Ed,
With a 2mm pitch leadscrew and a 40T spindle gear, you just need to get a combination that will reduce the speed of the leadscrew to 1/4 the speed of the spindle for a pitch of 0.5mm. Therefore, the first cluster has a 2:1 ratio, and the leadscrew gear has a 2:1 ratio with the spindle gear, giving a total ratio of 4:1.
The middle gear is just an idler (transfer) gear, and is sized to allow good fitment of the other gear clusters on the banjo arm. It can go on either the first gear shaft or the second gear shaft on the banjo.
For example (from my C6 gear program):
Pitch, Spindle-(any)-1st Cluster-Leadscrew
00.500 mm, 40 – Idler – 50 : 25 – 80 Error 0.000%
00.500 mm, 40 – Idler – 60 : 30 – 80 Error 0.000%
00.500 mm, 40 – Idler – 66 : 33 – 80 Error 0.000%
00.500 mm, 40 – Idler – 80 : 40 – 80 Error 0.000%
Also, with the pitch an exact division of the leadscrew pitch, you should be able to engage the half nuts at any point on the leadscrew.
If in doubt, keep the half nuts engaged, and reverse the lathe for each pass.
Andrew
Edited By mahgnia on 04/10/2014 01:49:38