Author Topic: MINI LATHE SPINDLE INDEXING ATTCHMENT  (Read 20957 times)

Offline backyard_cnc

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MINI LATHE SPINDLE INDEXING ATTCHMENT
« on: November 22, 2008, 03:32:04 AM »
Hi All,

I cannot take credit for the design of this project, as it is from the pages of the MODEL ENGINEERS WORKSHOP magazine from the UK. They recently ran a whole series of articles by Dave Fenner on the mini-lathe and projects for it. This attachment consists of a expanding arbor that slips into the backend of the spindle and then expands when you tighten it to lock into the spindle. It uses one of your lathes change gears as the index. In the photos you can see both the expanding arbor and then the mounting plates on the end of the lathe as well in that photo the arbor is in place with a small change gear mounted. I have yet to build the small spring loaded plunger which will mount on the swingplate (hanging down in photo) and engage into the teeth of the gear for pos=itive locking of the spindle. The many change gears will allow most any number of desired divisions. Couple this attchment with a toolpost mounted dremel tool and al sorts of neat things become possible on this little lathe! Once I finish the plunger I will post a complete pic. All these parts were made on the mini lathe, except I slit the expanding arbor on my mill and I knurled the retaining nuts on my big lathe as I don't have a knurler for the mini lathe.

Questions?

Gerald

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Re: MINI LATHE SPINDLE INDEXING ATTCHMENT
« Reply #1 on: November 22, 2008, 08:51:43 AM »
Hi Gerald,

I don't know you spend one evening in the workshop and when you finally turn on your computer there are hundreds of posts to view!!!! (well nearly!?).... Good stuff  :thumbup:

I have read all of your posts.... Just thought I'd reply to this one as it intrigued me  :thumbup:


I'm not into the CNC stuff really, just 'cause I don't own any! But I do appreciate good tooling of anykind. So this looks interesting..... I'm not 100% sure (Not even really into the 80's!) of what this is used for.... So will watch out for it's completion and first workings  :dremel:



Happy to see another variation to the board  :D


Ralph.
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Offline Darren

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Re: MINI LATHE SPINDLE INDEXING ATTCHMENT
« Reply #2 on: November 22, 2008, 11:13:32 AM »
New dials anyone...thanks Gerald, it's great to see so much stuff going on.... :)
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Offline CrewCab

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Re: MINI LATHE SPINDLE INDEXING ATTCHMENT
« Reply #3 on: November 22, 2008, 11:31:53 AM »
Ralph, Gerald's building an indexing attachment so he can accurately rotate / index / divide the workpiece for other operations in the lathe ............ hence the use of a dremel in the toolpopst, your using the chuck as a dividing head ............. I'm pretty sure Cedge has done this as well.

CC

Offline backyard_cnc

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Re: MINI LATHE SPINDLE INDEXING ATTCHMENT
« Reply #4 on: November 22, 2008, 01:22:39 PM »
Ralph,

It appears that others have answered the question as to what to use this for. I plan on making new graduated dials for things like my lathe or for drilling bolt hole circles on the face of things mounted in the chuck. Drilling of course will require a live tool in the toolpost and I have described my toolpost holder for a dremel tool in another posting. The dials can be graduated by simply using a very sharp lathe tool to scribe the lines into the new dial which you index around in equal steps. Say you would do 50 divisions for a dial to be used on a 20TPI screw (for 50 thou per turn of the screw)

Look for DAVE FENNER's new book on the MINI LATHE in the Workshop Series. Dave was the past editor of the UK  magazine MODEL ENGINEERS WORKSHOP. Both the book and the magzine will be readily available in the UK where you are located.

Cheers
Gerald

Offline cedge

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Re: MINI LATHE SPINDLE INDEXING ATTCHMENT
« Reply #5 on: November 22, 2008, 02:10:53 PM »
Cedge dose indeed have such a modification.... nice hint CC...LOL.  Soooo... I hadda run out to the cold shop and shoot some photos.  :(

Gerald...
One suggestion for you. Notice I moved everything outside the gear box cover. Your idea is sound and looks easily adaptable to outer mounting. This lets me use it with a minimum of fuss. It stays on the machine all the time now and I don't have to remove the cover to get to it. The hand wheel was added later to let me have a way to hand turn threads... if I ever get around to turning threads....LOL

I'm also looking at another idea or two where the indexing is done on the cross slide. Much easier to get at the edge of a work piece. The drill bit would be located in the lathe chuck.

I noticed your Dremel mod . I quickly found the snout mount was not quite stable enough and had to add a more substantial mount to hold it steady while drilling. I'll post photos later.

Understand.... I'm not being in any way critical of your efforts. I'm only sharing what time and experience taught me... old school bloody knuckle style. If it saves you from a problem then the scars are worth it...LOL

Steve

 

 

 

Offline Darren

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Re: MINI LATHE SPINDLE INDEXING ATTCHMENT
« Reply #6 on: November 22, 2008, 02:14:47 PM »
Really dig the pen holder Steve, I'll have to make one of those  ::)
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Re: MINI LATHE SPINDLE INDEXING ATTCHMENT
« Reply #7 on: November 22, 2008, 02:49:14 PM »
Well I understand the dividing head bit.... I was running through in my head spinning the lathe up to speed and trying to figure out what it would do then.... Break probably!!  ::)

I had not thought of using my lathe for such, suppose that's why I brought a RT with dividing plates for my mill!
If this does more than that can I'll ponder such a build.... You know add it to the 'list'  :coffee: (might be a whilethough... Haven't needed the ones for the mill yet!)

Still at least this stops another member from asking a silly question ehh!?   :)


Ralph


It can't be that cold out there Steve!?  :D ... Try hacksawing some 1/2" plate... Sure warmed me up last night!!  :thumbup:
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Offline cedge

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Re: MINI LATHE SPINDLE INDEXING ATTCHMENT
« Reply #8 on: November 22, 2008, 03:11:56 PM »
Ralph
Don't get old....LOL.  The saw bones put me on blood thinner meds about 4 years ago and I've not been warm past late October since. I'm good down to about 40°F and then my damned feet get cold. Once they are cold.... I'm cold....(sigh)

Time was when I was good to go from about 10° to 105° F.... now I'm only good for 40° - 95°F. This getting old sh*t ain't for sissies....(grin)

I've got a number of ways to index, now. Between a recently acquired used Spin indexer and a used  RT, the lathe indexing do dad and my handy do all indexing table, I can usually get there, one way or another.

Steve

Offline CrewCab

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Re: MINI LATHE SPINDLE INDEXING ATTCHMENT
« Reply #9 on: November 22, 2008, 03:20:00 PM »
The saw bones put me on blood thinner meds about 4 years ago and I've not been warm past late October since.

Dam ..  that's what's wrong ......... and I've been trying to tweak the Central Heating to get a few extra degrees out of it  ::)

Your right Steve, there's no fun in getting older  :bugeye:

CC

Offline backyard_cnc

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Re: MINI LATHE SPINDLE INDEXING ATTCHMENT
« Reply #10 on: November 23, 2008, 03:03:51 AM »
Cedge,

Thanks for the pics and the comments. I have a set-up like yours (mostly completed)  on my TAIG, however the design for the mini lathe is to allow the use of the lathe's own supplied change gears to generate the index. Once you go to a plate based system such as yours , you need either CNC or a rotary table/mill  to generate the master plates! As far as the dremel in the toolpost goes, I have done a small amount of drilling and grinding with it and it seemed solid enough. However having said that I have recently replaced the turret toolpost with a QCTP and I haven't used it there. I was given a nice block of nylon a few days ago and I may make a full body clamp for the dremal that totally replaces the toolpost.

Cheers
Gerald

Offline Darren

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Re: MINI LATHE SPINDLE INDEXING ATTCHMENT
« Reply #11 on: November 23, 2008, 05:00:47 AM »
To make a dedicated index plate, couldn't you use the standard change wheels to do the indexing and a Dremil in the tool post to do the drilling?
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Offline cedge

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Re: MINI LATHE SPINDLE INDEXING ATTCHMENT
« Reply #12 on: November 23, 2008, 11:09:30 AM »
Gerald...
What I was hinting at was using the change gears as indexing plates, but outside of the cover. Visualize using the change gears in place of my indexing plate. A quick change of a gear and you're off to the races again. Little Machine Shop offers a full set of extra change gears for $29.95 or you can get the 40 - 50 and 60 tooth gears for just under $16.00. Then you still have an intact gear train as well.



Darren....
You could use the gears to cut an index plate, but the gears can also function as the plate. You're thinking is spot on :beer:

Steve 

Offline backyard_cnc

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Re: MINI LATHE SPINDLE INDEXING ATTCHMENT
« Reply #13 on: November 23, 2008, 01:18:39 PM »
Cedge,

Yes I see your point about having it outside the end cover. That is easily doable with just a slightly longer arbor. Cover or no cover is not really an issue for me. The longer studs and the knurled nuts that retain the index attachment also serve to hold the end cover in place so no more using the socket head bolts that originally held it on. Ans yes of course you could use the change gears to produce a set of dedicated index plates going so far as to make an individual plate for each index, 2,3,4,5,6,7,8.........etc and this would eliminate counting holes  or gear teeth when doing an indexing operation. I guess if you do loads of it then this might be worth the effort. In actual fact I have a CNC 4th axis project on the back burner so for me at least , at some point this will all be redundant. I can easily use the CNC mill to produce an index plate with any desired index spacing so it really is a simple operation here in my shop. I already have 2 complete sets of mini lathe change gears so this is just the easy convenient and cheap way to go for me. I always take the path of least effort!

Cheers
Gerald

Offline cedge

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Re: MINI LATHE SPINDLE INDEXING ATTCHMENT
« Reply #14 on: November 23, 2008, 02:38:25 PM »
Gerald
Having often argued somewhat loudly that there is no "one right way" to do most things, understand that I'm not trying to direct your efforts. My needs are as unique as your own and my design is not the be all for every need...LOL  Only you know what you want from a modification and that makes your way the right way for you. I'm just sharing ideas. 

The thumb screws for the cover, however, are not an optional thing... they are almost a have to have item. Mine are very low profile so the plate doesn't hit them.

Steve

Offline Bernd

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Re: MINI LATHE SPINDLE INDEXING ATTCHMENT
« Reply #15 on: November 23, 2008, 08:39:34 PM »
, you need either CNC or a rotary table/mill  to generate the master plates! Cheers
Gerald

I was wondering when one of you was going to mention how to make a master plate. What do you do if you have neither a cnc or a rotary table/mill?

Does any one of you know how master plates are devloped? Two methods involve just the lathe, the third involves a drill press and a ruler. The third method is a not as accurate as the first two.

I'll give you a hint. Page 3 of the Second Bedside reader. :)
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