Adjustable Dials for Feedscrews

[BuddyParticipant @buddy]

Hello to Engineers.

Have just joined the site. As it will take a good while to get around all the parts. I was wondering if someone can point me in the direction, of some information, for making  adjustable Dials for the feedscrews on a Myford ML4. 

Like the look of the diamond tool holder. At first I thought that it was going to be a real Diamond holder. I have one that was used for giving a skim to Electric Motor Commutators.

Have always found it great in engineering, how different Continents can come up with a different solution to sort ways of doing a job. Bit like the first time I saw a Japanese Pull saw.

 Looking forward to finding more things to do with my lathe.

Buddy

[BuddyParticipant @buddy]

[RobboParticipant @robbo]

hi buddy,

 

If you can get hold of a copy of the late George Thomas’ “The Model Engineers Workshop Manual”, there are detailed (GHT’s always are) descriptions of making  resettable micrometer collars for ML7, ML10, S7,  but the basics (and difficult bits) are the same anywhere.

If you are trying the local Library, the ISBN is 1-85761-000-8.

 

 

[BuddyParticipant @buddy]

Hi Robbo.

 

Thank you for the pointer, I have bookmarked this book, as one for my family to get me for Christmas. Now I have time, I am really enjoying working on the lathe. 

 

Love the look of the Diamond tool holder. Can’t quite get my head around it’s cost. Probably when I see one, I will realise why it is that amount.

 

Does anyone else get annoyed with the adverts flickering at the side. I know that they help in sponsoring  the site. etc.

 

Buddy

[RobboParticipant @robbo]

Hi Buddy,

 

When you see the Diamond tool holder you will still wonder at it’s price – I did when I saw one.    But it does work very well, and tool grinding is a breeze.   I suppose that when compared to replaceable tip tooling the price is equable, and  because it uses readily available cutter material there is only one sale, no follow-on for replacement tips, and 1/4″ HSS is a lot cheaper than carbide tips.   There are other designs on the net, and I am waiting to see the one that David Clark has promised in MEW (your comic, as my wife refers to it).

The ads changing doesn’t bother me, its when they overlap the posts that I get annoyed.

 

Cheers

Robbo

 

[RobboParticipant @robbo]

Hi Buddy,

 

Further to my previous posts, I have found articles in MEW on making dials, both are concerned with Taiwanese mills, and are issue 7/page 58, “Milling Machine Dials”, and issue 90/P20,”Fitting Slip Dials to a Mill/Drill”.

 

Of course neither of these are what is needed, but may provoke the little grey cells into providing a solution!

 

Cheers

[Jim NZParticipant @jimnz]

Hi Buddy

I can teel you what NOT to do with your dials!

I resurrected an old lathe (a whole other story) and put metric dials on all the feeds – there were none originally. The apron feed dial ended up about 90mm dia and 20mm thick. I turned this up from mild steel, put a couple of slots in the back to hold a couple of springs and nylon pads to ‘friction lock’ the dial to the shaft. Looked good when it was nickle plated.

In practice the dial is so heavy that when I am traversing the apron the inertia caused it to move out of position every time I start and stop.

Next job will be to try and squeeze in a thumb screw to lock it on the shaft, and remove some of the ‘meat’ from the back side to lighten it up.

Edited By Jim NZ on 21/11/2009 00:27:46

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Jim NZ,how about using aluminium alloy,perhaps anodised,should be quite servicable,and gets rid of the weight.For blacking the markings,lamp black mixed with araldite.IAN S C

[Jim NZParticipant @jimnz]

Ian SC

Yes, in hindsite aluminium would have been the better choice but I was using what was in the scrap bin at the time. Also thought I might put in another pair of slots for more spring loaded pads but I had enought trouble getting it assembled with two. Also in hindsite I really didn’t put much effort into perfecting it in the first place.

Thanks for the tip on marking.

Cheers, Jim

 

PS: reading thread on stirlings, you Kiwi?

[Axel BentellParticipant @axelbentell]

Sherline in the USA makes dials to order, and have a real nice set for B´ports!

[Gone AwayParticipant @goneaway]

I was looking to do the same thing for my ML7. The GHT designs are works of art but I have a lot of jobs pressing and didn’t want to get that complicated.

 

I decided to go with an inexpensive ready-made dial which is a spare part from a far east micro-mill …. see:

 

 Dial

 

(That’s from LMS in California – I’m in Canada. Doubtless there are sources of spares for these machines in the UK)

I’m just in the process of cooking up a simple way to mount these in place of my current (schlocky, die-cast) Myford dials. I think I can do it with a fairly simple cylinder with a groove turned in. I can drill/tap the dials in, say, 3 places to take a dog-point set screw. I can either turn another groove with a spring tension wire in it for some resistance or use some “dry grease”.

[KWILParticipant @kwil]

Sid,

 

Send me a PM with your email and I will send the drawings for the ML simple approach, which I did 50 odd years ago!

 

K

 

[camperParticipant @camper]

warning! mentioning an ml4 may bring down accusations that you are a primitive living in a tent.

In the real world check feedscrew wear first as you can “update”to ml7 bits with some ingenuity but will need different divisions also filling the bed with epoxy granite transforms the ridigity and gets rid of the swarf trap if you  have the open top model .

CAREFULY SET UP AND USED SENSIBLY it will make anything  a7 will and leave you money to spend on castings and kit enjoy it

[Gone AwayParticipant @goneaway]

Thanks, Kwil – PM sent.

[KWILParticipant @kwil]

Sid, Drawing sent. KWIL

[Steve WanParticipant @stevewan33894]

Hi Buddy

 

Thanks for sharing making dials the quicker way! Just a suggestion, have you ever though of spot drilling instead of inscribing lines on the graduations?

 

I did mine at 0.1mm apart and a bigger at whole number. It is easier on the eyes for older folks and most of my work tolerances are not that critical.

 

I can achieve 0.05mm though with the help of mirco-meter and vernier dial-caliper.

 

Steve

Edited By Steve Wan on 10/05/2011 08:10:58

[John CoatesParticipant @johncoates48577]

Hi Buddy

 

A member on here kindly sent me the GHT article on the micrometer collars. I have since bought the book (and his other one on the universal pillar tool) and will happily recycle them in your direction.

 

Just send me a private message with your postal address

 

John

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Jim NZ, if you are near Christchurch any time(or they’ll do mail order), go and see the Little Metal Co. 22 Stuart st., I have not been to see them since the Feb 22 earthquake, but they will supply the required aluminium alloy. Ian S C

[Clive HartlandParticipant @clivehartland94829]

Kwil,

Any chance of a copy of the drawing of the micrometer scale for me to make for my ML10?

 

Clive

[LathejackParticipant @lathejack]

Hello.

 

I haven’t got anything to add about resettable dials, but regarding the animated adds quite a while ago on this forum someone sent a post explaining how to stop them. I found them anoying so i followed the instructions and haven’t been bothered by them since, but i cannot remember how it was done. Can anyone recall how to do it?

[Clive HartlandParticipant @clivehartland94829]

KWIL,

Please send me details of the slipping scale mod for my ML10.

I have left my email addy in a PM to you in the message box.

 

Clive

[wolrikmParticipant @wolrikm]

Lathejack, simply press escape and the animations in all the ad’s should stop. Works for me. It is easy enough to get rid of the ad’s altogether if you use Firefox and the Adblock Plus addon, but IMO you would be losing a great resource.

 

I think I need to look into adjustable dials for my ML7, too

[NobbyParticipant @nobby]

Hi Guys

Heres a couple of pictures of the adjustable locking dials & handles

I made for my S7 Mk 1

[NobbyParticipant @nobby]

Hi Guys

Heres a couple of pictures of the adjustable locking dials & handles

I made for my S7 Mk 1 REgards Nobby

[NobbyParticipant @nobby]

Hi Guys

Heres a couple of pictures of the adjustable locking dials & handles

I made for my S7 Mk 1 REgards Nobby

[Author]

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