indexing table of modest dimensions

[Jesse Hancock 1Participant @jessehancock1]

Hello all, my name is Jesse (Male) from the Bristol area and whilst I thought I knew a thing or two the last year has proven once again how wrong a person can be. To kick off with I have for thirty years hovered around the fringes of engineering but never really got my fingers or toes for that matter burnt and or even damp. Be that as it may, I have now bought a cheap Chinese lathe and a mill with a mind to producing some scrap or by chance an engine which works.

I have a question which after having spent the best part of a day franticly googling (index table) for my bench drill, is there such a thing? Oh and please don't point at the drill mill and say " You've got one." because it's restricted to about a half inch plunge, that is without reaching up to the top of the column and lowering whole head, which I find tends to draw my eye and attention away from the job in hand and fray my nerves.

There's one good thing about the products above and that is if they work with all the lack of excelence that they display then surely I can do as good.

[Jesse Hancock 1Participant @jessehancock1]

First post.

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Hello, I'm not sure what you mean by 'index table' and is it for a drill, of mill? Are you using the term .bench drill to refer to your mill when used in drill mode? Most bench drills have more than 1/2 in travel but have a depth stop which you may have missed.

What are you actually trying to do?

[Gray62Participant @gray62]

Hi Jesse, it would help if you identified the make/model of the machine(s) you are discussing, will give us a bit more to go on to advise the best route forward for you.

Graeme

[AndyPParticipant @andyp13730]

Welcome Jesse, do you mean this sort of thing?

Andy

[RobboParticipant @robbo]

Jesse,

If you have a Mill/Drill then in drill mode it should plunge more than 1/2" without moving the head, more like 2 – 3".

However the "Fine feed" for use when milling probably has only a short travel. Is this what you were using?.

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Just noticed you are from Bristol

Get along to the Bristol Model Engineering club and they will put your straight..

[Jesse Hancock 1Participant @jessehancock1]

Thanks for all your prompt replies. Special thanks? to AndyP and oh you just cost me £100.00.

For reference in the future The Lathe is a Clarke CL300M, The Mill is a Clark CMD10, the Bandsaw is a Power Performance PBS350 and the Bench Drill is a Power Performance POP350. They are all very cheap but keep me cheerful. I bought the Saw and Drill some years ago as I was a keen boat modeller but due to a downsize (Oh God where have I heard that before?) in cars, form a large estate to a AYGO I could no longer fit in the back of the car, it was an "A" class I used to sail here and there.

My ultimate project would be a petrol powered Holt Tractor, something I can play with and annoy the neighbours with at the same time.(Just Kidding) Maybe I could get it to tow the mower around Mmmmh…Dream on.

Jesse

Edited By Jesse Hancock 1 on 08/01/2015 03:35:18

Edited By Jesse Hancock 1 on 08/01/2015 03:37:21

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Talk of towing the lawn mower reminds me of a mate who built a model of a Caterpillar D-11, thought it might do digging the veggie garden, but I think the garden grows faster than the dozer moves.

If you can work around any problems with the "cheap" machines, you'll be surprised at the work they can do.

Ian S C

[Jesse Hancock 1Participant @jessehancock1]

Oh blimely you have just reminded me of an earlier excursion into the world of Model Engineering Bazyle, back then I bought an old very worn Harrison L5 9" gap bed lathe. It was delivered outside my drive on a pile of tyres as there was no lifting gear to be found. Talk about heart in your mouth. However it was the wrong time of life as I was supporting a young family back then, you know the sort of thing everyone did … yeah work, that's what they called it. I could rabbit on about Britains decline in manual jobs but there's not much point. I actually remember going to Bristol ME club down on Templemeads station if memory serves back then.

The lathe didn't suffer a scratch dropping off the back of the seven ton flat bed but it took two burley neighbours and me to get it settled in the lean to. Phew it was a lump and we had nothing but some bits of round bar and a spade plus a good crow bar. I plugged it in as it had a single phase motor and away it went. Later I received some donations of odd bits of round bar scrap from the engineering shop next door to my works. Whoopee I could barely wait to get home and try a bit of turning with the stubby oddments of cutting tools still held in the confines of the lathes cupboard.

With everthing set I span her up and gingerly wound in the saddle screw, the tool touched and everything started jumping about, including me as I ran for the door. The short of it was that the ways were so worn and with my tool setting skills none existant and no bolts holding the lathe I was lucky to get away without injury.

Scrape the ways they said… No way I'm afraid no time, no money, a wife, kids, a car, a house, and what was then a huge mortgage. OH Well as the song was titled.

Jesse.

PS: I wonder if cheap Chinese tools are really that cheap. I have already changed to taper roller bearings on the lathe and have broken a set off gears on the mill. I'm just waiting for the other gears to smash before I change to a steel set. Ian there is a beautiful tractor or two on the tube but I guess you have seen those.

Edited By Jesse Hancock 1 on 08/01/2015 11:05:34

Edited By Jesse Hancock 1 on 08/01/2015 11:09:33

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