Unless you really want to make it as an exercise consider buying a length from a lead screw supplier. I bought a 1 metre length cheaply and had enough for two cross slide screws and enough left over for a third. If you or anyone else requires 16mm x 4mm pitch left hand the spare piece is going for free. Postage would be low at under a fiver.

As for the original question you may get away without a follow rest if steel is free cutting and tool sharp enough.

It isnt cheap though which is probably the reason Sean wants to make it. For a short length you could probably get away without a steady rest if you go easy and take small cuts. . I did it easily for my Southbend by just making the new threaded section and fixing it to the old part after cutting the old thread off.

If you have a t-slotted cross slide you can make a travelling steady from a stout block of wood and brass bolts of a notched brass plate to act as the bearings. The thing about a steady is it doesn't have to be a precision item as it is all in the setting.

This is a sort of notched plate version though I was thinking of the B & S model A version which is a bit simpler but I can't find a picture on google at the moment. The adjust ting screws can then be steel.

If it is mostly the nut that is worn you might be better off making do with a new nut only until you have more experience with the lathe.

It could be, I don't think metric acme exists

Possibly looking as expensive as £20 for 400mm with a flange nut from China. If you search, can probably get a ballscrew & nut for no more than £30. I'm a tight-wad, but it seems not worth machining yourself at these prices.

Regards,

Richard.

Can you point to 5/8" imperial left hand  acme screws in China. Ive looked and all i see are trapezoidal metric screw being called wrongly acme????

Edited By mark smith 20 on 09/02/2017 15:56:37

Yes its dirt cheap in the US if you can get cheap shipping.

Or you can buy in Uk like here  10" length at 86 quid plus vat and shipping for right hand ,couldnt see an option for left hand so thats likely even more. Absolute rip off!

https://www.accu.co.uk/en/533-acme-lead-screws

Edited By mark smith 20 on 09/02/2017 16:08:09

Edited By mark smith 20 on 09/02/2017 16:08:39

Often worth e-mailing the company rather than being put off buy the automatically generated shipping costs.

In the past I have got items shipped from the states in less than a week for $15-20 when the websites have generated cost of ten times that or more.

J

Sean,

Bottom line is you can make a new cross slide feed screw, you will also need to use a travelling steady & finally the cross slide nut will need to be available for fit checking.

Not straight forward but doable, depends how much your time is worth?

Tony