M A Y 1947

193

In boring -the cylinder, take a heavy roughing cut to g e t under the surface scale. Finish the bore with light cuts and a freshly ground bit.

If an expanding mandrel i s available, bore the cylinder before finish-facing the flanges; if not, machine-the flanges first and then bore.

5 Drill and tp i

one hole in the flange, and then bolt the cylinder head on before spotting the others. Use a clamp a t the opposite side.

Face the steam chest on both sides, taking a heavy roughing cut on each first and finishing with light cuts t o assure a steamtight joint.

the exhaust port drilled in from the side to meet that in the face. Don't drill the 4-48 holes until the covers have been made. Mount the cylinder-head casting in the three-jaw chuck and turn the chucking lug straight so the casting will run true when reversed. Machine the top and outer edge to circle on shape, and then score a light 1%" the faee for locating the bolt holes. Again reverse the piece in the chuck, take off the chucking lug, face smooth, turn the step to a good snap fit in the cylinder bore, and drill a 7/16" hole ?&" deep to clear the nut on top of the piston. The bolt holes are then stepped off accurately with dividers, centerpunched, and drilled clearance size. Snap the head in place, spot one of the holes in the flange with a clearance-size drill, drill tapping size, and tap. Next, insert the bolt and spot the remaining holes. Make a file mark on meet-

ing edges so that the head can be replaced in the %me position; then finish drilling and tapping the flange. In machining the lower cover, it is important that the step fitting in the cylinder bore be concentric with the piston-rod hole so there will be no binding ,at that point. Equally important it is to turn the step on the outer face, or bottom, concentric for fitting the shouldered bore in the standard. One way is to turn the gland stem and shoulder on the outer face first, bore and counterbore the ?iN hole, and then mount the piece on a stub arbor or in a step chuck to face and step the inner side for a snap fit in the cylinder bore. In counterboring for th'e gland, be sure to start carefully in the pistonrod hole to assure concentricity. Snap the lower cover on the column, clamp, and spot the bolt holes through the column flange. Then snap the cover on the

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Machine the steam-port face with the cylinder mounted o n an angle plate, finishing with very light cuts. A shaper will also d o the iob.

Ports are bored a t an angle from both ends of the cylinder t o connect with the steam ports i n the face. C h i p and file them t o shape.

Chucked gland end out, the steam chest can be drilled and reamed f o r the valve stem and t h e hole then opened out t o take the gland.

Corner holes are completed first i n the steam chest and cylinder steam-port face; then the parts are bolted and the remaining holes drilled.

cylinder and repeat as for the head. Put witness marks on the .column, cover, and cylinder flange, making certain that the valve face is at 90 deg. to the crankshaft centerline of the base. Face the steam-chest casting on both sides, holding it in the four-jaw chuck, and bring it to proper thickness. A heavy roughing cut followed by several light finishing cuts will assure a steamtight joint. Some difficulty may be encountered in drilling for the valve stem, since the inner surfaces of the steam-chest casting will have a slope. If you have a hand grinder, a small flat can be ground inside the stem-guide end for a drilling surface, after which the steam chest can be chucked and the hole drilled all the way through from the gland end. Otherwise it may be best to lay out the holes as accurately as possible on the outer surfaces, drill each from the outside with

a n undersize drill, and then ream from the gland end. In this case, drill the gland end first, counterbore, and support it with the tailstock center when drilling from the sternguide end. Finish by enlarging the upper hole with a No. :3 drill and tapping %"-28. Lay out the 14 bolt holes, drill the four in the corners clearance size, and spot, drill, and tap the corner holes in the cylinder steam-port face. Bolt through the four holes, and drill the remaining 10 tappinq size through the steam chest into the cylinder. Separate the parts, tap the cylinder holes, and open up those jn the steam chest. Face the steam-chest cover in the lathe, mill the recess, clamp the steam chest to it in the drill press, and drill the bolt holes. The valve-rod and piston-rod glands, valve-stem guide, and steam-pipe flange are turned from bronze bar stock to dimensions on page 193. TO BE CC)NTINUED
M A Y ,947

195

laking the
ACCURATE, true-running crankshaft is necessary if the model steam engine is to work freely and use steam with maximum efficiency. This part is assembled from a shaft, two webs, each with an integral counterbalance, and a crankpin. All are made up from solid steel stock, the webs cut with a hacksaw and filed to shape from two 5/16" disks and the shaft and pin cut from drill rod. Clamp the webs together and drill them at the same time for a drive fit on the shaft and pin. Because the shaft is cut as one piece 416" long and must be driven a considerable distance, it may be necessary to ream t h e . %" holes for it slightly. Press both webs on the crankpin first. Next, with a block between the webs to prevent bending the pin, drive the crankshaft through. Then drill and pin all parts. Pieces of bicycle spoke make good pins. The assembled crankshaft is next mounted between centers in the lathe and with the block still between the webs. Face the outer web sides smooth, form the 1/32" collars, and turn the outer rim of the balance weights and the ends of the webs smooth and to exact diameter. Finally cut out the part of the crankshaft between the webs and file the inner faces smooth. Key-

AN

Alignment o f the t w o ends o f the shaft is assured if it is made as one piece and c u t when pinned i n place. The flywheel is turned from a casting.

Mounted between centers, the crankshaft is faced smooth on the webs and the collar turned. A block between the webs prevents distortion.

Holes f o r the bearing bolts are drilled through t h e bearing caps while the crankshaft i s in place t o assure alignment o f the bearing halves.

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Ru~ningGear

All

dimensions for t h e crankshaft, flywheel, connecting rod, piston. a n d piston rod are shown in the drawing. The reverse-lever ring is also shown a n d m a y well be m a d e a t this time.

ways or setscrew flats are optional, depending on the use the engine is meant for. Fit the finished crankshaft into the bearings next, clamp on the bearing caps, and rotate the shaft to make sure it turns freely. There should be no binding, since shaft alignment is insured when the webs are pinned before cutting out the center portion. With the shaft in place, drill and tap the bearing holes and bolt both caps down. The connecting rod is rough-turned to shape from X" by R" steel bar in the fourjaw chuck. I t is removed and heated to a bright red, and the small end is twisted 90 deg. This can be done with a heavy wrench while the work is held in the vise. Then the piece is rechucked, its tapered section turned to shape and polished bright, and the work cut off. Drill, saw, and file the forked end to shape, and drill for the connecting-rod pin. Turn the pin to a force fit in the fork or thread it for a retaining nut.

Make up the connecting-rod brasses from flat bar bronze stock and the connectingrod keeper from steel. Cut to length and drill for the screws that hold them to the connecting rod. Drill and tap the end of the rod and with two 4-48 steel screws assemble brasses and keeper on the rod. The crankpin hole is then drilled and reamed through the bearing brasses, and the end assembly is filed accurately to size. Centerdrill a 2%" length of drill rod for the piston rod, thread both ends, and screw it into a hole drilled and tapped in a rough piston blank made from a ?6" steel disk. Mount the work between centers and face both sides of the piston so it will run dead true. Then turn it to a nice sliding fit in the cylinder bore and cut the groove to width and depth for the piston ring. This ring, being a standard size, can be purchased, though one can be made up in the lathe from a short bar of cast iron if the

Steel bar stock i s rough-turned to shape for the connecting rod, removed from the lathe, heated a bright red, and the small end twisted 90 deg.

Back in the four-iaw chuck, the connecting rod is turned for the taper, which i s polished bright, and the piece i s then cut off t o length.

This i s the connecting-rod assembly. The brasses are drilled and reamed while screwed together t o give a nice running f i t on the %" crankpin.

The piston i s turned from- a blank that has been drilled, tapped, and screwed t o +he piston rod. I t i s faced true, turned to size, and grooved.

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modelmaker is experienced in ring turning. Enough of the parts will now have been completed so that you can make a trial assembly and test the piston travel. Assemble the base, the column or stancl:~rcl, the bottom cylinder cover, the cylinder itself, the piston ancl piston rod, and the connecting rod. Leave off the top cylinder cover so the movement of the piston can be checked. Likewise it will be unnecessary to put in the glands for the test. If the machining has been accurately done, the assembled engine should work freely when the crankshatt is turned. Note carefully the travel of the piston, which should be the same distance from the top and bottom of the cylinder, clearing at both points by 1/32". If it should hit at the bottom, the piston rod can be turned n little further out of the crossheacl. Place the top cover on the cylinder nncl again move the piston through its travel. Any bincling at

the top will indicate that the piston is striking there, and a shortening of the piston rod will be necessary. T h e reverse-lever ring is a section of a circle turned from a square piece of ?6" steel pli~te. It is first chucked in the four-jaw chuck, where the center is bored to size. Rechuckecl in the three-jaw with the espancling jaws gripping inside the hole, it is brought to proper outside diameter. A section of the ring is nest cut out, and the holes are drilled for mounting the part on the engine l~nse. After so much work on bar stock, machining the flywheel will be a pleasant relief. This is made from a fine gray-iron casting. I t is rough-turned to size in the three-jaw chuck, and the shaft hole is then tlrilled and reamed. T h e work is next mounted on : mandrel held between centers, and the 1 hub, edges, and inside of the rim are faced to run dead true. TO BE C ~ N T I N U E D

Shaping of the forked end i s begun with a drilled hole and rough sawing, and the fork i s brought t o final dimensions by hand filing or milling.

H e r e the connecting rod is shown with its keeper, brasses, pin, a n d screws, together with the crossh e a d , which was described in Part I.

I t will hardly pay t o make your own piston ring, which i s a standard size readily available. I t i s shown here with the completed piston and rod.

Rough-turned t o size from o casting, drilled, and reamed, the flywheel i s next mounted on a mandrel a n d its rim a n d hub a r e faced t o run d e a d true.
JUNE 1947

193

Building the
Here's the finished i o b as she'll look when you makethe parts described in this last installment

The slide valve i s located on the valve rod b y a pair of locking nuts that provide travel adiustment. The nuts must be a tight fit on the thread.

Steam chest and valve assembly. The valve i s not clamped .snugly but floats between the nuts so that steam pressure can hold it against the port face.

ONCE the most fascinating and the most difficult part of this engine to build, the reverse gear is derived from Stephenson's famous link motion. The valve rod, which moves the slide valve over the ports, is not connected directly to an eccentric at all, but to a small block that slides in a slotted quadrant or link. Two eccentrics, oppositely offset to give the correct advance for both forward and reverse running, are connected to the two ends of this link. A control lever connected through a drag link can shift the slotted quadrant and its connecting eccentric rods one way or the other, bringing the link block and consequently the valve into line with either the forward or the backward eccentric, and so determining which way the engine will run. When the link block is midway in the slot, no motion is imparted to the valve even if the crankshaft is turning, and the engine will soon stop. Either side of this position, though, the valve will operate with reduced travel. Steam will be cut off during a greater part of the stroke, saving on fuel, a condition analogous to high gear in an automobile transmission and precisely that which obtains in a steam locomotive running at high speed with a moderate load. The slide valve consists of two pieces of bronze, the face a piece of %" plate in which a rectangle is cut by drilling and filing to form the steam cavity or recess. To this is silver-soldered a bronze block. The hole for the valve rod is filed slightly oval with a needle file so that the valve has some slight play against the port face and may be held on it firmly by steam pressure. Turn the valve rod from 5/16" square steel rod, shouldering the end to a sliding fit in the guide atop the steam chest and threading the stem with some fine thread such as 8-36 or 6-40. Drill the square end for the 3/32" pin that will connect it to the link block, cut the slot, and file to shape. Eccentrics can be turned from short ends of stock. Chuck a piece 3/32" off center, turn the hub, and drill and ream the '9 shaft 6 hole. Then chuck the piece truly in the three jaw to turn the 1" outside diameter and the 76" groove, and cut off. Make a sec~ ond eccentric with no hub. [ T u T the page.]

AT

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Precise work in laying out, machining, a n d hand fifting

will be

rewarding w i t h these parts.

JULY 1947

175

1'I

Face both smooth, slip them on a short piece of %'/ rod, and rivet together at exactly the angle shown in the drawings. To make the eccentric straps, cut two pieces 1%" long from 3/16" by Y" cold-rolled steel for each strap. Lay out, drill, and tap the bolt holes for fastening the two halves together. Those in the lower half are drilled out to clear the 7/64" bolts. With the halves bolted together, each blank is chucked and bored to a running fit on its eccentric. The outside is then roughly sawed and brought to final shape by hand filing. Eccentric rods are turned from T" square i steel. They should be cut slightly long to allow for shortening in the bend. Lay out the hole in the fork end after bending, measuring from the shoulder at the threaded end. Drill, slot, and file the fork to shape. With dividers, carefully lay out the reverse link on %" steel plate. To make the slot, drill a series of undersized .holes, drill between to overlap them, and finally file to the radiuses. Drill for the eccentric-rod pins and finish ihe outside by filipg to shape. Note that the link block has sides of the same curvature as the link slot, in which it should be a perfect sliding fit, without play. The reverse lever and its quadrant, drag link, and clamping nut offer no special difficulties. With the various short pins and the valve-rod nuts, you are ready to assemble the valve gear. One of the photos shows it in a trial assembly, less the reverse lever. Assemble the steam chest, valve, valve rod and adjusting nuts, and gland as in the photo on page 174. Be sure the valve rides freely on the rod so that its face may be lifted a trifle above the bolting surface of the chest in the position shown-enough to allow for more than the thickness of a gasket between chest and port face. To allow full contact with the port face, the adjustment nuts should be drawn up only to position the valve, not to clamp it. Either tap the nuts somewhat less than full thread depth for a tight fit on the rod, or make two thin nuts out 6f each one to provide locking. With the cylinder and running gear assembled, mount the steam chest temporarily without the cover and connect the eccentric rods to the link. Set the two eccentrics on the shaft so that the crankpin throw bisects the angle between the eccentrics. You can then observe the valve travel by turning the crankshaft. Steam ports should just begin to open as the piston reaches top or bottom dead cen-

ter. The valve should uncover both ports to an equal degree, and at no point expose the exhaust port. These conditions will best be observed at full forward and full reverse setting, with the link block at the two ends of the slot. At intermediate positions valve travel will be shortened, and cutoff-the closing of the port last admitting steam-will occur earlier in the stroke. If setting the valve nuts does not correct valve 'travel, it

Each eccentric is turned separately. Round stock off. center and the shaft hole is drilled. I t is then centered and the outside turned.
i s chucked 3/32"

The eccentrics, one without a hub, a r e then riveted or pinned together. A f t e r each pair of strap halves i s bolted together, the inside diameters are bored.

O n e o r both eccentric rods are offset slightly so as t o bring the centerlines of their forks directly over the centerline of the assembled eccentric.

may be necessary to reset the eccentrics, or even shorten or lengthen their rods. Assemble the engine, using oil freely on all moving parts, with gaskets and graphited gland packing. Run it in at low speed on steam or air, or by outside power, until the parts have worn to a good fit nncl lost any, initial tightness. The steam line shoulcl have a lubricator to oil the cylinder. Beware the temptation to throw over the

reverse lever at high speed. While the engine should stop at mid-clu:~drnnt setting, you'll want a throttle valve for fuller control. It's well to add asbestos lagging and a sheet-metal jacket to the cylincler to minimize condensation, and to start up slowly until the cylinder is hot and any condensate has escaped via the exhaust. Being of cast iron, the engine will safely stand presEND sures up to 100 lb.

A short pivot stud connects the d r a g link t o t h e

reverse link. Also above is t h e link block, shaped t o match t h e slot, which fits the valve-rod fork.

Chucked i n the four-iaw, a piece o f '/4" square steel i s turned down t o f o r m the handle o f t h e reverse lever. Holes must b e l o c a t e d as in the drawing.

H o w the reverse gear will b e assembled on the engine. The q u a d r a n t on the steam chest receives the clamp screw t h a t locks t h e reverse-lever setting.

A t its lower end, t h e lever pivots on a stud t h a t

screws i n t o t h e ring, which will itself b e bolted t o the bare. The c l a m p nut is f i t t e d with a handle.

k
REVERSE
LEVER Sfee/
DRILL 3 3 / y

y l

an set up the frame by joining the o the channel-iron stretchers with . stove bolts, the nuts drawn down at the ends as in Fig. 5. With the rame set up, drill a line of small holes, spaced 8 in. apart, through the top of the upper angle-iron rails to take screws driven into the top. If the machine is to

be taken about to the job or operated on- . an uneven floor, saw one of the front legs about 1in. short, cut two %%-in.slots in a piece of 4/4 by %-in. flat iron and bolt it ' to the leg as i Fig. 3 Thls will give y a u n . an adjustment to take care of any unevenness in the floor. The top thickness is given as 1% in. bul this may be 1% in. to allow a greater range

ADJUSTMENT

FROM MAPLE, KEYED

of adjustment on the dado and molding heads. To build up the top of 1%-in. stock rip six 2% by 38-in. strips of hard maple and five strips of black walnut the same size. Run a 3/8 by %-in. rabbet on the edge of one of the maple strips. Lay out and drill %-in. holes for staggered 2-in. dowels as shown in Fig. 1. The table opening should be wide enough to take the length of the mandrel so that the saw will raise high enough to give the full cutting capacity of the blade. Cut the stock for the table top accordingly and assemble as in Fig. 1 with waterproof casein glue in all joints. Allow ample time to dry before you loosen the clamps. To finish, first plane
48

the table crosswise to even up, then plane lengthwise with the jointer plane and sandpaper on both sides to a uniform thickness. Square up to size, plane all edges at right angles and be sure that the sides and ends are parallel. Apply two coats of white shellac to both sides and finish with wax. A %-in. rabbet is cut around the top edge of the opening. In this you fit two %-in. steel plates, one slotted for the saw blade, the other with a wider slot for the dado and molding cutter. Fasten with short screws. The %-in. groove for the crosscut guide may be located on either side of the saw nr one an each side. Next you make up the base tor the motor and saw mandrel. This is made 3-ply of %-in. hardwood. The exact size of the base depends on the type of motor and saw

mandrel you use. The forward end of the base is beveled for the mandrel which is, usually f a s t e n e d w i t h bolts or heavy screws. As you will see from Figs. 3 and 6 the base is pivoted on a 1%-in. steel shaft supported in two split bearings bolted to the back legs. ThB base is attached to the supporting shaft with 3%-in. U-bolts, or you can use two additional split bearings for this purpose. The motor is bolted in place with a %-in. V-belt running over a 2-in. diameter V-pulley on the mandrel and a 5-in. V-pulley on the motor. These pulleys will give proper saw speed with the.motor turning 1,750 r.p.m. This done, you are ready for the tilting device shown in Figs. 4, 6 and 7. It is important that the

'

runs in clockwise direction, it should be turned end for end so that the pulley and belt are on the opposite side, or the belt may be crossed. no end play. Set the table on the frame, a l i n e i t with the saw blade, place strips of thin felt between the table and the frame, and fasten the table in place with screws. Fig. 3 details the ripping fence and Fig. 2 the crosscut guide. Both sides of the fence should be finished true throughout the length. The wood is then sanded smooth, shellacked two coats and waxed. Two 1%in. shaft collars are placed tight against the bearings on the shaft supporting the motor baae. A l bolts, including those an l the split bearings, are then drawn tight. The motor and saw-mahdrel mounting, as shown in the drawings, is correct for motors that run in anti-clockwise direction as you are facing the pulley. If your motor

Shop Light Has Clampeon Socket

When y o u a r e working a r o u n d machinery t h a t requires a light in many unusual positions, it will be a big help to have tlie l a m p f i t t e d with a fastener as shown. T h i s i s nothing more than a spring b a t t e r y clip attached to an ordinary l i g h t socket by the bushing screw and then soldered to make it secure. -Albert Mihalovich, Rathbun, Ia.

place with a rivet. The housing is also drilled and tapped for a pressure grease fitting. Right at this stage the spindle, Fig. 4, should be made. Check the dimension through each of the inner ball races before you turn down the spindle between the cutter flange and the shouldered lower end, for this section must fit the inner ball

races in a snug, press fit. Thread the upper end of the spindle while in the lathe as the thread must be true. When you assemble as in Fig. 2 make sure, before seating the retainer, that the spindle turns freely, without perceptible binding at any point, through a complete revolution. Next, you bore out the threaded sleeve of a pipe floor flange so that the spindle

to the lower end of the flange as in Fig. 3. One of the clamp projections is tapped; the other is drilled to take the shouldered end of the clamp screw, Fig. 4. A coil spring is placed between the ends of the clamp when the screw is turned into place. Figs. 5, 6 and 7 show how the spindle may be mounted on a convenient floor stand and driven with a Y4-hp. motor. Fig. 6 suggests a good method of mounting the motor with the shaft in the horizontal position and driving with a half-crossed round leather belt. But, if you have a ballbearing motor, you can simplify this installation by mounting the motor with the shaft in the vertical position. In either case, with a motor running at 1,750 r.p.m., you can use a 7-in. V-pulley on the motor shaft and a 2-in. pulley on the spindle. This combination will give the proper speed for the average work. The stand, as you see, is a very simple affair made from angle iron. The table top requires a little more care. It should be made of strips of hardwood glued together and drawn tight with iron rods threaded at both ends for a nut and washer. For accurate work it's essential that the table ' top be surfaced

smooth and flat on both sides. Finish it with shellac. Notice the guide pin, Fig. 7, which is necessary for starting the work when no fence is used. It should not be more than 3 in. from the center or axis of the spindle. When using the pin as a guide for the edge of the work when starting the cut, it is essential that the uncut portion of the stock ride on a guide collar as in the detail, Fig. 1. Although the pin can be used when starting either straight or curved work it's best to use a fence when molding straight stock. Fig. 5 suggests a simple type of fence, although it does not have an adjustment for offsetting the two halves which is necessary on certain kinds of work. A ready-made fence having this feature can be purchased at nominal cost. Throe-lipped cutters should be used. They may be purchased ready-ground in a great variety of shapes together with suitable guide collars. Always use double nuts on the spindle and be sure that they are tight before starting the machine.

A Quick-Acting Tap Holder In addition to several turning jobs on hand for the lathe, there was one piece drilled, on the end, which required to be tapped. Being anxious to do this without changing the setting, the quick-acting tap holder shown in the drawing was devised. The square shank of the tap is held in a swinging PIN piece, clamped SWINGING PIECE to t h e t a i l stock center, so that, when TAP in use, the center fits into the center hole in the tap HEADLESS shank. When SCREW PIN the tap is in position for use, it is located accurately by the pin, which also prevents it from lifting. When the tapping operation is finished, it is only necessary to pull out the pin and swing the holder aside.

[Arrangements have been made to supply the necessary castings for this lathe, at a low figure, to any who are interested. This magazine has no financial or other interest in this, beyond that of service to the reader. The name and address of the maker will he furnished, upon request, by the Shop Notes Department, Popular Mechanics Magazine, 6 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago.Editor.]

large quantities, a 6-in. lathe of the type described in this article will be found exceedingly useful in the small experimental shop. With a center held in the main turret, the machine may be used as a simple engine lathe, and when a number of similar pieces are to be turned out in a hurry the work may be performed in almost as expeditious a manner as on a commercial turret lathe. This machine was built and used by the author in his own workshop, on fine precision work, and many accurate jobs have been done with it very quickly. Most of the work of building can be done in a workshop equipped only with a vise and bench drill, with the necessary small tools, as flat cold-rolled steel is used for the ways, carriage, and other parts of that character; it will be necessary, however, to have certain things, such as the machining of the as Workshop: It headstock and the cutting Photograph of the Completed LatheBothUsed in the Author'sWork Is Capable of Performing Fast and Accurate of the feed screw, done in a machine shop, but this is a small item. retaining rings are fitted at the rear, The headstock is made of gray iron, and clamping the outer race of the bearing is fitted with an overarm steadyrest, firmly, and taking up the end thrust. which allows the carriage to travel the These are fitted with felt dust rings, bearfull length of long work, as the work is ing on the collars on the spindle; the supported from the top and rear. The rings at the front are also fitted with dust spindle is carried, at the rear, by a double- rings, running on the spindle, but these row ball bearing, .75 in. wide, of the com- rings do not clamp the single-row bearbined axial and radial-load type, and at ing, which is permitted to float. the front by a single-row bearing, .629 in. When the headstock is assembled, the wide. Both of these bearings have an bearing housings should be packed with outside diameter of 2.441 in., and an inside a good grade of vaseline, which will last diameter of 1.181 in. Care must be taken a long time; see that the vaseline supply to bore the bearing housings a push fit is at all times sufficient for good lubricafor the bearings, and to have all faces tion. Spindles fitted in this manner are square and parallel with each other. far superior to those fitted with plain The spindle should be made of a good bearings, as they consume less power, are grade of steel, of about .3-per-cent carbon free from vibration, and allow of accurate content, and is hollow. It is best to bore as well as heavy work. The writer has
3841

turret lathe is WHILE the the production essentially a tool for of work in

the spindle first, then re-center and finish the outside. The nose is taper-bored to take the collets, and threaded eight threads per inch, U. S. standard, to fit the faceplates and chucks. The taper seat for the collets should not be finished until the lathe has been completely assembled; it should then be machined with tools held in the toolpost of the lathe itself. The inner races of the ball bearings should be a good fit on the flat threads on the rear of the spindle, and on the outside of the spindle at the front. Bearing-

3842

POPULAR

MECHANICS

taken a 1/8-in. cut on a piece of 1/2-in. must be as true and straight as it is poscold-rolled steel at a distance of 5 in. sible to make them, as upon their truth from the collet, the reduced diameter depends the accuracy of the lathe. When trued, all surfaces should either be frosted being very accurate as to size. The drawbar for the collets is a tube, or polished. The shear anchor bolts should now the outer diameter of which fits the bore of the spindle. It is threaded at the front be screwed home, the pipes, leg and rear to fit the collets, and is fitted with a hand- leadscrew-bearing bolts placed in posiwheel at the rear. A tiebar at the top of tion, and a wooden form made to fit the headstock keeps the two arms stiff closely around shears and legs, in which and rigid. The cone pulley is fastened to to pour the cement. The cement used is the spindle by a setscrew, spotted into a mixture of one part Portland cement the spindle; two cone pulleys, of the same to three parts clean, sharp sand, mixed size, should be cast and machined, one with just enough water to enable a handbeing used on the countershaft. The arm ful of the mixture to be picked up and for the steadyrest is a length of 1-in. squeezed and to leave the impression of the fingers in it. cold-rolled This cement is s t e e l ; it is t a m p e d down clamped in posifirmly in the tion by 3/8-in. form, poking it capscrews, a r o u n d the w h i c h comscrews and into press the the c o r n e r s slotted headw i t h an ice stock arms. pick, or some The headstock s i m i l a r tool. is fastened to When the conthe bed by two crete has set 1/2- i n. b o l t s , thoroughly, the running up b o a r d s are rethrough pieces moved and the of pipe cast incement thorto the bed; by oughly wetted this means no twice a day for strains are put about a week; on the cement. this will temper The conthe cement, and struction of the is a very imbed is someportant part of what of a novthe work. The elty, although it resulting bed is has been thoro u g h l y t r i e d Method of Making the Bed: The Bolts for the Rear Leadscrew as s t r o n g as Bearing are Not Shown, but should be Cast anyone could out by the In like the Leg Bolts wish. Reinforcwriter in this and other machines, and found to be very ing rods may be laid down in the cement, satisfactory. This method of making the as it is being placed, or wires twisted bed eliminates the hardest work of mak- throughout the bolts, adding further to ing a small lathe, as it does away with the strength of the bed. The main member of the carriage is the bed casting and the necessary mamade of cold-rolled steel, 1/2 by 5 by 5 1/4 chining. A piece of 1/2 by 4-in. cold-rolled steel, in. in size, machined as shown in the 30 in. long, is used for the shears. This carriage-detail drawing. A piece of 1/4 is first drilled and tapped for a number of by 2-in. cold-rolled steel, 7 in. long, is 3/16-in. stove bolts, of varying lengths, fastened to the top of the main member which are used to anchor the shears to by 3/16-in. screws; on this piece the cross the cement, also drilled and countersunk slide runs. The cross slide is also made for the leg screws and for the 1/2-in. head- of steel, machined as shown, and is fitted stock bolts. It is next carefully straight- with a turret toolpost. The cross slide ened and scraped to a true surface on top is held to its ways by means of angle and sides, testing the width throughout pieces, as shown in the front view of the with a micrometer, and using a knife- carriage. The turret is made of steel, and edge straightedge on the surfaces; these is casehardened; four tools can be

3844

POPULAR

MECHANICS
against the edge of the shears. Brass shims, or wearing pieces, 1/32 in. thick, are set in the ends, to take the wear on the filler piece. The rear angle is plain, machined as shown in the drawing. Behind the apron is fitted a bronze nut; this rotates in a bearing fastened to the apron, and is screwed into one of a pair of miter gears, which, in turn, are driven by 3-to-l spur gears; the larger gear is pinned to the handwheel, and the smaller is pressed onto the hub of the second miter gear, which runs in the apron. The handwheel runs on a stud screwed into the apron; this stud is fitted with a knurled friction nut, so that, if

mounted in this at once. On the boss of the cross slide is mounted a small index post, into the countersunk top of which the elevating screws fit, allowing each tool to be adjusted to its correct cutting height. A spring pushes the turret upward when the clamping handle is loosened, allowing the turret to be turned to bring another tool into cutting position. A 1/4-in. square-thread screw operates the cross slide, and the tools are held in the toolpost by 1/4-in. square-head setscrews. The apron of the carriage is made of steel, 2 in. wide, and is fastened to the main carriage member by flat-head machine screws. The front angle piece of

Full Details of the Carriage and Apron Mechanism: Note the Employment of the Small Index Post and Elevating Screws in the Toolpost to Secure the Correct Height for Each Tool. The Post is Set in the Inner Left-Hand Corner of the Turret Base

the carriage is built up, as shown, the filler piece being slit at each end, so that wear may be taken up as it develops, by tightening the adjusting screws. The holes for these screws do not go clear through the filler piece, but stop at the slits, so that, by screwing the screws in, the inner ends of the filler are pressed

change gears are fitted to the lathe or it is desired to feed by means of the handwheel on the end of the leadscrew, the nut can be tightened and the whole assembly of spur and miter gears and nut locked firmly. The rear, or main-turret, base and slide are made of cast iron, a dovetailed slide

Details of the Headstock and Main Turret, and Side Elevation of Completed Lathe: When a Center is Used in the Turret, as Shown, and the Gib-Locking Screw Tightened, the Tool can be Used as an Ordinary Bench Lathe, for Turning Work between Centers. Five Tools can be Used in the Main Turret, and Four in the Toolpost Turret, Making for Speed in Production
3843

being used, fitted with a 1/8-in. gib. The front gib-adjusting screw is fitted with a handle and is used to lock the turret in position for plain turning operations. The turret pivot pin, of cold-rolled steel, casehardened, is 5/8 in. in diameter, with a 5/8-in. U. S. standard thread cut on the upper end, and fitted with a clamping handle. The turret is made of steel, undercut as shown in the drawings, and has five equally spaced slots milled around the lower surface for the index finger. One side of each slot is radial, the other being tapered, and the index finger is made to correspond. By making the finger and slots of this form, the radial side does the actual locating, and the tapered side moves the turret to position; only the radial side need be of great accuracy, while the wear is chiefly on the inclined side, where it does no harm. The holes for the tools should not be bored until the indexing mechanism has been assembled and the lathe set up; then, by boring the holes with a tool held in the chuck, and correctly supported, the greatest degree of accuracy is obtained. The details of the indexing device are so complete that little description is necessary; care should be taken, however, to see that the coil spring is heavy enough to prevent the index finger from being withdrawn from the turret until the stop pin on the back of the turret base strikes the pin on the slide; the backward movement of the lever will thus move the whole turret back until the stop pins engage; further movement disengaging the index finger, and allowing the turret to be revolved to the next position. The index finger slides between beveled strips of 3/16-in. steel, and must be a good fit; both slides and finger should be casehardened to insure long life. The speed of the lathe, and the arrangement of the countershaft, will be determined by the work to be undertaken and the shop conditions. A reversing countershaft should be fitted if tap and die work is to be performed on the lathe. A quadrant and stud can be fitted on the head end, and a set of change gears provided, if the lathe is to be used for screwcutting; in this event, no care should be spared to secure an accurate leadscrew. The builder of this lathe will have a very efficient machine, one that could not be purchased for many times the cost of building.

Arc welding gun

By PHILLIP M. WILSON

You can spot weld, tack weld and burn holes in metal with this welding gun you can make yourself

AFTER YOU BUILD this arc-spot welder, you'll find that you can spot weld sheet metal without a back up, also tack weld, and burn holes in sheet metal faster than you can drill them. And, as you use the gun, you'll discover many more jobs it will do faster, easier and better. The "secret" of its operation is the copper nozzle that acts as a shield and heat sink for the arc. The tremendous heat is concentrated on a small area for a short length of time, and with the springs tending to push the gun back at the same time the rod is burning off, a spot, plug, or tack can be made in less than a second. You have a lot of leeway when rounding up

the materials; in fact, your scrap box probably contains some parts that can be used. Just as an example, the handle on this welder was originally part of a toy machine gun. Incidentally, if you can manage to wangle your son's tommy gun, the handle will probably need some beefing up. The best bet is to fill it with epoxy after adding hardener. If you prefer, pieces of plywood can be sandwiched together with epoxy to form a handle like this prototype. When the cement has hardened, the block can be sawed to shape and sanded smooth. A saw slot cut in the rear of the handle allows the clutch knob to tighten the hairpin-shape slide rod. The knob should be tightened just enough so that the electrode can be fed with an easy downward push. An electronic supply house or radio repair shop can supply a knob of this type

Set the heat as you would for regular welding, push the nozzle down and then let up for a tack joint. Wear goggles when working with the arc-gun

or you can improvise one from a l-in.-diameter plastic medicine-bottle cap, filled with epoxy. Before the cement hardens, embed a 1/4-20 bolt, head down, to serve as a stud. The knob on the conductor screw that holds the electrode can be made in the same way. Keep in mind that both the knob and the stud are part of the electrical circuit and therefore must be made of some insulating material. A 3/8-in. hole drilled in the side of the handle accepts the fiber or plastic sleeve that provides insulation for the welding cable. Drill a 3/8-in. hole in the side of the sleeve to take the conductor screw, then drill and tap the front of the handle for the threaded brass rod that holds the electrode. Since no great pressure is required, it is all right to tap the wood, but you can use a Tee-nut instead. If you do, remember to check to see that it doesn't make contact with the slide rod and short it out. The next step is to drill two holes in the handle

for the slide rod. The holes are 1/4 in. on 1-1/4in. centers and must be drilled exactly parallel. The cable used here is an extra-flexible no. 4 rubber-jacket type, but no. 6 superflex would have been easier to handle. Attach a 100-amp lug to one end of the cable and at the other end slip on a 1-in. length of 3/8-in. copper tubing to withstand the pressure of the conductor screw. The nozzle holder is 3/4-in. black pipe, 1/2 in.. long. The slide made from a 3/4-in. length of 1/8-in. pipe is reamed out to 1/4 in. i.d. After riling both slide pieces to the required 1-1/4in. center measurement, clamp them to the nozzle holder and braze the joints. The nozzle is secured by two socket-head setscrews inserted in holes tapped in the nozzle holder. A rod guide formed from 1/8-in. steel is press fitted to a depth of 3/8 in. inside each nozzle. This keeps the rod centered and prevents arcing against the side of the nozzle. The slide rod is 1/4 in. o.d. and is made of brass, bronze, stainless steel or other noncorrosive metal. After assembling all the parts, clip the cable lug onto your electrode holder. Use the ground of the welder in the usual way. Slip a match tip, self-starting arc-welding rod (available from mail-order stores) into the conductor tube and adjust the clutch knob for 1/8 to 1/4-in. space between rod end and nozzle tip. Then set the heat at 75 amps and press the nozzle down against two pieces of sheet metal that are to be tacked. There will be a slight hiss and a little smoke. Release the pressure to stop arcing and inspect the joint. If penetration is insufficient, increase the heat and the pressure time. For burning holes it's best to use high heat and a short pressure time.

When welding together two pieces of sheet metal remember that timing of dwell determines the type of weld. Momentary contact will produce a spot weld, longer contact a plug weld on metal Tacking two pieces of plate before making a conventional weld can be accomplished without the use of a welding mask because the nozzle acts as a guard. For safety wear flash goggles

Spot or plug welding an inside corner calls for the use of a special-purpose nozzle

This nozzle holds the welding electrode at a 45-deg. angle for tacking or spot welding of an outside corner
4 5 OUTSIDE NOZZLE

Welding a stud to a sheet or light plate stock is possible by completely penetrating through to the stud from the reverse side of the work
STRAIGHT NOZZLE

The welding gun, shown below with its four quick-changeable nozzles, can handle a multitude of jobs

Self-containedunit has four-speed V-belt drive, rigid iron bed, and a quick-actingtailstock
W I T H this lathe you can swing a disk 12 in. in diameter on the headstock or turn down a full-length table leg between centers. The headstock spindle, Fig. 1 is supported , on auto connecting rods bolted to a short length of channel which forms the base and is bolted to the bed. A hardwood spacer between the rods holds the whole thing rigid. The &-in. spindle runs in Ford spindle-bolt bushings which are pressed into the upper ends of. the c o n n e c t i n g rods and then reamed to give the spindle a freerunning fit. The spindle also carries two ball thrust bearings, one on each side of a four-step V-pulley. Polished flat washers are used to take out the end play, if any. The inner end of the s p i n d l e should project about 3/4 in. to take :a hollow-sleeve spur center of the type which locks in place with a headless set screw. This and the drive pulley, also the thrust bearings, can be purchased a t little cost. Faceplates are also available. The bed is simply two channels of the size given in Fig. 3. They are bolted together with spacers cut from pipe, the latter of such length as to leave the top flanges of the channels exactly 1in. apart when the bolts are drawn tight. Now, the stand consists of two end members joined directly to the bed as in, Fig. 3, and to a lower shelf as in Fig. 4. The motor shelf is assembled from three pieces of 1%-in. angle as in Fig. 3. It's a good iclea f~ make up the s!qd fixst, the11

cut these pieces to suit the motor and V-belt you are to use. Fig. 2 shows a trick in fitting angle iron that should be used in
bulldlng this stand, as it reaults i a rigid n

joint. After the pieces are cut to required length, file one end of the angle which meets the corner of the second angle, in this case the leg, to a contour which allows i_t t~ fit snugly. Then clamp the pieces to-

The top flanges of the bed channels can be trued by draw filing, then finished smooth with emery cloth wrapped around a block of to the bed in the same way

gether and drill the hole for the stove bolt. If one piece is tapped as shown, use the tap drill first, then ream the outer hole with a body drill for the bolt. Or drill through with the body drill and tighten with a nut and lock washer on the stove bolt. Either way will do. Note that the hardwood shelf is braced to the foot, Figs. 3 and 4, and 'that the shelf rests on an angle-iron rail to which it is bolted. ~~~t pieces of 11/2-in. angle are bolted to the ends of the legs. A machine bolt or capscrew is put through near the ends of each foot piece and held in any position with 'two nuts, one on each side of one leg of the angle as shown. This gives adjustment for leveling the lathe on any floor. Finally, the tailstock and toolrest. Fig. 6 suggests a method of making the latter. You can purchase this item ready-made also. Figs. 5 and 7 show clearly how the tailstock is made. As you will see, it is very similar to the headstock. The quill is turned out of 1-in. cold-rolled steel shafting, the ends being shouldered back the length and diameter of the upper connecting-rod bearings, leaving a center section 4% in. long. The quill is counterbored as shown and a portion tapped to take the
60

threaded section of the spindle. The locking device consists of a cam rolling in slots C U ~ the channel-iron base as in Fig. 7 in and actuated by a ball handle. The cam is made by filing slots in a piece of 3/4-in. shafting. These slots cause the shaft to move eccentrically, lifting the U-bolt and the plate which bind against the flanges of the bed and tighten the tailstock at any position. A Y'-hp. motor of 1,750 r.p.m. will furnish sufficient power for ordinary work. By using matched 4-step cone pulleys on motor and headstock you will not have to shift the motor to change the spindle speed. By making up hinged motor rails out 6f strips of hardwood or %-in. flat iron it will be much easier to shift the belt when changing speeds. Hinged motor rails can also be pu:chased ready-made.

>

.. .. . .

This Lathe Sanding Table Fits T~cllr

3/4"

Hal(

PLYWOOD

on a lathe + g disk it is very often an advmta~e, have a table tbat can be adto &d quickly to the best workh g &&&% in refation to the, disk. I(lla8e 3mm a piece 6f plywood of a convenient

When --*aFing up small piecea o -stock f

size a short length of pipe and a m e , you have a table that is adjustable bbth vertically and horizontqlly. The bk& base fomns the holder, and the sanding table is held in the desired posftim by simply running up the clamp screw.

You need not go without a lathe as you can make this sturdy one of wood. Swings 12 in. over bed and 30 in. between centers. A heavy, balanced countershaft provides uniform spindle speed with moderate pedaling

p"""*"G

$*** @4

ITH the exception

of turned wooden pulleys and the form to cast a flywheel, you can b u i l d t h i s e f f i c i e n t a*i- \ treadle lathe with a few h a n d tools. D i s t a n c e between centers can be increased to accomrnodate turnings more than 30 in. long, but in doing so, the treadle, which must be

ward strokes of the trea give a spindle speed turning. Common 2-b cut each member. Note how the h is incorporated in the twin front legs. E: cept for fastening the bed pieces, the type of assembly shown to the right of Fig. 3 is used throughout, which permits tightening joints that may become loose. The small pin indicated is provided to keep the members in line when drawing up the bolts. Endless V-belting or round leather

belting, joined, will do to rig the countershaft. As no tension adjustment is provided, it will be necessary, if an endless belt is used to drive the headstock spindle, to vary the position of t h e r e a r countershaft pulley to be able to stretch the belt snugly

Inexpensive Sanding Disks Made From Plywood and Tin

Small sanding disks for a lathe are made easily from plywood disks. After cutting to size, make a sheet-metal disk to match. Drill one wood disk and countersink the hole to take a nail. Then punch the metal disk for the nail and solder the two together. Drill screw holes through both metal and wood disks for attachment of second wood disk to which abrasive paper is glued.

LAO -4

T L A i L R S -

over it. Belt dressing can be used if slippage develops. Ball bearings in both the headstock and countershaft make the lathe exceptionally smooth running and are preferred t o bronze bearings, although Ford model-T spindle body bushings can be used if you are unable to secure ball bearings. Fig. 1 details the headstock. The holes for the bearings must be centered an equal distance above the bed and counterbored on facing sides to provide a press fit for the bearings. An auto-generator bearing will do for the inner bearing, but the outer one should be of the type to take end thrust when pressure is applied by the tailstock.

the momentum. Collars are used against each bearing to take up end play. The flywheel detailed in Figs. 5 and 6 provides the necessary momentum to keep the spindle turning at a uniform speed. Extra care must be used in centering the hub to have the flywheel run fairly true. About the easiest way to do this is to first mark a 17-in. circle on the plywood bott m of the form by which it o
oaxl

be oen-

tered when fastening it in place with screws. Then a hole is drilled in the exact center to take the %-in. pipe hub snugly. A cleat across the top of the form holds the upper end of the pipe in position, while at the bottom a small block and a coupling

are used. The pipe should extend about 1/2 in. above the top of the form. As the drive pulley is fastened directly to the flywheel, greased dowels are placed in the form to provide bolt holes for this in the casting. Use a fairly rich aggregate consisting of cement, 1 part, sharp sand, 3 parts, and place pieces of wire mesh in the form as the pouring progresses to reinforce the work. Allow the concrete to set several days until fully cured. The flywheel is fastened to the pitman crank by a setscrew tapped in the coupling. Note in Fig. 8 that the point of fastening the pitman to the treadle should be directly in line with the flywheel shaft. Bearings for the countershaft assembly are fitted the same as those in the headstock. Plywood is best for the countershaft pulleys, the two rear ones being turned and grooved separately, screwed together and pinned to their shaft. Here collars are used as before to take up end play. ~ i gLdetails the tailstock and shows the . progressive steps to follow in shaping the glued-up block. The spindle hole, which is bored while the block is still square, is bushed on each side of the handwheel opening with a M-in. pipe nipple to receive a M-in. threaded shaft. Note that one side the handwheel. The latter is of wood and has a threaded bushing le. Washers center it in the t clamp in place by hand-

This home-made 3-1/2in. lathe has

first of four articles by GEORGE B. ROUND, in which he gives an account of the construction of a basic piece of machinery machine to be described is not put forward as an ideal lathe, but as an example of a plain lathe of simple and straightforward construction to which additions can be made as time, fancy, or necessity dictates. The lathe came into being through the acquisition of a set of Stuart No 10 engine castings and the realisation that I had no means of machining.
centres, with a bed 27-1/2 in. long, the extreme overall length being 2 ft 11 in. and the overall width 15) in. It is fitted with a form of back gearing together with a worm drive to mandrel, is screwcutting and has a back-shaft drive for power traverse. Fig. 1 shows the general arrangement and end view, and collectively these show the main features of the machine, which started as a plain lathe and has gradually acquired considerable elaboration. To return to the bed, trouble was encountered straight away. The maximum traverse of the milling machine was only about 20 in., and this was not nearly long enough. A large diameter plate was fixed to the milling spindle with a single inserted fly cutter, and with this a length of 27-1/2 in. could be machined. This had to suffice although I would have preferred a few more inches of bed. No attempt was made to machine the sides of the bed to a definite dimension, care only being taken to clean off all rough scale and to get true parallel surfaces. The four corners were machined to clean up the welds and to remove sharp edges. Beyond drilling and tapping eight holes, this finished the bed, the fly cutter leaving the faces very smooth and requiring little hand work. The actual finished section of the bed is shown in Fig. 2. The headstock was the next consideration. It was fabricated by arc welding mainly from angle and plate, and is shown in Fig. 3. It was formed from two 3/8in. thick plates cut to a V at the bottom to fit over a 6-1/2in. length of 2-1/2 in. angle with two smaller angles between to act as stiffeners. The bosses were formed of slices of 2 in. dia. b.d.m.s. bar, the whole being welded up into a strong and rigid unit. Holes 3/8in. dia. were drilled through the centres of the bosses and at appropriate places in the plates and bolted together for location in weldine. Thicker plate would have been used but it was not available and 3/8 in. has proved to be amply rigid in use.

novel features

HE

Certain limited facilities became available, and it was decided to make up a simple lathe rather than deal with the engine castings, as this would leave me with a lathe after the engine was finished. As things turned out, this was a wise decision, the facilities for machining ending much sooner than was expected. Only a plain lathe was needed and something on the lines of Maudslays triangular bar bed was favoured, a type I had always wanted to try out. I dislike anything that looks obviously home-made, however good its performance may be. As castings were out of the question for a variety of reasons, commercially obtainable sections, plus the junk heap had. to provide the materials for construction. They required careful selection to ensure that appearance did not suffer. It was decided to keep costs down to the minimum, and in fact, the only items purchased specially for the machine itself, were Allen-type screws and the mandrel ball-thrust bearing. Design of the bed The first item to be considered was the bed, and the proposed design was quickly modified for triangular section bar is not readily obtainable, nor particularly easy to machine from round bar. The use of two round bars was then considered but rejected in favour of a square bar bed as approximating more to the original idea. No square bar over 1 in. being to hand. the idea of arc-welding two mild steel angles to form a square tube was quite sound, and 2 in. x 2 in. x 3/8 in. thick angle was made the basis of the design. The lathe itself is 3-1/2 in. centre height, taking about 13 in. between
22 OCTOBER 1959

General view of the 3-1/2 in. lathe to be described in these articles 293
MODEL ENGINEER

The milling machine was fitted with a universal vertical milling attachment. This was really accurate so that the headstock was completely machined in only two settings, first, set upside down to machine out the underside, using the vertical attachment set alternately 45 deg. each side of the centre. Without disturbing the setting, a vertical and horizontal datum surface was machined on each side of the V, as shown in section x-x, Fig. 3. This was used for locating squarely on the table in the second set-up, using the milling machine as a boring machine, to bore and face the housings for the bushes parallel with the V-base, as with this form of bed any angular adjustment of the headstock for lining up is virtually non-existent. The accuracy achieved with these set-ups fully justified the trouble taken. It will be seen from Fig. 4 that the mandrel front bearing is of substantial dimensions, 1-1/4 in. dia. x

2-1/4 in. long, the back bearing being 1 in. dia. x 1-5/16 in. long; the latter would have been made longer had material been available. If it becomes necessary to fit a replacement, it will be made 1-3/4 in. long, the mandrel being turned down to suit. Bearing bushes The gunmetal bearing bushes are solid and without a means of adjustment. This may cause some lifting of eyebrows, but in my experience with lathes of various makes and sizes, only two were entirely free from chatter and they were the only two fitted with solid bushes. Admittedly, both had taper front bearings for endwise adjustment, but a Pratt and Whitney 4 in. had a parallel rear bearing, and the other, a 5 in. Pittler, was, I think, tapered though I never removed the mandrel and so cannot be certain. However, the parallel bushes fitted in my lathe show no signs of play after nearly seven years of use. The

rear bush was fitted with the flange between the housings to form a shoulder for the thrust bearing to bed against. The front bush was flanged only for appearance. Bright mild steel bar was used for the mandrel and it was intended to make the nose suitable for Myford backplates and to take No 2 Morse taper drills and centres, hence the

Headstock in closeup. Angle and plate were the main items used in fabrication

F A S T HEAD STOCK

MODEL ENGINEER

294

22

OCTOBER 1959

17/32 in. dia. hole through the body of the mandrel. This was hurriedly altered to 1 in. Whit. to use commercial hex. nuts welded to steel discs as chuck backplates, which also meant a change to No 1 Morse for the taper. But 1 in. nuts are easily obtained whereas specially threaded backplates are not, except at a price. A 1 in. roller thrust bearing of cheap manufacture was used to take care of thrust from drilling, etc., and a plastic washer for the opposite thrust. I was presented with some difficulty in getting material for the bed section of the tailstock. Eventually a cast iron firebar was located which machined up into a nice rectangular bar 1-1/4 in. x 1-15/16 in . x some 27 in. long. A piece 5 in. long was milled out to fit the bed and a tailstock body welded up from mild steel tube and flat section bar. The tube was reamed out to 7/8 in. dia. to take a lever-

Lathe mounted on a metal cabinet with a self-contained countershaft unit

operated barrel, 7/8 in. dia., this being to the barrel. This is crude but easier to make up than the screw- effective, and about the only suitable operated pattern. It was also more method m the circumstances. handy for drilling, as the machine * To be continued on November 5 would have to do duty as a driller. The bottom face was machined to The Festiniog Railway, Vol. II, suit the headstock centre height by J. I. C. Boyd. T h e Oakwood when bolted to the cast iron block. Press, price 30s. Two 5/16 in. hex. head setscrews were R BOYD'S second volume used and fitted solely for lining up carries the history of the purposes. I rarely require the tailFestiniog Railway from 1889 to stock to be set over for taper turning, the present time. It thus covers and the extra refinement of a crossthe period from the death of guide was felt to be unnecessary in a Charles Spooner, the dynamic plain lathe. Clamping of the barrel is force behind this little railway, by a thumbscrew and brass pad on the Colonel Stephens era, the post-war slump of 1923-1928, the partial closure of 1939 and the closure of 1946, and finally the re-opening during 1955. The author has made a lifetimes study of the Festiniog Railway and its associated lines, and this book covers its subject most thoroughly. Appendices are included giving full details of the locomotives, passenger coaches and goods wagons; the track, stations, yards and shops, as well as a chronology from the original Authorisation in 1832. Excellently produced, and well illustrated with 47 photographs, 28 drawings, maps and plans, this new book will appeal to all who are interested in the fascinating narrow-gauge railways of this country.-R.M.E.

22 OCTOBER 1959

295

MODEL ENGINEER

3-1/2 in, SCREWCUTTING LATHE

Continued from 22 October 1959, pages 293 to 295

Constructing a suitable slide-rest, cross-slide and tool block

this stage the whole affair was somewhat unwieldy, so two temporary bench legs were made up out of 1-1/2 in. slices of angle welded to bits of 1/4 in. plate. These were bolted to the ends of the bed providing a support while the head and tailstocks were fitted. The headstock was secured by four 3/8 in. Whit. Allen screws and the tailstock by a forked clamp tightened with a 2-1/2 in. dia. black moulded plastic handwheel, as shown in Fig. 5. Attention was next turned to the question of a suitable slide-rest. After giving much consideration to
T

By G.B. ROUND

Cutting change gearwheel using vertical slide and directing attachment

various schemes to get the longest t raverses, it was realised that in the bed itself lay the obvious answer to the problem, for here was the basis of a slide the fulllength of the machine. A V-groove was, therefore, milled in each of two 6 in. lengths of the firebar and bolted to a piece of thick plate surfaced on both sides, with a cutaway to clear the tailstock. The bolt holes in the front piece were slotted for adjustment and an angle fitted to take the screws for adjusting purposes. Two strips were

L___-_-

machined and screwed to the top face with 3/16 in. Allen screws and this made an excellent saddle. The arrangement was as shown in Fig. 6 and also in the photograph. It was at this stage that a most unexpected snag developed, for the firm which had given me machining facilities closed down and I had barely time to finish off the mandrel. However, a cross-slide was made up from a chunk of cast iron and operated by a long 3/8 in. Whit. bolt threaded its full length, giving about 3 in. of cross traverse. A piece of 1/2 in. round bar threaded 1/2 in. Whit. was pressed into service to operate the saddle up and down the bed, both being operated by handwheels salvaged from the junk heap. A tool block was fashioned out of an offcut from the firebar, and a tryout to ascertain what could be anticipated, seemed advisable. The drive This meant that a drive had to be arranged and for this I used an 1/8 h.p. Brook Cub motor together with a 9 in. V-pulley and belt. The 9 in. pulley bore just fitted the end of the mandrel. With the l-1/2in. pulley already on the motor, it was felt that it would do to just turn it round and perhaps handle a 1/8 in. drill, and in no time it was connected up and running. The motor was very large for such a small rating, and as the 1/8 in. drill seemed to have little effect on the motor, a 1/4 in. drill was tried. This too, was well within its stride, so
MODEL ENGINEER

SCREWCUTTING LATHE
continued

turning was gingerly attempted with complete success. In this state the lathe was used for a considerable time, machining up the Stuart engine castings with no difficulty, the motor giving ample power to turn the 3 in. dia. flywheel. One speed was a handicap and eventually a 5 in. dia. pulley was acquired which gave a much faster speed for small drills and turning. But it was awkward to change as it involved moving the motor as well as changing the pulley. So two fourspeed pulleys were turned up from mahogany with diameters of 3 in., 4 in., 5 in., and 6 in., arranged in an angle iron frame on two 1/2 in. shafts, one above the other. The drive from the motor was on to the lower shaft and a single V-belt drive from the upper shaft went to the mandrel, the diameter of the four-

speed pulleys being too large to be fitted between the headstock bearings. Lignum vitae blocks were used for the countershaft bearings and 1/4 in. round leather belt for the cone pulleys. A 4-1/8 in. dia. V-pulley was secured in the normal position on the mandrel with a 5/16 in. Allen grubscrew, and an A size V-belt drive from the countershaft completed the arrangement. Square threaded screw This extra load had little effect on the motor, and it was much more convenient in use. As the end of the mandrel was now free, I had thoughts of making some sort of automatic traverse. At this stage a friend produced a square threaded screw #in. dia. It was too short for a normal leadscrew, too long for the available traverse of the saddle, being screwed for its entire length. Above all, it had seven threads per inch, but it was much better than the 1/2 m. screwed bar I was using, and extended my plans to include screwcutting.

All turning had to be done on the lathe itselfand to fit this screw called for careful planning. Once the existing traverse screw was removed the lathe was out of action as far as turning was concerned. Because of this new dwarf legs were first made, the one at the headstock end being of box form, and welded up from angle, channel and flat bar, as shown in Figs 7 and 8. Next a nut was cast in white metal, as there was no nut with the screw and cutting a nut in the normal way was out of the question. A mould was made by cutting a recess in a block of wood, with holes at each end through which to pass the leadscrew, the recess being twice the required length of nut, and forming an open topped mould. The white metal used was a mixture of all the broken diecast toys I could find, melted in a tin can on the gas stove and poured into the open mould. As soon as it was set, the mould was split off and with little trouble, the

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:
1

- DE T A I L

OF

A D D L E

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354

5 NOVEMBER 1959

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cast nut was screwed off the leadscrew, which had been smoked to prevent sticking, and then cut into two, thus providing a spare nut when required. The resulting thread was good, and the metal stands up well to wear, so that it will be a long time before the spare is needed. *To be continued on November 19
WORKING DRAWINGS FOR A MARINE BOILER

OPEN LEG

For the ship modelling enthusiast who is seeking a suitable boiler to power the engine of his tug the Scotch return-tube marine boiler has a lot to recommend it. Being of compact design it fits snugly in the limited length of a vessel such as Gondia, which has a length of 42in., a beam of 10 in. and a draught of 5 in. Working drawings for a Scotch marine boiler are now available. The details are contained on one sheet, price 6s. 6d. including postage, and may be had from the Plans Service, Percival Marshall Ltd., 19-20 Noel Street, London Wl. Plans for Gondia are also obtainable, price 14s. 6d. 355
MODEL ENGINEER

5 NOVEMBER 1959

3-1/2 in. SCREWCUTTING LATHE

Continued from 5 November 1959, pages 353 to 355

Fitting a new cross-slide and other units

By G. B. ROUND
leadscrew brackets were made up from mild steel angle. At the tailstock end a steel sleeve made from scrap with a brass bush was used. This was secured with a fine thread locknut, the sleeve being already threaded to suit. For the headstock end bracket, brass bushes forced into suitably sized holes were used. Two bushes were fitted to enable a reduction gear to be added at a future date, to give the equivalent of an 8 t.p.i. leadscrew for changewheel calculations. It also helped to offset the shortness of the leadscrew and provide room for a clutch instead of the more usual split nut arrangement. This is shown in Fig. 9 whichillustrates the final form of leadscrew and clutch.
HE

Adapting the leadscrew To adapt the leadscrew, it was necessary to turn down a plain portion at each end. This was done by fitting .a brass bush in place of the tailstock barrel and using the tailstock body as a steady while the screw, held in the four-jaw chuck, was being turned down. Both ends were thus treated, the small portion of screw held in the chuck being cut off afterwards. A plain extension piece was then fitted and pegged at the tailstock end. It was left on the long side to take a handwheel and leave room for possible future developments. The nut was secured to the saddle by means of a cage, bent up from 16-gauge sheet riveted to an angle bracket and attached by a couple of
19

NOVEMBER 1959

421

MODEL ENGINEER

Allen screws. It allows for the nut being readily removed and at the same time restrains it from turning and moving endwise, see Fig. 10. An apron or cover, Fig. 11, was also fitted to keep swarf off the leadscrew as far as possible. This was sprung

into place and secured endways by means of a tab, held by two screws at the right-hand end. A chip tray, Fig. 12, was made and fitted between the lathe and the bench to help retain turnings and keep things tidy.

Being restricted for bench space, it was felt that a separate stand for the lathe would be a valuable asset and as a quantity of 20-gauge galvanised sheet offcuts were to hand, a cabinet stand was designed to suit the sizes available. The arrangement and

SHELF

422

19 NOVEMBER 1959

details of this are shown in Fig. 13 and also in the photograph of the complete machine. With the exception of the 14-gauge backplate and the angle feet, it was constructed throughout from 20-gauge sheet fastened together with 1/4 in.

galvanised gutterbolts. It has proved to be rigid and yet is much lighter than cast or angle iron legs and provides ample storage space for tools and equipment belonging to the machine. The construction was simple, only

plain bends being used. Although I had the use of a hand-folding machine, all bends can be done between two angles. All pieces were formed, drilled, and finally bolted together. The countershaft angle pillars were bolted to the cupboard sides through

19 NOVEMBER 1959

423

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ENGINEER

the 14-gauge plate, thus making a solid unit. The object of the thicker plate for the back of the cupboard was to carry the motor and so form a selfcontained unit, but for a number of reasons this has not been done. To give a professional touch a monogram plate was fitted over the cupboard door. It was cut from plywood with two of the plies cut away to leave raised letters and surround. It was in fact a pattern for a casting, used as the casting. The lathe was mounted with 1/4 in. plywood packings between the feet and chip tray, and also between tray and cabinet top. It has proved very satisfactory, 1/2 in. thick rubber pads being inserted between stand and floor as it is used in an indoor workshop Changing power units At this stage I acquired a Leyland Barlow 6 in. power shaper with a traversing head, complete with stand and 1/2 h.p. motor. The first thing to be done was to arrange a drive to the lathe from the shaper motor and so free the lathe motor to work a sensitive drilling machine which had been made up in the meantime from oddments. Up to this time all drilling had been done on the lathe. With the advent of the shaper, a new cross-slide was made up in steel, as shown in Fig. 14. It has a number of tapped holes instead of T-slots, and the fitting of a topslide was now I wanted to get ample essential. clearance between the tailstock and topslide handle and also to try out a square guide in place of the usual V-pattern. As I still had some of the firebar left, a piece was machined as detailed in Fig. 15. The slide pivots on a 3/8 in. Allen screw, which was also used as the main fixing, with an angleplate attached to the side, and curved slots with setscrews to facilitate setting for taper turning. These are clearly shown in the photograph. * To be continued on December 3

Saddle and topsIide with four-tool turret. Note offset topslide screw
MODEL ENGINEER

h.-

424

19 NOVEMBER 1959

3-1/2 in. SCREWCUTTING LATHE

Continued from 19 November 1959, pages 422 to 424

Completing the vertical slide, back gear and change wheels

By GEORGE B. ROUND topslide nut was formed in one piece with the keep plate and brings the operating screw well clear of the tailstock. There is no tendency to bind and the slide operates smoothly and does not require to be adjusted as tightly as is necessary with a V-slide. The success of this topslide prompted the making up of the vertical slide shown in Fig. 16. Construction was similar to the topslide, except for a single 1/2 in. bolt which is used to allow for angular
HE

setting when required. Again a number of tapped holes are used instead of T-slots. All feed screws are 3/8 in. dia. x 16 t.p.i. as I prefer to work in sixteenths rather than tenths of an inch. I am considering the advisability of changing to 20 t.p.i. so as to fit feed dials graduated in thous. But I feel that this thread is too fine for feedscrews, and a lot of work is involved in making 10 t.p.i. square-thread screws for all Slides. A small electric motor from a Burroughs calculating machine had been obtained to drive the drilling machine before I had the shaper. This was fitted with a gearbox which yielded a bronze worm wheel and steel worm with a ratio of approximately 10-1/2 : 1. It also had a peculiar clutch arrangement fitting on a shaft of the same diameter as the leadscrew extension, which gave promise of a fine feed a la Pittler. The worm was made in one piece with the shaft, but was detachable from the motor armature? and fitted into a piece of 1 in. x 14-gauge steel tube, secured to the end leg of the bed by an odd aluminium casting. An extension shaft allowed for the fitting of a pulley at the rear of the machine to
MODEL ENGINEER

482

3 DECEMBER 1959

View of the handandpower drive to leadscrew at tailstock end of bed clearly shows this arrangement, together with the finalised form of power drive to give a longitudinal feed. The vertical slide in use with the side and face milling cutters of 3 in. and 4in. dia., emphasised the need for a back gear. This was also a necessity for screwcutting, which by this time was deemed to be essential. Screwcutting meant change wheels. These in turn, meant some form of indexing the blanks for cutting the teeth, all of which I was determined to produce on the lathe itself. These additions were more or less fitted concurrently as the various requirements were dependent on one another. Sorting out the gears In the search for a wormwheel suitable for dividing, a broken circular knitting machine was discovered. This provided a worm and wheel, but of 77 teeth-too large for a dividing head, but big enough to fit on the mandrel of the lathe. Although this was an awkward number for dividing purposes, it was better than nothing. Also discovered were two gearwheels of 80 and 90 teeth and 1.5 module pitch, of which size I had a milling cutter: No 8 for 135 teeth and over. These, together with some useful bits and pieces from the knitting machine, were all the ready-made parts available. Laying out these items in various ways. I suddenly realised that by breaking away from tradition an effective backgear was possible. An article in MODEL ENGINEER by George Gentry many years ago provided the solution, viz, an independent drive for the mandrel when slow speeds were required. Other additions (or complications) suggested themselves at the same time, and Fig. 18 shows the final scheme, also seen in the
MODEL ENGINEER

VERTICAL SLIDE

enable a power drive to be arranged later. The worm wheel, together with the centre portion of the clutch, revolves loosely on the shaft, and the outer portion, to which a handle is fixed, was pinned to the shaft, thus driving the leadscrew through the medium of a removable pin. As the worm has seven starts this gearing is reversible. After a slow traverse with the handwheel or power feed, the saddle can be returned for another cut by means of the handle without
3 DECEMBER 1959

the necessity for disengaging the clutch. This is an advantage when screwcutting as it is not essential for the wormwheel to be disconnected from the leadscrew. This was a fault on my 5 in. Pittler, where it was possible to get the wormdriven screwcutting gears engaged at the same time as the worm-driven feed at the opposite end of the leadscrew. No doubt Pittler fitted some sort of device to prevent this occurring, but if so, it had been removed from my machine. The picture on this page 483

second picture given here. The 80 T wheel would just fit on the mandrel if a slight clearance was cut in the stiffening angles of the headstock, allowing the 90 T wheel to be used as an idler wheel between an 18 T wheel on the drive shaft, giving a ratio in the region of 4-1/2 : 1. At the same time the worm and wheel together with their cast iron frame, were fitted with their integral bevel gear drive to give an extra low gear when desired, i.e., for circular milling. Both were driven by a 3-3/4 in. dia. V-pulley, also off the knitting machine. All this was carried by two plates secured to a channel bracket bolted to the box leg at the rear of the headstock. Fixing the 80 T gear Brass was used for the 18 T gear, this being easier to cut in the circumstances. With a little touching up with a fine file to remedy the deficiencies of the shape of the teeth as left by the cutter, the basic elements were complete. Fixing the 80 T gear to the mandrel was something of a problem, as owing to the solid bearing bushes for the mandrel, raised keys could not be fitted until the mandrel was in place. Furthermore, the keyway had to be cut by ha d. So as the pulley had previously b een secured with an Allen grubscrew, it was decided to use the same method with the addition of a dimple in the mandrel for greater security. The wormwheel and 80 T gear were, therefore, bored a close fit to the mandrel and before final assembly, the pulley and wormwheel were drilled with clearance holes, and the 80T gear with tapped holes for four 2 BA hex. head bolts to secure all three together as one unit. These were assembled individually on the mandrel and the four bolts tightened up. At the same time a new 1 in. ball-thrust was fitted. It was felt the arrangement deserved a

R E D U C T IO N

GEAR

U N IT

thrust race that was above suspicion, and that it would avoid the necessity for dismantling later to fit a new race. Assembly went well, tightening up being a bit tricky owing to the confined space. Finally, the whole unit was solid with the mandrel, and not until the reduction gearing had been in use for some time was it discovered that the grubscrew in the pulley had not been tightened. Friction alone had provided an adequate drive due no doubt to slight inaccuracy in facing the bosses. Changing gear The gear unit has proved most effective and rigid in use, backgear being engaged by sliding the 90 T idler wheel into mesh with mandrel and drive shaft gears. Withdrawing a spring-loaded pin in the countershaft V-pulley drives the mandrel direct, two movements only being necessary as in normal backgearing. The bevel gears for the extra low ratio gearing are only in mesh when required, being secured by a grubscrew. The frame carrying the worm is secured by a locknut in the engaged or disengaged positions,, this frame being pivoted on the drive shaft. A detachable handle on the drive shaft allows the mandrel to be turned slowly by hand for special operations, and a 3 in. dia. pulley screwed to the upper four-speed countershaft pulley 484

Reduction gear drive to mandrel MODEL ENGINEER

provides an adequate range of speeds. It is a reduction gear rather than a backgear. The drive shaft is, of course, always revolving whether the gear is in use or not-unless the belt is removed. But this is not a serious drawback. Provision has also been made for fitting a handle at the top of the vertical worm shaft. To cut the gears a dividing head on the direct indexing principle was made. A gear cutting set-up on one of the change wheels is shown in the issue for November 5. A block of duralumin was used for the body. Two interchangeable spindles were used, one with a 3/8 in. dia., and one (as drawn) with a 5/8 in. dia. seating for the gear blanks being cut. Division plates, four in number so far, are in 1/8 in. thick hard aluminium sheet, brass not being available. Steel was considered too hard and troublesome in which to drill a large number of small holes. The aluminium has proved to be quite satisfactory. I made a drilling spindle to drill the holes, the body being formed from a piece of 1 in. dia. round brass bar, with a No 0 size Jacobs chuck fitted to a taper on the spindle. When in use, the gadget is clamped on the topslide and driven by a spring belt from the 1/8 h.p. drilling machine motor, set up in a convenient position. * To be continued on December 17 3 DECEMBER 1959

3-1/2 in. SCREWCUTTING LATHE

Continued from 3 December 1959, pages 482 ta 484

Fitting the gears and other parts

By GEORGE B. ROUND

gearwheels were borrowed and fixed on an extension of the lathe mandrel to divide the plates during drilling, the plates being held on a stud in the centre hole to ensure concentric rings of holes. These were first spotted with a l/32 in. centre drill a n d then opened out to 5/64 in. dia. using the same set-up.
ACHINE-CUT

The drawing shows the details of the spring-loaded plunger. dividing head has also been used on the shaping machine, with equal success for gearcutting as on the lathe. The fly cutter is mounted in a toolholder and fed downwards for each tooth. This makes an interesting variation in the method of cutting the teeth involved in a set of change wheels. All change gears are 20 d.p., this being settled by a Myford gear of

65 T that was already to hand. It was used as a gauge in grinding the flv cutter and it also meant one gear less to cut. A small amount of easing with a fine file was necessary for the smaller gears to ensure smooth running. Various materials were used for the gears, brass, steel, cast iron and Tufnol, and the complete set consists of 20, rising by fives to 80, plus 63 and 100 and duplicates of 20 and 30. All are 3/8 in. wide x 5/8in. bore, the 100 wheel being made from two 3/16 in, thick layers of Tufnol riveted together. The cluster gear Fig. 21 shows the arrangement of the cluster gear, which is of the fivewheel type, a design I wanted to try out as it is considered to be free from the gathering into mesh effect of the four-wheel pattern. The cluster gears are of Tufnol and the mandrel and stud wheels of steel. All are of 20 d.p. x 3/8 in. face and have proved exceptionally smooth in action.

Detailed in Fig. 22 is the pivot pin for the cluster frame. The leadscrew clutch is detailed in Figs. 9, 24 and 25. It is of steel throughout and 1/8 in. dia. stop pins are provided in the box leg to limit the travel of the operating lever. Details of the quadrant and change gear studs are given in Figs. 26, 27 and 28, these. again being in steel. The quadrant has a separate arm and curved slot for locking in position, an Allen screw in the boss being used for temporary adjustment when meshing the gears. The boss is a separate item riveted to the quadrant. An odd shaped bracket from the knitting machine, together with a pair of dural bevel gears from a scrapped aero engine, finalised the longitudinal power feed. These were fitted as shown in Fig. 29 and Fig. 7. An aluminium packing block suitably cut to shape furnished the bracket at the tailstock end of the bed. The backshaft is 1/2 in. dia. x 16-gauge drawn steel tube, with solid ends pegged to the tube, and a cork washer 1 in. dia. recessed into one of the bevel gears, making an effective clutch. The pulleys A hardwood pulley, Fig. 30, is fitted in place of the change wheel on the stud- and drives by means of a spring belt to the pulley on the backshaft. This belt is crossed to clear the driveshaft for the mandrel reduction gear. The backshaft pulley is rubber and was a moulded castor wheel with an inserted boss of steel, turned down and grooved for the belt and has exceptional gripping power. The lever fed tailstock barrel was at some disadvantage since drilling was now normally taken care of by a separate machine. It had insufficient control over the drill for heavy drilling in the lathe and so a new barrel, operated bv a handwheel and screw. as shown in Fig 31, was made and fitted. It can, however, be withdrawn by loosening two grubscrews and the lever-operated barrel can then be inserted in a couple of minutes whenever required. With the change in driving motors came the problem of continually stopping and starting. The 1/8 h.p. motor was dealt with by a 5 amp.
17 DECEMBER 1959

Change gears, feed shaft drive, reduction and worm drive

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544

F EE D PULLEY

26 0

tumbler switch in a metal case mounted on a length of steel conduit bolted to the cabinet stand at the right-hand end, [ME, October 22]. This proved to be unsuitable for the 1/2 h.p. motor and for a short time, recourse was had to flicking the round belt on and off the four-speed pulleys. This was a most unsatisfactory arrangement which frequently resulted in the belt breaking at the fastener, usually when one was in a hurry to complete the job in hand. Some form of clutch was obviously called for, as owing to the use of

a new four-speed pulley was turned up from mahogany, and fitted with ball races so as to run freely on the shaft, and having a lining piece of 1/8 in. plywood on the large face. To this was glued a disc of sheet cork, 1/4 in. thick, to provide the friction drive. A 6 in. dia. light alloy V-pulley was fastened to a shouldered steel sleeve and faced off true with the bore of the sleeve, and suitably marked for reassembling. The 1 in. roller thrust race originally fitted to the mandrel was placed between the pulley and shoulder of the sleeve, with a light

in conjunction with pulleys grooved to the same angle as for A-size Vbelts. These too, have proved to be capable of transmitting all the power required to drive the mandrel. While the work the lathe has done does not, of course, compare with factory production speeds and feeds, it has handled work up to its maximum capacity in steel. The machine incorporates a number of controversial features, some intentionally and some due to the fact that this was the only available means of construction. The parallel non-

rubber pads under the cabinet shaping machine stands, a flat with fast and loose pulleys unsuitable since neither machine fastened to the floor.

and belt was was

Trouble free As an experiment, the arrangement shown in Fig. 32, and in section in Fig. 33 was made up. After more than two years in use, it has proved completely effective and trouble free, while at the same time being smooth in operation and yet simple to make up. The 1/2in. dia. lower shaft of the countershaft unit was replaced by one of 5/8 in. dia. running in die-cast alloy bearings, located at each end by collars, and having a ball-thrust washer at the right-hand end. Next,
MODEL ENGINEER

aluminium casing to carry two withdrawal pins, the sleeve being keyed to the shaft, but free to slide endways. Another collar and a spare valve spring completed the set-up. A clutch lever made up from 5/8 in. x 1/8 in. flat bar, with a leverage of 4 : 1 was pivoted below the 1 in. thrust race. It was controlled by a handle having a boss with a pin arranged to give an over-centre movement to a connecting link with the top of the clutch lever, the amount of axial movement at the clutch being about l/32 in. It has not been found necessary to modify the original arrangement and there is complete absence of slip under any load. Round belts 1/4 in. dia. are used for both main and reduced speed drives, 546

adjustable bearings are perhaps the most outstanding matters of controversy, but the fact remains that they have proved eminently satisfactory with complete freedom from chatter. The square edge slides also, have been so successful that I prefer them, wherever possible, to V-slides. They are much easier to make up and still give that smooth silky action so desirable. In use, the bed has proved to be very rigid, the square tubular section being, of course, highly resistant to torsional strains, and possibly the strongest form for this purpose. My only real regret is that it is not several inches longer, but that was not possible under the circumstances. * Concluded next week
17 DECEMBER 1959

3-1/2 in. SCREWCUTTING LATHE

Concluded from 17 December 1959. pages 544 to 546

Machining the guide ring and base block

By GEORGE B. ROUND
Oval-fuming chuck in operation

general arrangement of the chuck together with details of the moving parts, are shown in Fig. 34, and Fig. 35 shows details of the fixed items. The maximum amount of eccentricity that can be given to the guide ring is 1/2 in., giving a difference of 1 in. between the major and minor axes of the ovals. This allows quite a wide range of work to be done. It was constructed mainly of steel, the backplate being cut from a 5 in. dia. circle of 3/8 in. thick plate to which a boss had been welded. After the guides and cover plates had been secured in position, the whole was turned up to give a clean finish, hence the odd dimension of 4-15/16 in. for the overall diameter. Bright mild steel bar 2 in. x 3/8 in. was used for the slide and a piece of the same material, sawn lengthwise, for the guide pieces. The cut was made off-centre in order to allow for the gib strip, and at the same time keep the chuck symmetrical and in balance. The cover strips were cut from 2 in. x 3/16 in. bright mild steel bar, and the gib strip from 3/16 in. thick brass bar, the latter being located endwis e by means of dimples for the ends of the adjusting screws. The screwed nose, of similar size to the mandrel nose, was shrunk into the slide, lightly riveted at the back, faced off flush and drilled and reamed with a 5/16 in. dia. hole for locating the slide centrally on the backplate during construction. This was done by means of a plug with a spigot, registering in the same recess that locates the backplate to the mandrel nose. A strip of tissue paper under each cover plate provided just enough
HE

PLAN

IN PART SECTION 578 24 DECEMBER 1 9 5 9

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ENGINEER

clearance for a nice sliding fit. Before finally removing the centre plug, a hole 1/8 in. dia. was drilled and reamed in a convenient position so as to locate the slide at any time in a central position. Each guide was also fitted with two dowels to the backplate to ensure permanent alignment. To the back of the slide are fixed two shoe guides made of 3/4 in. x 3/16 in. brass T, with 3/8 in. thick mild steel packing blocks between them, to clear the backplate. Each is secured by four 3/16 in. roundhead screws in lightly counterbored holes, and finally located with dowel pegs to prevent lateral movement in operation. The shoe is of 1/2 in-thick Tufnol, the impregnated linen grade, two opposite edges being made parallel and then bored exactly central to a nice running fit on the guide ring. This guide ring was turned from a 2-1/2 in. mild steel shafting collar, the grubscrew hole forming an excellent oil pocket, although larger

than necessary. It is clamped in position in the fixed backplate by a 2 BA Allen screw, at exactly the height of the lathe centres. The backplate rests at the bottom upon a base block shaped to suit the bed section, and is secured to a clamp bar of 1/2in. square bright mild steel bar. This in turn rests upon, and is bolted to, a lower clamp bar of similar section provided with slots screwed to the base block, thus providing for the adjustment of the guide ring relative to the axis of the mandrel in a horizontal plane. The base block is, of necessity, peculiar to the requirements of this particular bed, and is made up from mild steel angle and channel sections welded together and clamped to the bed in the manner of the tailstock. This clamp also secures a similar block carrying a small hand-rest when required for hand turning. In operation, the chuck is smooth and easy running, taking good cuts

without chatter. It was made up for plain oval turning only. For ornamental work an independent rotary movement of the nose would be necessary, but as this was not required, the extra rigidity of the fixed nose was considered a more desirable feature. Other equipment, in addition to that already mentioned, includes 3 in. Scintilla and 2-1/2 in. Burnerd three-jaw chucks, 49 in. Burnerd four-jaw chuck, 6 in. dia. faceplate, driver plate, tailstock drill pad, and a sliding centre for taper turning. Side and face milling cutters up to 4 in. dia., and a special 2 in. dia. facing cutter,, are held on stub mandrels in the four-jaw chuck, and a 6 in. x 1/16 in. cutter is used for deep cuttingoff or slitting. The four-jaw chuck, I would add, is still accurate and in first-class condition without shake in the jaws, despite 20 years service. It is amazing value for the 25s. it cost in 1939. Cover plates are fitted to the cross-

Below: Body of oval-turning chuck. It has been unscrewed to show guide ring and shoe

24 DECEMBER 1959

579

MODEL ENGINEER

B ACK

PLATE

BASE

slide and the leadscrew gears to exclude swarf, and there are also removable shields at the back and front of the chip tray, to confine turnings, as far as possible, to the tray. The machine and stand are finished in an eau-de-nil green enamel paint, making it easy to wipe down and clean, besides looking effective. The switch which formerly did duty as a starter switch now carries an electric light mounted on a flexible hoIder. A 40 w. bulb at 12 v. is used, operating through a transformer, to prevent risk of shock through shorting of cables. With regard to cost, the only items purchased specially for this machine, were the 1 in. ball-thrust race for 10s., and the various Allen screws and paint about 35s. in all. My own scrap box, and those belonging to friends, provided the rest of the materials. q

SIMPLE and inexpensive to build the power sander described here finds hundreds of uses around the shop, especially in surfacing large .areas such as boa ~lanking.interior floors, and the larger -. furniture projects. The sander can be readilv fitted with a bench stand for edging &d jointing straight stock. It tak&

1
BELT

the standard 3 by 2Pin. sanding belt, and

a large variety of grits for wood or metal cutting can be obtained.

The framewark im made &om a length of

frame carries the two pulleys and their respective supporting arms. These are made from bicycle pedals and cranks in a manner which should be fairly apparent from the pictures. Each pulley is made from hardwood and to the same dimensions, with the exception that the rear pulley has-a groove at one end to take the WO-in. sewing-machine belt. Considerable machining is necessary on the two pulley arms. These can be made from the original pedal cranks or made up
trom suitable stock In any
case I t 1%im-

2%-in. angle iron to which is welded a shorter metal plate of the same width to make a U-shaped frame. A length of channel iron or a casting to the same general dirnetlgians could also be used. The

portant that the pulley spindle and the supporting arm be perfectly square, and a constant check should be kept to see that everything lines up right. The sander, whw &ai&e&, bas a spring tensioner to
#

must have right hand or clockwise rotation as viewed from the pulley end. Sweeper motors of,high speed should be avoided since they cannot be geared low enough to supply the power required. In operation, the belt sander is held much like a plane, with the notable exception that the cutting stroke is always made

Photo above rhows bow the front pulleytensioner spring is compressed with the hands to permit the belt (o be slipped into position; the detail at the right shows the general comtfudion

take up belt s&kness, but it has no alinement &vicehence the importance of getting the spindles squarely mounted to start with. The rear pulley spindle is fixed solid; thh forward spindle arm is housed in a f/4in. pipe t& which can be readily reamed out t~ the required size. A close fit is essential. The shoulder on the short arm of the pipe tee is machined off and then -threaded so that it can be held in place with a suitable nut, as shown in the inset. A good fit is necessary between the slotted end of the crank and. the supporting angle iron. A wooden shoe is fitted to the underside of the framework. This supplies the actual-sanding surface, and, for average work, should be slightly curved. A straight shoe is useful for rough work with mars0 belts. Curved shoes can be used for l working on concave surfaces. A l shoes should be hardwood .and carefully polished to minimize .friction. Power is an important item. The object sought for is a light motor with sufficient
strength t meke the & k r ~go. 6o
of the

as the sander is pulled toward you. Some workers use a sweeping, circular motion, but the beginner will do best to stick to straight strokes. A certain amount of practice is necessary for the successful operation of any belt sander-don't work on a finished product until you learn a thing or two from practice on scrap stock. The bearings should'be kept well lubri-1 cated, and, if you are udng a h i g h - s p d motor,. the sander should not be kept in continuous operation for longer thaq haffi hour periods.

Hypo Silver Plates Metal

Acid hypo photo-fixing solutions t h a t have become too exhausted for further photographic work contain silver dissolved from nopativan a n d prints that can be deposited on b r w and iron by simply immersing the work in it for several minutes.

larger vacuum-sweeper motors work well, using a 1 to 2% reduction with a belt drive. The motor should develop sufficient po-r so that the sander will "walk away" in the familiar tractor fashion. The motor

You can learn some new tricks by

Machining Your Own Milling Attachment

By Harry Walton
do begin get full use from YOUWithnot you cantodoaslotting, keywaya lathe until you have milling attachment. it cutting, gear shaping, slitting and grooving. You can saw stock square or at angles, and spot holes in work with pinpoint accuracy. A milling attachment costs a handful of
214 POPULAR SCIENCE .

folding money. But here is one you can make from two castings. They cost about a fourth what a finished attachment would. Machining them is fun, and may even teach you a few handy dodges. For instance, you mill parts of the castings to make the attachment you're going to mill with! When finished you have a husky, welldesigned lathe accessory that will not let

Two kinds of castings fit different compound mountings

HERE ARE CASTINGS for a popular 9" lathe having the dovetail post on the underside of its compound rest and a recess in the top of the cross slide. The base casting (at left above) therefore has metal for a similar post, while the vise casting to right of it has a cored hole to be bored out for a recess.

OPPOSITE TYPE of castings will fit a popular 10" lathe, which has the dovetail post on top of the cross slide and a recess to fit it in the compound rest. The base casting (at left above) therefore has a cored recess. Vise casting has metal for a post. Kits include screws and stock for vise jaw and locking pins.

GRIP THE BASE in a four-jaw chuck if available, centering it to make round end run fairly true. A universal chuck can be used by laying a bar of suitable thickness across two jaws. Centerdrill the outer end deeply and engage the tailstock center to support it. ROUGH OUT with a fairly deep cut at low speed to get under casting scale. Swing the compound rest to 30 and turn post to same shape as that on the compound. Face off the bottom to leave post the same height also. Finally, turn outer rim of the base true.

TURN A 60 POINT on a 3/8" rod. Chuck the base casting, centerdrill deeply, and support it with the pointed rod in the tailstock. Bore recess a close fit on the cross-slide post. For the offset tool shown, clamp a bit with a setscrew in a hole drilled across a 3/8" bar. FACE OFF with a cut straight across from recess to rim. Be careful not to remove much metal after first deep cut to get under scale, or recess may become too shallow for the post. Recess is cored deeply enough not to require facing inside if carefully machined.

you down. The castings are plenty rugged, and there is only I" overhang between the outside of the vise and the base. This remarkably small offset reduces the tendency to chatter, which otherwise means milling at a snail's pace with light cuts, or getting a rough finish. The jaws are 3 1/2" wide and they open to 2". Both the vise and the base can be swiveled for angular milling, as shown in the large photo on page 214.

What makes construction easy is the neat trick of using the compound rest for the vertical milling feed. The base casting fits on the cross slide, the compound is clamped on it in an upright position and the vise is mounted on the compound. Castings are available* for 9" and 10" lathes, and for both the common compound mountings. To check yours, just take off the compound-.
Sold by Fiord McGu kin, 314 N. Monroe Ave., Ridgeiaoml, N.J.; 57.50 postpaid.

VISE CASTING can be gripped with chuck jaws either outside as above, or inside its own jaws as at right. Bore the recessed type a close fit for the compound post. Then face off, taking care to leave recess deep enough.

OTHER TYPE of vise casting is first centerdrilled for tailstock support. Then the compound is swung to 30 for turning the post to a duplicate of the one on the cross slide. Facing (above) completes work on this side.

MOUNT POST-TYPE BASE on the drill press as above, align drill on the slope and set the depth stop short of it. Clamp the vise on as in the center photo. Drill 5/16", remove vise to drill into recess, and tap 3/8 "-16. Then re216 POPULAR SCIENCE

clamp the vise on the base to drill screw holes through the bosses provided (right above). The recess type of base is itself tapped for screws. Cut and shape locking pins, chamfering 60 corners to prevent burring.

MOUNT THE BASE on the cross slide with locking pins and screws, web side toward the spindle and square to the ways. Chisel a mark at zero and any other graduations wanted. Set a fly cutter to swing just above the webs. Face TURN TWO BUTTONS from steel rod to just enter the narrow part of the compound slot. Drill them 1/4 " and recess for the screws that hold them on the faced upright, as below. Slip the tool post through the large center hole from the headstock side. Then slide the compound slot over the buttons and the foot of the post as in the bottom photo. Tighten the tool post against a tool holder slipped into its slot on the right-hand side.

by advancing the cross feed (left above). With a big drill or a fly cutter, make a hole to fit the lathe tool post in the center of the faced side. Then drill a No. 7 hole 3/8 " from each edge as at right above and tap 1/4"20. MOUNT THE VISE on the compound rest, its jaw horizontal. With a milling or a fly cut ter, face the inside as shown below, using slow speed and feed. A straight milling cutter is good for machining the lower jaw. To at tach a movable jaw to the vise screws (han dier than a loose piece) grind the screw ends flat to get under casehardening. Then drill and tap them 8-32. Drill, counterbore and countersink the jaw piece as shown. END