Tools

Background When I ordered the kit for the Versatile Dividing Head, I went the whole hog and also ordered the milling kit and the swivel base; designed by Mr. L. Downs. As I had mounted the Dividing Head on an adaptor plate to attain the centre height and Tee slot spacing of my lathes cross…

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Sometime in the early eighties, I built a tool holder to a design published in Model Engineer, intended to assist in tool retraction during screw cutting and boring operations, photo 1. The article was by ‘Martin Cleeve’, although I cannot verify this. It is odd, as he filed the patent for his retracting swing tool…

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Background There are many occasions when it becomes necessary to graduate various scales on pieces of workshop equipment and projects. There have been various ways of achieving this described in the past, which have been effective and produced successful results. Although there are usually no time constraints in the hobby workshop, anything, which produces the…

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A milling and drilling attachment is a very useful addition for the smaller lathe. The Unimat 3 attachment can be set into the ‘V’ block at the back of the lathe bed casting, or mounted on the cross-slide using the special ‘T’ bolt. Another useful accessory is a compound milling table, which turns the milling…

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Background I have been the proud owner of a Worden Tool and Cutter Grinder, Ref.1 for some time now and, as with most tools we use, various things are done over time to make for easier use or to provide added facility.   What follows is by no means meant as a criticism of the…

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This article originally appeared in Model Engineers Workshop issue 126, June 2007.   Although not used regularly, some workshop accessories can be assets when the need arises. These attachments are often put on the Must make list but we usually manage to do the job using an alterative method. Apart from a difference in size…

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Background To improve work holding on my milling machine, I have purchased a Soba precision vice from the Chronos catalogue. The vice is ground all over, allowing clamping on its sides or end. When the jaw is tightened, it is pulled forward and downward, reducing any tendency to lift, photo 1.   The catalogue also…

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Background   Back in 1979, when my first lathe, a Myford ML7 gave way to a Colchester Bantam, one of the advantages that rapidly became apparent was the indexable micrometer ring graduated in thous on the tailstock hand wheel. This is a feature usually found on quality toolroom lathes and meant that at least in…

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Background   I have considered for some time the use of a hand-held turning tool for awkward or final finishing operations on the lathe. I was somewhat put off by the fact that I am a ‘Sinister’ and these operations are awkward left-handed. I can do nothing controlled with my right hand. I even wind…

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A recent project required a number of caps similar in style to hubcaps and rather than having a plain surface, they needed a bit of simple ornamentation to be added. The fancy work was not to be any particular pattern, so there was no difficulty turning one of these in the lathe.   Reproducing the…

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