Watchmaker gear cutting

I own a Chronos cutting engine lacking of accessories and I would like to expand available tool sets to use.

I am interested in purchasing a cutting frame and spindle.

have a look at the following link on lathes.co.uk showing a rich toolkit.

https://store.lathes.co.uk/sites/store.lathes.co.uk/files/styles/enormous/public/classified/2022/05/_5122671.jpg

Is it possible to purchase the cutting frame and spindles on the market?

Is there any brand that you would recommend or any web site where to purchase similar kit of accessories?

Thank you for your advice

Regards

Biagio

I don't think that you're going to find anything for that machine. There was an article in one of the magazines may years ago re making one.

Roy

Roy is correct, there was a series of articles on how to construct one of these wheel cutting machines by the designer Elliot Isaac's. I think he then allowed chronos to sell completed versions of the machine.

You will find the articles in the defunct "Clockmaker" magazine by TEE publishing many years ago (1990?).

Maybe you will able to find copies there were only ever 2 volumes over 2 years...

Hope that helps

Regards

Derek

There's a book called Spindles by Harprit Sandhu in the workshop practice series that apparently has a design. You can 3ven get the book from Chronos!

Thank you for the good information!

Biagio

I presume you mean a wheel cutting engine and when you say tools you mean gear cutters, if so they are commercially available or you can make them yourself.

Bernard OP specifically asks about cutting frame and spindles

Roy

I mean the cutting frames and spindles (that can fit the old design of Chronos wheel cutting engine) more than the involute gear cutter itself.

Biagio

I think Biagio has the wheel cutting engine but just not the cutting frame. However that is a very simple item make. Just a U shape cut out of a solid block or by silver soldering some bars. Each arm uses a cap head screw or grub screw with a point ground on the end.
You need several of the small spindles to hold different bore cutters.. The are about 50mm long and have normal centre holes at each end so are turned between centres. First find the nut of large enough diameter to save having to do internal screwcutting.

If you think you need to buy this item you could also research 'ornamental turning ' supplies as they sometimes use similar cutters.

That's correct! my wheel engine is incomplete and I need the cutting frame.
a C shape with a screw on top and bottom and the spindle running between the screw centers:

Something like the below shape that I tried to draw with the keyboard chars..

.              _______ |__
.              |   ________|
.              |  |      __|__
. _______|  |       ------
.|_______|  |        ||||
.              |  |        ||||
.              |  |_____|__
.              | _________|
.                            |

I will have a look at the ornamental turning spindles.

Regards

Biagio

Edited By Biagio Cerruto on 14/02/2023 14:58:26

Edited By Biagio Cerruto on 14/02/2023 14:58:45

Edited By Biagio Cerruto on 14/02/2023 14:59:04

Edited By Biagio Cerruto on 14/02/2023 14:59:18

Edited By Biagio Cerruto on 14/02/2023 14:59:37

Commercial cutters have a 7mm hole for the spindle

Roy

Edited By roy entwistle on 14/02/2023 15:58:40

Traditional cutter frames have point and cone bearings probably because they were easier to make, but some kind of rolling bearings would be better these days. I suspect that generally wheel cutting engines have fallen out of favour because small vertical mills will do the same job with the addition of a dividing head, plus a whole lot more. One approach that might work for you would be to use a small headstock such as the Peatol or Sherline ones which can be bought on their own and work fine as milling spindles.

https://taigtools.com/product/complete-headstock-with-er-spindle/

The penny farthing tools one on the net does not show a cutting frame and I cannot se where you would fit it as it has a bc frame fitted already.

Sorry, Bernard … I am bewildered by your comment

Do we have a different understanding of what constitutes a “cutting frame” ?

.

**LINK**

https://pennyfarthingtools.co.uk/chronos-wheel-cutting-engine-4/2023/01/19/

.

MichaelG.

No I don't think so Michael its just that why would you want/need a cutting frame when you have the whole machine. I thought (correct me if I'm wrong (usually) ) but isn't a cutter frame used when a wheel cutting engine is not available and wheels are then cut with a lathe and overhead drive?

I assume the OP has an engine but it lacks the cutting frame - you can see from the PF Tools picture that it is just bolted in place. Presumably the OP's was parted from its frame at some point so it needs replacing.

Thanks, John … Yes, that’s how I understood the original request.

Biagio is trying to locate parts to fit his incomplete Chronos whelcutting engine.

MichaelG.

Biagio

Have a look at this discussion: **LINK**

https://mb.nawcc.org/threads/chronos-wheel-cutting-machine-help.37443/

You will find some good photographs, and links to two useful PDF files

MichaelG.

Thank you