Designing a coolant system for an Adept

[RainbowsParticipant @rainbows]

It is goin to be a while before I can get or borrowa dividing head off someone so I can make those dials for my Adept so in the meantime I was thinking about other ways to customise it.

So making a coolant system:

The collection and storage is easy enough, I can fabricate that myself.

How would I deliver the oil from the base to the tool though?

The nozzles on ebay all want compressed air to be shot into them and I don't want to have to get a compressor just for the lathe.

How strong does the pump need to be? I see the commercial ones being £100 or more but I don't need their heavy duty cycles or capacity. The oil would only need lifting something like 150mm up and I don't need more than 1 litre a minute. I see tiny 12v things on ebay advertising 3 – 6PSI and 1.3l/h.

Also could people who have made their own post pictures? I am curious how other people have gone about making theirs.

Edited By Rainbows on 18/04/2015 12:52:30

[RainbowsParticipant @rainbows]

[mick70Participant @mick70]

my lathe drill press and bandsaw all use small parts washers.

southbend lathe i am getting soon will same.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

One of those tiny 12V pumps that run a water feature would do for such a small lathe, infact a brush in a pot may be overkill as you are hardly going to be taking off big roughing cuts.

J

[RainbowsParticipant @rainbows]

True but it leaves your hands free.

[john carruthersParticipant @johncarruthers46255]

Windscreen washer pump? or, as I rigged at work; a hanging putty bucket with a spout,and a 1/4" hose with a little tap on the end ?

[Michael Cox 1Participant @michaelcox1]

I use a windscreen washer pump on my lathe, see:

http://mikesworkshop.weebly.com/coolant-pump-system.html

Mike

[RainbowsParticipant @rainbows]

Nice system there Mike.

I suppose I also need to think how I would keep it working with the tool. TheAdept doesn't have any convenient T slots to use.

[MuzzerParticipant @muzzer]

Many of the aftermarket nozzles use a cheap magnetic mount which you can get for very little money. I used a central heating pump – almost silent and fairly cheap.

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

You do not need a flow coolant system for an Adept as it isn't powerfull enough to make the tool hot. It would just be used for lubrication. Most amateurs didn't use one at all until a few years ago even if they got an ex school machine that had one. Even LBSC only used a can hung on a nail with a spout and a tap to drip a bit on the job. I'm amused by the idea of a magnetic base – almost as big as the Adept headstock.

Concentrate on your dials. Do a little research on how to index the lathe spindle with simple means. There are lots of ways that do not need any fancy equipment.

[RainbowsParticipant @rainbows]

Ridiculously over engineering is the fun part of having an adept lathe though! :v

Probably wouldn't go down too well if I spammed the forum with a third thread on adept lathe mods, this time for indexing.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Just keep this thread going… I can change the title to 'Pimp My Adept' if you like

Neil

[MadMikeParticipant @madmike]

I was faced with the problem of coolant supply for my Myford 254S a couple of years ago. I managed to get a tank with centre plate to act as a weir to prevent swarf being built up around the pump. Then I needed a pump and sought advice from everywhere I could until I got some really practical advice………….from my wife!

She said "Why don't you just get a pump like the one you bought for the garden water feature"? So I did. It was 240 vols, so no need for transformers, and would lift to a height of about 1.8 metres. Got it on eBay. A few metres of plastic pipe from the local aquatic centre. I bought a flexi-outlet nozzle thingy with magnetic base, and The job was done. As I recall the pump was about £12. With the rest the all up cost was about £20. Simples.

[RainbowsParticipant @rainbows]

Guess who had typed out a fairly large message, clicked out the message box, hit backspace and got sent back a page? Shame this website doesn't have a draft saver.

Short version was:

How powerful a motor and how fast a motor is recommended for the adept? It came with a 90W, 6000RPM sewing machine motor. Don't like it, too weak, too fast and doesn't have consistent speed.

Anecdote about going to scrapyard in search of better motor: got one but it was attached to a compressor, compressor worked too so I have a vintage compressor now but no lathe motor. Could have been worse. Also got a counter shaft with a 3" and 9" pulley. Based on lathe tools lying around and a tailstock in a scrap bin I have a feeling a lathe was tragicly scrapped and I missed it.

Also with indexing: found a webpage on making plywood indexing wheels, probably the one you meant. Problem is how do I make 125 incisions on a circle only 2.25" in diameter?

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Rainbows on 18/04/2015 22:24:57:

Problem is how do I make 125 incisions on a circle only 2.25" in diameter?

.

Very carefully

… But, make every fifth one longer and only number those.

MichaelG.

[RainbowsParticipant @rainbows]

I think there is a gear hobbing company in the next town over. They do bespoke stuff. Getting a gear from them would work right?

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Have a look at my posts in this thread.

MichaelG.

.

Edit: The 'Setting Circles" link in that thread may no longer work.

Use this instead.

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 18/04/2015 23:20:18

[Steven GreenhoughParticipant @stevengreenhough56335]

From my inexperienced viewpoint, and as an owner of a so-far unused adept, I think it could be in keeping with the machine to run a little single acting oscillator as a pump driven from the layshaft pulley, rigged up with silicone/aquarium tube. Just delivering a little drip-drip-drip…

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Posted by Rainbows on 18/04/2015 22:24:57:

Also with indexing: found a webpage on making plywood indexing wheels, probably the one you meant. Problem is how do I make 125 incisions on a circle only 2.25" in diameter?

Why do you need such a small indexing disc? Fit it to the far left of the spindle and it can be whatever dia you like, well at least until it starts rubbing on the floor. Make it about 159mm dia, wrap a tape measure around it and use the 5mm divisions as your markers. Simples

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by JasonB on 19/04/2015 13:24:40:

Posted by Rainbows on 18/04/2015 22:24:57:

Also with indexing: found a webpage on making plywood indexing wheels, probably the one you meant. Problem is how do I make 125 incisions on a circle only 2.25" in diameter?

Why do you need such a small indexing disc? …

.

Jason,

I may be wrong but I think 2.25" is the diameter of his handwheel [i.e. the job], not the indexing disc … note the reference to incisions.

MichaelG.

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Don't use flood coolant on an Adapt.

It will shrink.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Michael, I did not think the handwheel would be a problem, My mill has 100divisions on a 40mm dia ring so 125 on a 57mm ring should fit quite easily. 2.25" does sound a bit big for the handwheels as the lathe can only swing 2.625"

 

But then again part of the "pimping" process seems to involve fitting big wheels

Edited By JasonB on 19/04/2015 15:45:40

[Jesse Hancock 1Participant @jessehancock1]

That's right but lets hope they don't keep spinning when you stop turning.

[RainbowsParticipant @rainbows]

I was referring to the method of indexing.

http://www.davidreedsmith.com/Articles/Indexing/indexing.htm

That was something like the plan and the centre is only 1 5/8 over the bed. Add in the little alighing tool there will only be size for a 2" or a bit bigger for the indexing disc.

Looking back it would have to be a a bit bigger than 2 1/4 so the chuck isn't in the way. Looking back further I might be able to use a bend aligning tool to make full use of the bed gap for a larger indexer.

The leadscrew handle on an adept are 1 5/8" in diameter so that is the target size for the dials.

I could put it to the left if I didn't mind making a new spindle. They are pretty simple so I wouldn't mind too much. The bigger problem is how would I accurately stop the gear/indexing wheel?

Posted by Steven Greenhough on 19/04/2015 09:14:08:
From my inexperienced viewpoint, and as an owner of a so-far unused adept, I think it could be in keeping with the machine to run a little single acting oscillator as a pump driven from the layshaft pulley, rigged up with silicone/aquarium tube. Just delivering a little drip-drip-drip…

I was about to walk away from the coolant idea but now I can't resist.

[Clive HartlandParticipant @clivehartland94829]

Gravity is free, put up a can/whatever and run a tube and a small tap and, 'Bingo' coolant on tap.

Clive

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