lathe problems

[BrokenBiker]

only one pic but its nothing like the set up i have got.

they are just normal bearing housings as found on rs and other bearing suppliers

 

[MattF]

So they're the pillow block type bearings with the internal bearing which swivels? Have you locked the bearings in place, (usually a grub screw), once you have it set up and aligned? It'd be a lot easier to make possible suggestions if you could find some way of adding a photo or two.

 

[BrokenBiker]

right, i made some bushes, pressed the bearings into it, then pressed it all into the bearing housing. Put the counter shaft in, bolted it all down and it runs lovely in all gears and back gear.

now however, i have noticed that the tailstock is sitting high by about 4mm. I have taken it off and cleaned it, but no change. Also the mt1 taper in the headstock isn't an mt1, i can get an mt1 dead centre halfway in and then it stops, and when i engage the carriage feed everything stops, but all the gears turn freely by hand

 

[Rig Pig]

Have you checked the alignment of the lathe, if you need a good simple guide google 'Rollie's dad's method'. However 4mm is a lot on a short bed, you may have had a different tailstock fitted at sometime that needs a bit machining off to match the spindle.

 

[BrokenBiker]

Have you checked the alignment of the lathe, if you need a good simple guide google 'Rollie's dad's method'. However 4mm is a lot on a short bed, you may have had a different tailstock fitted at sometime that needs a bit machining off to match the spindle.

i have levelled it properly and everything is dead straight on it. The tailstock lines up left/right but not up/down.

 

[migmug]

"Also the mt1 taper in the headstock isn't an mt1, i can get an mt1 dead centre halfway in and then it stops"
Sound like its the short version of the MT1, I have a flexispeed lathe and that uses a short MT0.
Have a read of
http://www.model-engineer.co.uk/forums/postings.asp?th=41757

 

[Pete.]

4mm might as well be 4 miles. Seems like you have the wrong tailstock.

 

[BrokenBiker]

4mm might as well be 4 miles. Seems like you have the wrong tailstock.

i initially thought that but it matches every photo of the lathe i can find, even the page about them on lathes.co.uk shows the same tailstock.

i wont have time to do anything to it today but am going to take some detailed measurements tomorrow and see what is going on. If it stands out that it needs machining down i will mill it in work on nights next week

 

[MattF]

How are you measuring the difference? Even if that tailstock was from another lathe of the same make, I can't see their allowable tolerances ever being over an 1/8" between batches of machines.

 

[BrokenBiker]

right, I have done some more researching. it appears that Ross and Alexander were simply re-badge artists, using mainly zyto and portass lathes, putting their badge on and then flogging them off. or atleast in the case of my lathe anyway. Mine appears to be a portass model x bed and headstock, as the r and a model a doesn't have back gear, the portass model x looks more alike to mine and has the same back gear set up. the tail stock appears to be from a portass model xl, the change wheels from a model x and the lead screw the same. this would explain the head stock being off centre height as some were made with a 3 1/2" inch centre height and some were made 3 5/8", so my tail stock appears to be 1/8" high due to being off the wrong model.

the 3 jaw chuck and face plate have zyto stamped onto them, I now know why, zyto made very similar lathes and had some of theirs sold as r and a. the cross slide looks to be actually the compound slide from an r and a model b.

all in all the lathe I have seems to be a mix of 3 or 4 different lathes that were bungled together in order to get them sold. now that I know what bits come from where I can start looking for original parts to replace them with. I have also found that I am missing the headstock belt tensioning system

there are also parts from a portass model 's' and a portass heavy duty 4-inch too

 

[MattF]

That would explain the 1/8" difference nicely, the variation between the two models.

 

[Cyberprog]

Makes me wonder how the hell my Grandfather managed to use it! I suspect he didn't, and just used the shed as an escape from my gran!

 

[Wedg1e]

Makes me wonder how the hell my Grandfather managed to use it! I suspect he didn't, and just used the shed as an escape from my gran!

Look around for a deck-chair, an old transistor radio and an empty Port bottle, that'll give you the answer

 

[Cyberprog]

Look around for a deck-chair, an old transistor radio and an empty Port bottle, that'll give you the answer

Never knew him sadly, died before I was born. But figure you're probably not far off, except for the port...

 

[BrokenBiker]

it can be used, i have got it to cut, but not on anything long enough to require the use of a centre in the tailstock or a drill chuck.

 

[Pete.]

You could take off the 1/8" on a milling machine. Make an arbor that's a good fit in the tailstock, and machine centres in the ends. Fit it between centres on a mill table and dial it in horizontally and vertically. Remove it fromt he centres and mount the tailstock on it base-upwards then replace it on the centres. Now level the tailstock base with machinist jacks and clamp it in place for machining.