By continuing to use this site, you agree to our use of cookies. Find out more
Forum sponsored by:
Forum sponsored by Forum House Ad Zone

Strange angle ?

All Topics | Latest Posts

Search for:  in Thread Title in  
1 2 Next > Last >>
Stuart C05/03/2011 21:53:18
20 forum posts
Hi everyone,
 
new to the forum and straight away looking for help.
 
Just bought a Boxford lathe, the angle graduations on the top of the cross slide are a bit odd in that they are offset by about 18 degrees.
All lathes I've seen previously have the zero at 90 degrees to the bed, on this one the zero is set about 18 degrees anti-clockwise.
So if you set the compound slide with a square to the cross slide it reads 18 degrees.
 
Does anybody know why this might be, could it have been made for a specific job?
 
Thanks,
S.
Stuart C06/03/2011 16:48:24
20 forum posts
OK no responses.
I've looked again and it's 15 degrees not 18 as I said, innacuracy of initial reading due to having to lean over a load of stuff at an angle to see it.
 
Does anybody know where I may get an answer.
I'll ring Boxford in the morning to see if they know, any other suggestions..
Nicholas Farr06/03/2011 16:59:24
avatar
3988 forum posts
1799 photos
Hi Stuart, maybe it was a Friday afternoon job.
 
But seriously I've haven't come across it, perhaps it was a special order.
 
Regards Nick
Gone Away06/03/2011 17:16:28
829 forum posts
1 photos
If I understand correctly, that would give a greater range in one direction than the other wouldn't it?
 
Perhaps that had something to do with it.
JasonB06/03/2011 17:21:34
avatar
25215 forum posts
3105 photos
1 articles
Any chance the ring with the calibrations on it has moved as unlike a lot of lathes the boxford has the angles on a separate ring fixed to the cross slide rather than just a mark and the angles on the side of the topslide.
 
 

 
J

Edited By JasonB on 06/03/2011 17:23:59

Peter G. Shaw06/03/2011 17:22:44
avatar
1531 forum posts
44 photos
How about what may well be a silly answer. I don't suppose that either the fiducial mark, or the scale are adjustable are they?
 
On the otherhand, is there another fiducial mark elsewhere?
 
Just a thought.
 
Regards,
 
Peter G. Shaw
Saxalby06/03/2011 18:10:48
avatar
187 forum posts
33 photos
As JasonB said the degree ring has come loose and moved. On my Boxford the ring was just stuck in (thin double sided tape). Years of oil and cutting fluid just released it. Cleaned it all up and used a drop of Loctite to re-fix it.
AndyP06/03/2011 20:38:10
189 forum posts
30 photos
Stuart,
 
My Boxford MkII AUD has the same 15 degree offset of the scale but the fiducial mark (there is only one) on the topslide is so positioned that setting to 0 gives topslide movement parallel (approximately) to the lathe axis. If it is a mistake it is a common one. My lathe came from a fellow club member who bought it new so it has not been messed about with as far as I know.
I notice that the MkIII on lathes.co.uk does not show this feature,
 
Cheers, Andy
Stuart C06/03/2011 23:25:02
20 forum posts
As you can see from the top image the scale is marked into the cross slide so there is no separate ring.
The bottom image is set to the zero position and as you can see the compound slide is clearly not in line with the bed, if you take the cross slide Tee slots as parallel to the bed, which they are.

 
 
 
 
Stuart C06/03/2011 23:32:22
20 forum posts
Just been thinking, it is an AUD 2 and as Andy says maybe the fiducial mark should be at an angle also, which may mean that the compound slide has at some point been replaced with an incorrect one.
 
Possible solution is to get the correct angle by doing some 'test turning' and then make the proper mark on the compound slide.

Edited By Stuart Cookson-Smith on 06/03/2011 23:35:08

Terryd07/03/2011 00:29:06
avatar
1946 forum posts
179 photos
Hi Stuart,
 
I have had a lot of experience with Boxfords of all vintages in my teaching career and I cannot recall having seen an engraved scale offset like yours. My own had the scale engraved so that when the fiducial was set to zero the top slide was very accurately parallel to the centre line, but it was on a standard cross slide, not a slotted one.
 
Yours may have been a special and I would take the action you have suggested to mark a new fiducial. However, out of interest it may be worth a call to Boxford as there are still some of the older employees still working there who know about these machines. At least there were a couple of years ago when I last had reason to call them. The people there are very helpful, friendly and genuinely interested in their products, old and new.
 
Best regards
 
Terry
Stuart C07/03/2011 00:42:21
20 forum posts
thanks, I will give them a call, and let you know the outcome.
 
By the way, you guys seem to call it a top slide, whereas I call it a compound slide, I was under the impression that if it was capable of angles it was a compound slide, am I wrong.
'Every day is a school day' ... as they say.
Nicholas Farr07/03/2011 01:44:15
avatar
3988 forum posts
1799 photos
Hi Stuart, I believe top slide and compound slide are one and the same thing, depending on which side of the big pond you are on, but I think if it is refered to a top slide, it dosen't always rotate, but I don't think many are like that.

However in the book I have "Know Your Lathe" 1988 edition Boxford refers to the "Compond Rest" which is the part you rotate about the scale, which is engraved on the cross slide, and is fitted into the cross slide. The "Tool or Top Slide" can be moved along the ways of the compond rest with the compond leadscrew. The toolholder is mounted on the tool or top slide.
 
So they have seem to have given the whole caboodle two names, but of course altering the angle of the compond rest, also alters the angle of the tool/top slide automatically.
 
Well that is how I have interpreted what is written.
 
Regards Nick.
Stuart C07/03/2011 08:42:41
20 forum posts
Hi Nick, that all sounds common sense, thanks.
 
 
Been thinking about this this morning and rather than take a cut on a bar, I can just use a dti in the toolpost on a good parallel bar between centres, that would be the quicker way of doing it and means I don't have to do any of the cutting-measuring, cutting-measuring, cutting-measuring..................
Stuart C07/03/2011 18:59:28
20 forum posts
Spoke to Boxford today, they said to ring back on Wednesay when the guru on AUDs is in to get the best info on this lathe.
The chap I did speak to said that my idea of using some bar and a dti is as good as any and that would be the best bet to make a new index mark.
Speedy Builder507/03/2011 19:08:01
2878 forum posts
248 photos
Are you sure the cross slide is BOXFORD ? South bend is the same form and fit, but I don't know about the protractor. I had a modified Myford top slide on my Boxford so that I had 'T' slots.
 
A standard Boxford cross slide doesn't have 'T' slots but it apperas your lathe has.
Stuart C07/03/2011 19:20:36
20 forum posts
I've recently seen another AUD 2 and that also has the graduations offset anti-clockwise by 15 degrees(but with the correct mark on the compound slide), so I am pretty sure that the compound slide has been changed at some point in the past.
Terryd07/03/2011 22:19:13
avatar
1946 forum posts
179 photos
Hi Stuart,
 
I usually refer to the adjustable ('top') slide as the compound slide, but many on this forum refer to it as the top slide as opposed to the cross slide and saddle. Many reserve the term 'compound slide' for the combination of cross slide and top slide, and there are so called 'authoritative' sources for all of these definitions. It is very confusing.
 
Best regards
 
Terry
Terryd07/03/2011 22:41:35
avatar
1946 forum posts
179 photos
Hi Robert,
 
Boxford offered a slotted cross slide as an optional extra, at least on the A and B models. Most school workshops would be equipped with at least one Boxford so equipped and they were common in industry.
 
Tony at lathes.co.uk offers new versions for those who wish to upgrade and G and M tools often have them from dismantled machines,
 
Regards
 
Terry
chris stephens08/03/2011 15:02:00
1049 forum posts
1 photos
Hi Guys,
Top slide v. Compound slide.
Well, my copy of The "ME" lathe Manual by E.T. Westbury (we are all model engineers here, aren't we?) calls the item in question a "Top Slide" and that is good enough for me!
chriStephens
PS on the OP topic.There is no point in marking your new fiducial using a DTI or any other "precise" way. Just set the original mark to 15 (if it is in fact 15 out) and mark the new one at "0". The marks are wide enough to be in-accurate if used by themselves for exact angle setting.
Use a DTI for setting the top slide parallel, if you should ever need it for turning parallel. Remember that the saddle is the part of the lathe that is used for parallel turning, the top slide is for turning tapers from anywhere between "0" or "90"degrees. The top slide set to a shade under 6 degrees is more useful than set parallel because you can take a very small measured cut off the diameter of your work
1 2 Next > Last >>

All Topics | Latest Posts

Please login to post a reply.

Magazine Locator

Want the latest issue of Model Engineer or Model Engineers' Workshop? Use our magazine locator links to find your nearest stockist!

Find Model Engineer & Model Engineers' Workshop

Sign up to our Newsletter

Sign up to our newsletter and get a free digital issue.

You can unsubscribe at anytime. View our privacy policy at www.mortons.co.uk/privacy

Latest Forum Posts
Support Our Partners
cowells
Sarik
MERIDIENNE EXHIBITIONS LTD
Shopping Partners
Subscription Offer

Latest "For Sale" Ads
Latest "Wanted" Ads
Get In Touch!

Do you want to contact the Model Engineer and Model Engineers' Workshop team?

You can contact us by phone, mail or email about the magazines including becoming a contributor, submitting reader's letters or making queries about articles. You can also get in touch about this website, advertising or other general issues.

Click THIS LINK for full contact details.

For subscription issues please see THIS LINK.

Digital Back Issues

Social Media online

'Like' us on Facebook
Follow us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter
 Twitter Logo

Pin us on Pinterest

 

Donate

donate