What are you machining?

[Hood]

Makes perfect sense. So would you grind it making an allowance for the combination of top rake and side clearances?
Again for amateurs like me...

I wouldn't, I use insert tooling but on the odd occasion I need a special thread form then I wouldn't bother with top rake.

 

[RichardM]

I suppose that it's possible that the feed screw has been shortened sometime in the last 57 years, and I certainly don't have any recollections from my school days when I was using Boxfords.
It's always been like it, so I assumed that that's how it should be.

I have a revolving centre which used to eject at the very end of the travel, glued a ball bearing in the end and it now ejects a bit earlier. Just roll a ball bearing or two down the hole before putting the centre in.

 

[Seadog]

Just roll a ball bearing or two down the hole before putting the centre in.

I get bored doing that

Anyway, it's been resurrected after last night's little fiasco

It helps to lock the carriage

Better this time, some nice red hot action

The finished item

 

[grim_d]

No machining as such but decided the lathe was well overdue a good bit of tlc.

Stripped everything down, cleaned and readjusted everything, pleased to report All is well with everything. Just the bed levelling to adjust as it cuts a bit of a taper.


Bit of a change to 4 years ago....

 

[doubleboost]

Vice screw for @qwakers, EN16T. M16x4 trapezoidal. First proper metric thread cut on this machine.

Discovered today that the travelling steady I have is for a 9" L5....something else to make, it cut just fine anyway. Fits the nut lovely

View attachment 230299

Pressed the screw into an end for the handle and cut a nice groove for welding.
View attachment 230300
Welded up (not on the lathe)
View attachment 230301
All done, very happy with it.
View attachment 230302

Very tidy looking thread

 

[Seadog]

Just the bed levelling to adjust as it cuts a bit of a taper.

Is it bed levelling or the tail stock offset?

 

[grim_d]

Very tidy looking thread

It came out perfectly, en16 is a lovely material.

Like you I don't mess about with the compound, straight in.

Is it bed levelling or the tail stock offset?

Bed. To be honest I never perfected it so it's about time.

Got an edge tailstock alignment bar for the tailstock.

 

[Brad93]

It came out perfectly, en16 is a lovely material.

Like you I don't mess about with the compound, straight in.



Bed. To be honest I never perfected it so it's about time.

Got an edge tailstock alignment bar for the tailstock.

I need to get a decent machinist level and set mine down.

 

[grim_d]

I need to get a decent machinist level and set mine down.

One for sale here, strong money but if it's calibrated that's a big bonus because they are a pain to set up. Nice level though, same as one of mine.

https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/tooling-and-precision-level.101278/

To be honest you don't need it, a good quality builders level will get you close enough to adjust using the two collar method.

 

[Pete.]

A builder's level bubble is unlikely to even move when a sensitive level will go full swing. Not the same thing at all.

 

[Brad93]

A builder's level bubble is unlikely to even move when a sensitive level will go full swing. Not the same thing at all.

My Bosch digital level measures to 0.1 degree but I think it’s still only 0.5mm a meter.

 

[grim_d]

A builder's level bubble is unlikely to even move when a sensitive level will go full swing. Not the same thing at all.

Whoosh.

If you use the two collar method you don't need a level at all...

 

[Pete.]

My Bosch digital level measures to 0.1 degree but I think it’s still only 0.5mm a meter.

Quite, 6 minutes of arc. My engineer's level is 10 seconds I think, 36 times more sensitive. Might even be 5 seconds.

 

[Pete.]

Whoosh.

If you use the two collar method you don't need a level at all...

Well, why even mention using a builder's level? By the way a 2-collar method is fine if the head is aligned by the vee ways. Not much cop for something like a Colchester that has an adjustable headstock.

 

[grim_d]

Well, why even mention using a builder's level? By the way a 2-collar method is fine if the head is aligned by the vee ways. Not much cop for something like a Colchester that has an adjustable headstock.

For a bit of funsies old chap, we need to get our kicks somehow in lockdown.

I think I'm funny...

Brad won't have an issue, his headstock is on vees. Interesting though, how would one align the headstock?

Quite, 6 minutes of arc. My engineer's level is 10 seconds I think, 36 times more sensitive. Might even be 5 seconds.

One of my wives friends had been trying to level the washing machine with a Starrett engineer's level and been driven mad.

I bought her a level from screwfix and nabbed the starrett.

 

[Pete.]

For a bit of funsies old chap, we need to get our kicks somehow in lockdown.

I think I'm funny...

Brad won't have an issue, his headstock is on vees. Interesting though, how would one align the headstock?

You gotta take the twist out of the bed first, then align the headstock with the jacking screws using the 2-collar test or a test bar in the spindle. The more wear you have, the more you're going to have to work at it.

Here's the Colchester test sheet.

 

[Kram]

Warco did not supply a circlip for the tumbler gear on my lathe. They did say they would send one out with a spare fuse, never arrived.

So gets a superglued retaining ring instead. I want to try cutting a LH thread, so need it reversed.

 

[Kram]

My attempt at a long screw, 240mm long LH thread 14x2TR

0.8mm deep, few more passes to go.

 

[Kram]

Helps if you put the correct insert in the tool! That was a 1.5ISO. Should be ok but needs realigning, which I can do easiest by loosning collet and moving the work. Its about 1.5mm out.

 

[Kram]

Done.

(Volume low I used air duster!)