Lathe design not keeping up

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Posted by John Stevenson on 15/07/2015 20:55:11:

Things left to do are the modify the two steadies I just located to fit, they are 1" too high but other than that fit perfect.

Owners of the Bantam 2000 with its 1" higher centre height won't thank you for that

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Thanks for that Jason, I wondered what they were off. I know they weren't Student as the bed is wider.

Still going to modify them as steadies for a 1600 are quite rare, start at £120 and go upwards and these two were free.

Whilst we are on the "What does it fit ? "

I have a faceplate, 16" diameter on a D1-3 fitting. Seems a very small fitting for a large plate and what lathe that has D1-3 has a gap that big to take this ?

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Some of the 2000s also had a gap bed!!

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

OK was in two minds whether to post this in the Bodgers Lodge thread or not, it's borderline so anyone of a nervous disposition need not continue further.

 

Rear DRO mounting finished and tested, no pictures unless needed as very basic.

Next job is to fit one of the iGauging scales to the tailstock. Got these on the other 3 lathes and could not do without.

Tailstock on the Bantam is squarish at the top so choice of 3 sides to mount it. Front mounted gets in the way of the top slide.

Top mounted leaves it quite vulnerable so rear mounted looks the best and all the others are rear mounted as well and work well and out the way.

 

One problem on the Bantam is the barrel lock has a vertical spindle and there isn't enough room between to get the scale, so warm the spindle up at the bottom and give a slight tweak, better but still not enough and also the shape of the casting is not conductive to the scale following on.

 

SO, stick it on the mill and after careful and very, very accurately marking out, remove the bit in the way.

 

 

Mill enough away so that the read head fits.

Then follow up with clearance for the scale.

 

 

Offer it up for a test and jobs a good un. That broken bolt BTW is just holding the read head down so it doesn't tip.

Plenty of clearance now.

 

Bit of a plate bracket and shot from the back.

 

And from the front.

 

 

That's as far as I got tonight as a hungry dog stopped play. Just need the clamp to go round the barrel and connect to the scale and poke the surplus of wire into a heat shrink sleeve and warm it up.

 

The whole lathe is also in for a repaint so all these mods will soon blend in.

 

 

Edited By John Stevenson on 14/11/2015 21:53:45

[HillclimberParticipant @hillclimber]

Repaint eh? Let's see what kind of crowd that draws…..

Thanks for these posts.

Cheers, Colin

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Only managed to get a bit done to the Phantom Bantam today but got the tailstock finished.

 

Front view:-

 

Rear view with the wiring in heat shrink.

 

The bracket is drilled and once painted the cable bunch will be held with two cable ties for neatness.

 

Next on the agenda are the wipers.

 

 

The 600 group has these for £125 the set of 4. They are obviously that proud of them it would be shame to force them to part with them. Got an idea but if it works it will be an article for Neil.

If it doesn't work it will be felt seals

 

Just noticed looking at the last picture I have not drilled the cross slide for ball oilers, done the saddle and increased then from two small to 4 large but for some reason the cross slide has no method of oiling other than a squirt on the ways ???

Edited By John Stevenson on 15/11/2015 22:14:33

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

So a bit disgusted tonight.

Pulled the cross slide off to fit some ball oilers and this is what I see.

 

 

Nothing.

 

No oil ways, no method of getting oil onto the slides at all.

 

Then to add insult to injury this is close up.

 

 

Just a fly cut finish, no grinding, no scraping and the mating face is the same.

I was under the impression that these were a class machine, far more attention to detail than the cheap imports ?

Sorry, colour me pi$$ed off. Even a SC3 or a C3 has ground slides and ball oilers.

So now got to spent the best part of a night scraping this in when it should not be necessary.

EDIT.

I suppose someone will say the fly cutting marks will hold oil and I must agree IF it was able to get oil under the slide in the first place

Edited By John Stevenson on 18/11/2015 23:43:31

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