.

If you learn the basic principles, and how to apply a steady constant feed by hand, a lot of other things will become easier as you gain experience, (Such as tool grinding, and making accessory tools )

Learn the simple things first, measurement techniques, what are the minimum tools to buy to begin with.

Learn about drilling and tapping, and threads. This sort of experience will stand in good stead for the rest of your life.

Don't expect a 3 jaw chuck to hold work exactly concentric. Be aware of the limitations of a hobby machine, compared to what bigger, much more costly industrial machines can do. If your lathe is elderly, it will show ,signs of wear, and so not perform in some respects as well as a brand new machine..

You will make mistakes, we all have in buying things that seemed "A good idea" at the time, and in going about jobs (Doing operations in the wrong sequence for instance ) Hopefully, we all learn, and gain experience.

You have ages of enjoyment and achievement ahead of you. Learning how to use and get the best out of your machine will bring you enormous pleasure and pride. In a while, you will be surprised by the things that you can do that once seemed impossible.

Good Luck!

Howard