What material did you use on your final version of the leadscrew?
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Copying lathe parts for my new friend in Alabama
- Thread starter Darren
- Start date
It was just a different piece of rusty scrap stock. Definitely not chromo or anything but a bit harder than 1018 i'd say. I'd usually order some 4140 for a job like this but with the lockdown, that could take forever. I can always make another one down the road. The spindle is rock hard at the threads, the screw will wear first no matter what. The owner is a home shop guy too, and i doubt that wear will ever be a concern.
I agree with the others, you do nice work.
I was having the same"growing" pains making the cross slide screw for my SM9. The practice material I had, generic CR rod, was also giving me the same "gummy and growing" grief. I bought the recommended C1144 rod and the growing was a lot less. I switched to plunge cutting and the growing became pretty much nonexistent and the thread came out almost perfect. A quick pass with the file and it was good to go.
I was having the same"growing" pains making the cross slide screw for my SM9. The practice material I had, generic CR rod, was also giving me the same "gummy and growing" grief. I bought the recommended C1144 rod and the growing was a lot less. I switched to plunge cutting and the growing became pretty much nonexistent and the thread came out almost perfect. A quick pass with the file and it was good to go.
If you look at my pic of the leadscrew in the lathe, you'll see that i left about an inch of extra material beyond the threads, on the rh side. I didnt do this at first because i wasn't thinking. My live center was in the way and i had to cut very slowly (lh threads, cutting left to right). With this run out space i could speed up the rpm to about 250 and get the leadscrew disengaged before crashing into the live center, which really helped. I still kept my DOC to 0.010" but it started cutting and less tearing of the material. I'm in not hurry to cut acme threads again anytime soon.
Nice work. The bronze inserts a great idea. My 14x40 is the typical steel shaft running in cast iron block. It does have oil nipples leading to the running surfaces FWIW. On yours you could probably get away with just an occasional squirt from either side if its too late to drill them.
They didn't come factory with oilers, but they did have the bushings. I did think about adding them. The leadscrew has thrust bearings to deal with its axial load, the other two shafts are just along for the ride so i'm sure a few squirts here and there will be fine.
great job, well done. They are a very nice lathe
that banjo reminds of my machine tool affliction....and two baby Emcos. many years ago I pick up a load of stuff that turns out included a Maximat 7 compound. years latter, I'm buying some stuff from a guys business and he's got a Maximat 7 that is really nice (came out of an optics company) but is missing several pieces, one being the compound. No kidding! I bought the lathe for a couple of hundred bucks, cheap because it was missing pieces.
It was missing quite a few other pieces and it sat I while contemplated next steps. Years later still, I'm chatting with some random guy on kijiji and maximats come up and he says his neighbour has one. I take a flyer, ask if there's any chance he could put me in touch with the neighbour so I could measure some parts. Sure he says. A few days later I'm making the hour long drive to measure lathe parts in some guys garage who's never met me.
He was the quintessential crusty old machinist, you know, the type of guy we all aspire to be
. I'm there sketching and measuring and he's going on and on about what a POS this lathe is. The lathe not running with an electrical switch issue but in great shape, had the mill and about every accessory and bit of tooling.... but he was comparing it to whatever behemoth he had at work and just did not like this lathe. So me, I'm getting a bit tired of sketching and listening Dr Negative, says "so you don't like this little lathe, what would you need to get out it?
$300! Man that puppy got crammed into my car in no time flat. Now I have two Maximat 7's I don't need, a list of parts to make and an electrical repair (complicated button switch system didn't work, replaced it all)., Am I nuts? (don't answer that) It all worked out in the end, got it all done, put two good little lathes back to running condition and sold them both for a nice sum that fed the shop budget for quite a while.
sorry to ramble so much, it amused me recalling all these toolaholic shenanigans. I probably would have more money flipping burgers, but it wouldn't have been as much fun
![Y2IKddA.jpg]()
that banjo reminds of my machine tool affliction....and two baby Emcos. many years ago I pick up a load of stuff that turns out included a Maximat 7 compound. years latter, I'm buying some stuff from a guys business and he's got a Maximat 7 that is really nice (came out of an optics company) but is missing several pieces, one being the compound. No kidding! I bought the lathe for a couple of hundred bucks, cheap because it was missing pieces.
It was missing quite a few other pieces and it sat I while contemplated next steps. Years later still, I'm chatting with some random guy on kijiji and maximats come up and he says his neighbour has one. I take a flyer, ask if there's any chance he could put me in touch with the neighbour so I could measure some parts. Sure he says. A few days later I'm making the hour long drive to measure lathe parts in some guys garage who's never met me.
He was the quintessential crusty old machinist, you know, the type of guy we all aspire to be
. I'm there sketching and measuring and he's going on and on about what a POS this lathe is. The lathe not running with an electrical switch issue but in great shape, had the mill and about every accessory and bit of tooling.... but he was comparing it to whatever behemoth he had at work and just did not like this lathe. So me, I'm getting a bit tired of sketching and listening Dr Negative, says "so you don't like this little lathe, what would you need to get out it?$300! Man that puppy got crammed into my car in no time flat. Now I have two Maximat 7's I don't need, a list of parts to make and an electrical repair (complicated button switch system didn't work, replaced it all)., Am I nuts? (don't answer that) It all worked out in the end, got it all done, put two good little lathes back to running condition and sold them both for a nice sum that fed the shop budget for quite a while.
sorry to ramble so much, it amused me recalling all these toolaholic shenanigans. I probably would have more money flipping burgers, but it wouldn't have been as much fun
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I love it when deals like that work out! Nice job on the quadrant too
And to update this story, my friend in Alabama got a call yesterday from ohio. They found a box containing almost all of his missing parts. They are shipping them to him. So while fun, this was a bit of a waste of time. I'm happy and sad at the same time.
![51128169813_e346598ffd_c.jpg]()
And to update this story, my friend in Alabama got a call yesterday from ohio. They found a box containing almost all of his missing parts. They are shipping them to him. So while fun, this was a bit of a waste of time. I'm happy and sad at the same time.
Thanks guys. It was fun. Its better that my friend is getting original parts anyway. Not sure what will happen with the parts that I made just yet.
One other funny thing, we found out why they took it all apart...a broken fwd/stop/rev switch. A switch that can be accessed in 5 minutes without taking any of that stuff off. They must have thought it was in the apron. Its behind the plate on the front of the quick change gear box.
One other funny thing, we found out why they took it all apart...a broken fwd/stop/rev switch. A switch that can be accessed in 5 minutes without taking any of that stuff off. They must have thought it was in the apron. Its behind the plate on the front of the quick change gear box.