Keats Plate

[John Hill]

Thanks John,  I am not harbouring too many high expectations for this one especially as I think the gearing on the present electric motor is way too high for bushed bearings, 2500rpm or so top at my estimates.  But we shall see.

Tony's site says the spindle nose is the same as  (some?) Myford except for the spigot at the back of the thread and the change gears too are compatible although in the pictures the change gears look 'chunky' like those on my 1908 Drummond.  Of course everyone knows that Drummonds are the mothers of Myfords.

It will be interesting to play with the Keats plate as I can see it would be very useful, not so much the indexing attachment.

There is not really room for this in my shop so it might end up out at the airport museum workshop making bits and pieces.  I made a tail wheel axle for a Provost  a week or two ago and more recently axle stubs to receive a tow bar on our A4 Skyhawk, small jobs but impossible without a lathe.  I can control things out there so I would be the only user, maybe one other who I know has a Myford at home and can be trusted to do less careless damage than I might do myself.

[John Hill]

John

Congratulations on getting the Lathe. Maybe he was reading the posts and had a change of heart on making you wait till Sunday. Look forward to hearing and seeing more about it after you get it home and start checking it out. Have a safe trip collecting it.

Cheers 

Don

Oh, I still have to wait until Sunday Don, except it is now 'next Sunday',  i.e. 24th!

[Bogstandard]

John,

The Keats you are getting really does look the business, even better than the 'expensive' one sold by RDG.

http://www.rdgtools.co.uk/cgi-bin/sh000001.pl?WD=keats&PN=Keats_Angleplates.html#a2377

It looks like yours can hold on two datum faces.

I use my 'cheap' one on the mill and surface grinder as well, for holding bar upright and square to the table.


John

[ths]

Congratulations on that win, John. It should serve well at the museum.

The RNZAF Skyhawks seemed to be permanently based over the mountain from me at HMAS Albatross, near Nowra. They would occasionally nip over the hill for a bit of joyriding around the Valley, which would have been spectacular, and one of those joyous activities that must have been wonderful for the pilots. I was always sure that there was no military or training necessity for  these flights, just (illicit?) joie de vivre. I'm glad that at least one is still going. They seemed the next best thing to a open topped sports car.

Hugh.

[steamer]

Congrats John! .....Pictures please when you get her in her new home!

Dave

[John Hill]

Hugh, our Skyhawk is unlikely to fly ever again, we do not have an engine for it and neither do we have sealed runways at our airport (but we do have a lot of grass).  There are a few jets in the collection including a Harrier, Aermacchi, Vampires and a Meteor.

As an all volunteer operation we do not have the resources to do any more than keep them warm and dry,  which is more than some museums which store old aircraft outdoors.

[John Hill]

Pictures?  What ever will people be expecting next?

I will have to make a stand for it (no more bench space in my shop or at the museum).  I am considering a fully enclosed box/base/cabinet made of 18mm MDF with an underdrive arrangement.  Does MDF sound OK for that little lathe?