Headstock Dividing Attachment from Hemingway

[Mark BParticipant @markb43031]

Has anyone made the Headstock Dividing Attachment (HDA) from Hemingway kits for a Myford lathe?

http://www.hemingwaykits.com/acatalog/Headstock_Dividing_Attachment.html

Is this considered to be a good option and are there any photos of it around?

I'm considering this for use with a stepper motor and Division Master style stepper driver which I've made for dividing on another machine.

[Mark BParticipant @markb43031]

[Alan HopwoodParticipant @alanhopwood63369]

One of the best things you can make. The number of times I've called on it for all sorts of graduating jobs etc. is quite remarkable. I even produced a vernier scale for the thimble of the GHT cross-slide dial. This meant that I could read in tenths of a thou and still work in 1/16ths of an inch .

[not done it yetParticipant @notdoneityet]

Loads of pics on ‘goggle’ images. No idea if it is any better, or worse, than other solutions.

[egaParticipant @ega]

One of the first GHT items I made and has had considerable use.

Can you elaborate on your ideas for using it with a stepper motor, etc?

[ASFParticipant @asf]

Great tool.

I made mine from plans from a model engineers magazine (I think) as i already had some dividing plates.

So a small modification and all was good.

Great for making dials where you need to turn then engrave a line.

[Mark BParticipant @markb43031]

Thanks for the replies. Its good to hear it is a good option. I want to use it with a stepper motor as very often the divisions I want to achieve are not possible with the dividing plates. I will be cutting clock wheels.

I have made myself a Raspberry Pi controlled stepper motor already, but I want to perform the divisions on my lathe so I can turn blanks for clock wheels and cut the teeth without needing to transfer to another machine. This helps to keep the wheels perfectly concentric which is important for accuracy.

The link below shows the controller I've made:

Controller details

 

 

Edited By Mark B on 10/11/2019 11:57:24

[Les Jones 1Participant @lesjones1]

I have done a similar thing using the rotary table to drive the spindle. The table is attached with an adaptor that fits into the end of the spindle and the drive is transmitted with an expanding collet. The spindle supports the weight of the rotary table and the rotary table base is prevented from rotating with an arm attached to a fixed point on the lathe.

The pictures above show it mounted on my Chester DB10G. The second picture shows how the rotary table base is prevented from rotating.

Les.

[egaParticipant @ega]

Mark B:

Thanks for your reply.

I am no programmer and controllers are some way above my head. I am however under the impression that any number of divisions is possible with the HDA, using the micro attachment where the division plates alone won't do the job.

[Mark BParticipant @markb43031]

I agree using a micro attachment would make it possible, but using the stepper motor makes it less likely for you to make an error. Even using division plates, its easy to make a mistake (caused by the phone ringing part way through for example) and you can end up with 1/2 a tooth at the end of your cutting operation.

Anyway I've decided to go ahead and get the Hemingway kit… I'll post my results when I've got it working.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Mark B on 10/11/2019 17:15:46:

I agree using a micro attachment would make it possible, but using the stepper motor makes it less likely for you to make an error. […]

.

In principle, I don’t think there would be a problem fitting a stepper motor to the micro attachment; it’s just a two stage worm gearing.
… In practice, it may be tricky to get the proportions right.

MichaelG.

[not done it yetParticipant @notdoneityet]

Can’t be foolproof for all lapses of concentration while on the job, but the phone ringing part-way through the cutting operation is very easily avoided. Just turn the thing off!

[Author]

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