Just bought a Fortis lathe

[GraemeVW]

Got the frame and shelf for the splash guard made.
I slit the inner face of the shelf tubing and put the sheet steel in the slit. Nice and neat, and gives a lip so stuff won't fall off. I'll probably put some holes in the shelf to put tail stock chucks etc it.

Bolted the lamp on to see how it looks. The lamp section of shelf is capped top and bottom so the wiring will run inside the shelf and out the back.

Just need to panel it up now.

 

[GraemeVW]

Splash guard finished!
That took longer than I expected, I guess I complicated the design a little.
Will stop swarf/tools gathering behind the cabinet when it's up against a wall. Gives me a mounting point for the light, and a shelf for tooling.

The new nut arrived for the cross slide too. Ment for an atlas tail stock, but it's the same thread. I need to make a mounting block for it, the original mounts with those 2 cap head bolts

However, the cross slide travel is limited. There is 7" of travel, but it's centered on the center line. Means I can only retract the tool 3.5" from the center. Not very good with a 6.5" center.
I'm going to move the nut further back on the cross slide, then, if I make a smaller dial for the screw, and space it out a little, I can probably gain 2" more.

 

[GraemeVW]

Wiring done.
As I suspected I ended up replacing everything.
Now has 1hp brook motor, schnieder contactor, vintage BM Ltd switches to maintain the look, and a Chinese reversing switch. Which seems ok for the £10 it cost.
I have a nice period reversing switch too now thanks to @MattF , so that will get swapped in at some point down the line.

I have a weird relationship with OCD. I think I probably am ocd, but I'm also adverse to excessive effort.
The wiring isn't really neat enough to my mind, but I also can't be bothered to make it neater, it's neat enough, works, should be safe, isn't a full on rats nest. It will do.

 

[GraemeVW]

Oh, and before anyone freaks out, yes, I've taken liberties and used an earth coloured cable as a live. Just ment I could use a piece of 4 core cable.

I could have don't it all in single wire, then loom taped it all, but I used chopped up bits of 2 core, 3 core, and 4 core cable instead.

Still ended up having to run a seperate earth for the motor. Looks untidy, and is probably not needed anyway (earth bolts straight to the cabinet, as does the motor) but I figured it wouldn't hurt to have an actual earth cable.

 

[GraemeVW]

It lives!

Motor is noisy, but alot of that was the temporary wobbly pulley. I'm going to make a new motor pulley but this lathe will do it easier than my little lathe so this dodgy pulley will do, so I can make the new one.

This is the motor on its own. It's still quite loud though. The bearings seemed fine but maybe I should replace them. You can tell when switched off though that the bearings are only half the story. Wjat else can cause themnto make noise? Any way to quieter it down?

New bearings and rubber mounting bushes are all I can think of to do.

 

[grim_d]

I have a weird relationship with OCD. I think I probably am ocd, but I'm also adverse to excessive effort.
The wiring isn't really neat enough to my mind, but I also can't be bothered to make it neater, it's neat enough, works, should be safe, isn't a full on rats nest. It will do.

Don't worry, that's not OCD.

 

[RichardM]

Motor noise - have a look at the cabinet panels vibrating / acting like a sound box as well.

 

[GraemeVW]

Motor noise - have a look at the cabinet panels vibrating / acting like a sound box as well.

I will.
It made some noise on the bench, but wasn't too bad. The cabinet is deffinately amplifying it.

I just put some offcuts of conveyor belt under the motor which had helped too.

 

[GraemeVW]

Messing with the pulley and it's loads quieter

Proper pulley, but more set up, maybe a base to the motor cabinet and it will be fine.

Alot quieter than the Wilson slant bed I nearly bought a few years ago!

 

[GraemeVW]

I cleared it's final resting place, I even used the good kitchen mop to clean the floor first.
Not put the feet on yet as I'll probably wheel it out again and repaint the floor before it goes in for good.

Now I need to do something with all the junk that was occupying this space before hand!

 

[MattF]

Treasure, not junk.

 

[GraemeVW]

Lamp 're painted and fitted

 

[GraemeVW]

Made a new double pulley, no pics though. The lathe is now really quite quiet! I have all 12 speeds bow rather than just 6. I'll probably never use the highest speeds, but nice to have it how it should be.

Now it's running right I can make some more back plates for the chucks. The cross slide was annoying me though. It's 6.5" center height but you can only get the tool tip 3" away from center!

I moved the feed nut back a bit and then made a new bush and dial set up for the feed screw so the cross slide saddle can travel over the handle dial. Simple mod, gained me 1.5" of travel!
If I make a handle extension I'm pretty sure I can get another inch too.

 

[GraemeVW]

Life got a bit much for a little while so not had much headspace for hobby time.
Previous owner of this lathe came up with a nice surprise recently though, he found the oroginal fixed steady that he had forgotten he even had!
Saves me messing with modifying the colchester one. Bore is a little small, but chances are I don't be turning anything big diameter and if I did, I guess if be better off using a center in the tailstock.

I guess at some point I should paint this then.

 

[mr_luke_too]

Oh, you screw the knob!
I sort of assumed it was push/pull

I've not looked that close yet.

Congrats on the printer! Will be interested to see your results on the screw protector and thread dial indicator!

Do you want a load of pics of my carriage stop? Or are you just going freestyle.

Well, it took me a while to get around to it, but I printed this yesterday. I found the files for a Myford one online, and modified the gear from that to suit, so it's got 16 teeth, rather than the 32 I think the Fortis would have originally used, but I think that should be fine for almost all imperial threads. Designed the spindle, gear and dial to to be print-in-place, just because I could!

The colour is a little incongruous but it's what was left over from the soap dishes I was asked to make for the bathroom. This is only in PLA so it will be interesting to see how well it lasts. It seems to work well, though, and can be oiled through the hole in the centre of the dial.

 

[GraemeVW]

View attachment 425469
View attachment 425467View attachment 425468
Well, it took me a while to get around to it, but I printed this yesterday. I found the files for a Myford one online, and modified the gear from that to suit, so it's got 16 teeth, rather than the 32 I think the Fortis would have originally used, but I think that should be fine for almost all imperial threads. Designed the spindle, gear and dial to to be print-in-place, just because I could!

The colour is a little incongruous but it's what was left over from the soap dishes I was asked to make for the bathroom. This is only in PLA so it will be interesting to see how well it lasts. It seems to work well, though, and can be oiled through the hole in the centre of the dial.

Fantastic! I had wondered if a myford one could be made to work. What did you have to do with the gear? Is the myford lead screw a different pitch?

 

[mr_luke_too]

The Myford lead screw is 8tpi, just like the Fortis, but it's a smaller diameter and the model I found had a radius to suit it. If it wasn't for the keyway cut into the lead screw it would have worked anyway, but all I had to do was stretch the height of the Myford model gear until its radius suited the Fortis screw. If you need a threading dial for yours it would be no hardship to print another and stick it in the post.

 

[GraemeVW]

The Myford lead screw is 8tpi, just like the Fortis, but it's a smaller diameter and the model I found had a radius to suit it. If it wasn't for the keyway cut into the lead screw it would have worked anyway, but all I had to do was stretch the height of the Myford model gear until its radius suited the Fortis screw. If you need a threading dial for yours it would be no hardship to print another and stick it in the post.

I do need one!
I had considered a 3d printed one before, but the only person I know with a printer is my 12 year old nephew and he is only just learning.

If you could print me one, that would be great! Pm me the costs involved

 

[John Pengilly]

Same DP and same № cutter though, curious that it's just fractionally smaller on the Fortis.



It looks like the whole assembly would fit in the 3-Jaw on the dividing head and I have some tapered pipe-centres (read: cone with a center pop in it) which could be used to support the other end on the tailstock.

If held with the gear firm against the chuck jaws to support it, then I think you would be fine machining it as is.

Great to see another Fortis owner! Here's mine:

View attachment 398501


I really like it, although it is a little tired. Apart from those two teeth yours looks to be in rather better nick! I'll be interested to see any photos you take when the apron is apart: I need to dismantle mine as it has become very difficult to engage the feeds. I suspect a bit of swarf has just got somewhere it shouldn't.

BTW, I think all the lubrication points are designed to be oiled, rather than greased. I do have a PDF of the Clausing 100 manual which contains some info useful for these lathes. I tried to attach it here but it's too big. If you'd like me to email it to you, just drop me a PM.

It would originally have had a clutch on the countershaft, engaged by a lever which stuck out forwards from that lug on the RH side of the hinged cover. I gather from lathes.co.uk that this was a bit of a weak point which was often removed.

Is the serial number still legible on the plate on the hinged cover? Apparently, if the serial number includes an 'E' then it was a 'high precision' machine. Not sure how relevant that would still be after 80 years, though!

Your Velo looks great now by the way. I did a double take when I saw the 'before' picture as I was sure I recognised it! I think you bought it from a mate of mine up in Bolton?

Great to see another Fortis owner! Here's mine:

View attachment 398501


I really like it, although it is a little tired. Apart from those two teeth yours looks to be in rather better nick! I'll be interested to see any photos you take when the apron is apart: I need to dismantle mine as it has become very difficult to engage the feeds. I suspect a bit of swarf has just got somewhere it shouldn't.

BTW, I think all the lubrication points are designed to be oiled, rather than greased. I do have a PDF of the Clausing 100 manual which contains some info useful for these lathes. I tried to attach it here but it's too big. If you'd like me to email it to you, just drop me a PM.

It would originally have had a clutch on the countershaft, engaged by a lever which stuck out forwards from that lug on the RH side of the hinged cover. I gather from lathes.co.uk that this was a bit of a weak point which was often removed.

Is the serial number still legible on the plate on the hinged cover? Apparently, if the serial number includes an 'E' then it was a 'high precision' machine. Not sure how relevant that would still be after 80 years, though!

Your Velo looks great now by the way. I did a double take when I saw the 'before' picture as I was sure I recognised it! I think you bought it from a mate of mine up in Bolton?

Great to see another Fortis owner! Here's mine:

View attachment 398501


I really like it, although it is a little tired. Apart from those two teeth yours looks to be in rather better nick! I'll be interested to see any photos you take when the apron is apart: I need to dismantle mine as it has become very difficult to engage the feeds. I suspect a bit of swarf has just got somewhere it shouldn't.

BTW, I think all the lubrication points are designed to be oiled, rather than greased. I do have a PDF of the Clausing 100 manual which contains some info useful for these lathes. I tried to attach it here but it's too big. If you'd like me to email it to you, just drop me a PM.

It would originally have had a clutch on the countershaft, engaged by a lever which stuck out forwards from that lug on the RH side of the hinged cover. I gather from lathes.co.uk that this was a bit of a weak point which was often removed.

Is the serial number still legible on the plate on the hinged cover? Apparently, if the serial number includes an 'E' then it was a 'high precision' machine. Not sure how relevant that would still be after 80 years, though!

Your Velo looks great now by the way. I did a double take when I saw the 'before' picture as I was sure I recognised it! I think you bought it from a mate of mine up in Bolton?

I would like a pdf if you have one for this lathe.as I have no information on it.
John
Jpcyprus@aol.com

 

[GraemeVW]

I would like a pdf if you have one for this lathe.as I have no information on it.
John
Jpcyprus@aol.com

View attachment 439032 View attachment 439035

Nice lathe. They are very useful machines.