Author Topic: Mini Lathe/Myford Capstan  (Read 18341 times)

Offline Joules

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1271
  • Country: gb
Mini Lathe/Myford Capstan
« on: October 15, 2014, 10:12:15 AM »
Hi,
    I recently started a short production run of plastic components and am trying to speed up production.  One thing I considered was a capstan for my Myford....   However having seen the price asked for them   :bugeye:  Has anyone fabricated, or can point me in the direction of a fabricated design I could use with a mini lathe.  I saw an interesting video for a Hardinge turret lathe that wetted my appetite.

     


If anyone should have a Myford capstan kicking about under the bench  :drool: That doesn't have an interstellar price tag...
« Last Edit: October 15, 2014, 10:38:49 AM by dsquire »
Honour your mentors, and pay it forward.

lordedmond

  • Guest
Re: Mini Lathe/Myford Capstan
« Reply #1 on: October 15, 2014, 10:41:10 AM »
Joules could you not use a tail stock capstan with a lever TS it would do the job for small parts

Stuart


Edit
Something like this but I bet you could make one

http://www.arceurotrade.co.uk/Catalogue/Machines-Accessories/Lathe-Accessories/Tailstock-Accessories

Offline Joules

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1271
  • Country: gb
Re: Mini Lathe/Myford Capstan
« Reply #2 on: October 15, 2014, 11:04:35 AM »
Thanks Stuart, I had looked at the offering from ArcEuro but wondered about how stiff a setup you end up with.  I suspect for the price its probably worth trying.  I do anticipate metal components being made in the future so hope I can cobble something along the lines of the Myford capstan for a mini lathe at some point before I REALLY need it.  Just found an interesting article from the early 40's on capstan tooling for model engineers.

I wonder if an old cross slide could be the basis for a capstan body.
Honour your mentors, and pay it forward.

Offline drmico60

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 69
  • Country: gb
    • mikesworkshop
Re: Mini Lathe/Myford Capstan
« Reply #3 on: October 15, 2014, 04:33:00 PM »
Would something like this do the job:
http://mikesworkshop.weebly.com/tailstock-turret.html
Mike

Offline philf

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1107
  • Country: gb
Re: Mini Lathe/Myford Capstan
« Reply #4 on: October 15, 2014, 04:49:49 PM »
I don't want to be a killjoy but...........

I've never used a tailstock turret like in the two links - nor do I ever want to.

If you look at the one with tools in place, the drill looks ideally placed to blind you  :poke: when you're trying to get a good look at what you're machining.

In my opinion 4-way toolposts with sharp tooling stuck out in all directions are almost as bad.

A proper capstan is a different situation where the capstan is rotated by a lever away from the tools.

When our company's toolroom was moving premises I managed to get an immaculate Hardinge capstan like the one in the video for my late friend for a bargain £500 including a huge cabinet full of tooling. He used to make parts for a company who made consumables for scientific instruments and it paid for itself many times over.

Phil.
Phil Fern
Location: Marple, Cheshire

Offline Joules

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1271
  • Country: gb
Re: Mini Lathe/Myford Capstan
« Reply #5 on: October 16, 2014, 09:26:38 AM »
Has anyone got any exploded diagrams, book pictures of the internal indexing mechanism used in a capstan head ?

          Cheers
Honour your mentors, and pay it forward.

Offline philf

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1107
  • Country: gb
Re: Mini Lathe/Myford Capstan
« Reply #6 on: October 16, 2014, 10:40:38 AM »
Has anyone got any exploded diagrams, book pictures of the internal indexing mechanism used in a capstan head ?

          Cheers

Joules,

Downriver Tools sell plans.

http://downrivertools.com/downriver-tools.html?___store=default&cat=5&p=2

Have a look at the video at


It looks very good.

Phil.
Phil Fern
Location: Marple, Cheshire

Offline Joules

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1271
  • Country: gb
Re: Mini Lathe/Myford Capstan
« Reply #7 on: October 16, 2014, 01:12:46 PM »
Cheers Phil,
                yep I found them, but they only offer the manual index for the mini lathe.  By the time I rejig one of the MkII/III versions I might as well try fabricating my own mechanism.  I have some ideas how to do the indexing, but I would rather see some more elegant solutions for inspiration.  My hunt for material has started, but if I can mod existing parts that would be cool.

p.s
     I ordered one of Arceuro's anti personnel tailstock turrets so will let you know how I get on.
Honour your mentors, and pay it forward.

Offline S. Heslop

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1154
  • Country: gb
  • Newcastle Upon Tyne
Re: Mini Lathe/Myford Capstan
« Reply #8 on: October 16, 2014, 02:10:01 PM »
I'm planning to turn my mini-lathe into a rapid turning machine once I get ahold of a nice big lathe, so i'd be interested to hear how you get on with this.

I did a look a while ago for capstan mechanisms and didn't find anything. Other people might have more luck but i'd given up looking.

Those tailstock turrets look like they'd be fine for drilling and tapping but I don't imagine they'd be sturdy enough for turning. As for poking out eyes, you should really be wearing goggles!

Offline Jonny

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 780
Re: Mini Lathe/Myford Capstan
« Reply #9 on: October 17, 2014, 08:47:53 AM »
Those tailstock turrets look like they'd be fine for drilling and tapping but I don't imagine they'd be sturdy enough for turning. As for poking out eyes, you should really be wearing goggles!

Agree with that but depends how accurate the drilling and threadings to be. Theres a lot of extension away from tail stock and we know what that means.

Joules how many operations and what sort of diameters?
May have an easier way ganging tools up on cross slide.

Offline Joules

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1271
  • Country: gb
Re: Mini Lathe/Myford Capstan
« Reply #10 on: October 17, 2014, 08:56:51 AM »
Jonny, your right...  But where's the fun in that.  I recently made a few dozen nozzles for 3D printers in brass.  The idea of a mini capstan lathe appeals to me.  I will soon find out what the tailstock turret is capable of, I have a lever operated tailstock on the Myford, but the mini lathe is just standard.  I enjoy making tooling so its as much a hobby as practical end use. 

Keeps me off the streets.   :beer:
Honour your mentors, and pay it forward.

Offline John Stevenson

  • In Memoriam
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1643
  • Nottingham, England.
Re: Mini Lathe/Myford Capstan
« Reply #11 on: October 17, 2014, 09:00:20 AM »
I have a couple of the tailstock turrets like the ARC ones but mine are early imperial version for 5/*2 tooling. Had them literally years.
One is set with centre drill, tapping drill and M4 tap, next holes are same again but M6

Second one is for M5 and M8. I split them up this way so you has a viable big difference between taps, easy to get M4 and M5 mixed up when next to each other and you are in a rush.

They work OK but as many have noted it's a lot sticking out and you have to nip the tailstock ram up a bit. Would not try to use them for anything else but they are quick for this job.

I also have a turret for My 14 x 40 TOS lathe that came off a Harrison, needed some work on the base but even so it was miles out on the holes in the turret, so sooner than mess about trying to get it all lined up I got it to fit, then turned the turret down until all the holes had got and shrunk a new top hat on and then drilled and reamed this from the headstock.

I need one for a Generic 14 x 36 and am in two minds to buy the plans for the Grizzly turret advertised and modify that to suit, works out to about £16 in English and that's less than an hours head scratching.
John Stevenson

Offline bp

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 119
Re: Mini Lathe/Myford Capstan
« Reply #12 on: October 17, 2014, 08:22:27 PM »
Some time ago I copied the tailstock turret from a mates Schaublin 70.  If you're going to copy something, copy the best!  It has all the tools parallel to the lathe spindle axis, as a result I'm less likely to leave bits of me on the tools, it's also easier to make!
I only use it for small stuff, under 6mm diameter, mainly model aeroplane needle valve assemblies, as it's fairly small (62mm outside diameter) I used ER11 collet chucks from CTC instead of conventional chucks, they take up less room and allow two chucks to be fitted in adjacent tool positions.
It's a pain to set up, and really it's not very practical for less than a run of 6 or 7.  Also it doesn't have the sexy automatic indexing, but it does work fairly well, and for small stuff well worth it.
cheers
Bill

Offline nrml

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 262
  • Country: gb
Re: Mini Lathe/Myford Capstan
« Reply #13 on: October 25, 2014, 04:08:34 PM »
Have a look at the Workshop series book ''Mini-lathe Tools and Projects'' by David Fenner. There are detailed descriptions, drawings and photographs for building a tailstock turret  for the mini lathe. It looks very professional and with some thought, be modified for use on the cross slide or top slide. The available bed length would severely limit the work you can on a mini lathe if you go for slide mounted turret.

Offline tom osselton

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1255
  • Country: ca

Offline chipenter

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 909
  • Country: gb
Re: Mini Lathe/Myford Capstan
« Reply #15 on: November 04, 2014, 03:11:31 AM »
Have you tried looking at CNC lathe tool changers , http://www.homanndesigns.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=46:7x14-lathe-atc&catid=34:cnc-projects&Itemid=55 this one is basic some of them can do all sorts and may be adaptable.
Jeff

Offline chipenter

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 909
  • Country: gb
Re: Mini Lathe/Myford Capstan
« Reply #16 on: November 08, 2014, 02:14:15 PM »
From 1940 Edger T Westbury did a series on turret and capstan lathes , lifted off some images but they are in RTF formatt and not supported here and the pdf's are to big to post .
Jeff

Offline Joules

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1271
  • Country: gb
Re: Mini Lathe/Myford Capstan
« Reply #17 on: November 08, 2014, 03:36:53 PM »
Jeff,
       I would be interested in what you found, can you point me to a link for the articles ?

I now have a tailstock turret on my Myford but haven't yet used it in anger.  I do plan to make a turret/capstan for the mini lathe.  Many are saying the mini lathe is too small, however if you actually thing about the majority of parts you are likely (I am likely) to make, it doesn't need much more than 50mm travel unless you have tooling with large over hang.  With an indexing mechanism I hope for total travel of the capstan to be 100mm or less.
Honour your mentors, and pay it forward.

Offline chipenter

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 909
  • Country: gb
Re: Mini Lathe/Myford Capstan
« Reply #18 on: November 09, 2014, 03:27:40 AM »
I willnot post a link as it's a torrent site but send me your email adderess and I will post the PDF's to you .
Jeff

Offline Fergus OMore

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1012
  • Country: england
Re: Mini Lathe/Myford Capstan
« Reply #19 on: November 28, 2014, 03:45:54 PM »

I was idly running through my USB sticks which serve as a library.
I found that the late Ken Metcalfe built 2  6 station turret heads -for the ML7.

They are in Model Engineer 6th and 20th August 1971.

Regards

Norman