Author Topic: Simple Dividing Head  (Read 22960 times)

Offline swilliams

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Re: Simple Dividing Head
« Reply #45 on: November 11, 2013, 12:12:16 PM »
Yep it works, as you know. I don't think it matters if there's backlash for the usual reason. A friend at work who has a Schaublin told me his lathe has opposed taper rollers on the leadscrew. Obviously we aren't going to get close to them for pitch accuracy with our little 9"s. Interesting that Schaublin often didn't use a screwcutting box. Being Schaublin it wasn't to cut cost, so maybe they thought it compromised accuracy slightly.

Getting a thread accurate enough to locate a nut with accurate concentricity just using a face with no spigot is a tough ask. If the  thread is not accurate it will still repeat with accuracy, but if you make a second spindle thread on a different lathe, then you're in trouble. My experience with swapping chucks between these lathes say the originals had much more accurate threads than I can cut, well that was always a given  :Lol: 

Steve

Offline swilliams

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Re: Simple Dividing Head
« Reply #46 on: November 11, 2013, 12:29:55 PM »
Come to think of it, if you make a second spindle on the same lathe you're in trouble.

Offline swilliams

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Re: Simple Dividing Head
« Reply #47 on: November 12, 2013, 11:59:56 AM »
Made the next bit



which is the piece that will hold the plunger which engages the index wheel.



and a bit of a mock up of how it will go together

 :cheers:
Steve

Offline Don1966

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Re: Simple Dividing Head
« Reply #48 on: November 12, 2013, 01:56:25 PM »
Cool Steve, is that the last piece you have to make?

Don

Offline swilliams

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Re: Simple Dividing Head
« Reply #49 on: November 12, 2013, 09:21:08 PM »
Getting close Don

I need to make the plunger, a thimble for the plunger, a spring and a ball handle. I'm going down to Melbourne next week. If I have the patience I'll take a leaf out of your book, get some brass while I'm down there and make the ball handle out of that. Failing that I'll make it out of steel.

Steve

Offline swilliams

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Re: Simple Dividing Head
« Reply #50 on: November 14, 2013, 09:31:47 AM »
So I thought I'd try some bootstrapping



using a dial indicator to locate the indexing plate, I put a couple of spanner flats on the plunger housing.



Then I turned up the plunger and milled the end with the same rack gear cutter I used earlier.



even fits a spanner

Steve

Offline swilliams

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Re: Simple Dividing Head
« Reply #51 on: November 18, 2013, 10:38:58 AM »
More to report



I finished off my plunger mechanism. Here's the whole shooting match mounted on the lathe topslide.



Then I started on a ball handle to lock the spindle. My ball turner is an old one that I built to Radford's design back in my teens. It's rusty and a little rough but still does the job. I might build another one one day.



So that's as far as I got with my ball handle. I'll do the rest in about a week when I get a chance to get back in the shop.

So my dividing head's all but finished. I need to make a draw bar for my 3C collets, but I think I'll leave that for a while. I want to get back onto my radial engine.

Cheers
Steve

Offline steamer

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Re: Simple Dividing Head
« Reply #52 on: November 18, 2013, 11:32:55 AM »
That looks the business Steve!

I'm waiting till winter for my"vise divider" to start...though I have the tooling set aside.

Dave
"Mister M'Andrew, don't you think steam spoils romance at sea?"
Damned ijjit!

Offline swilliams

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Re: Simple Dividing Head
« Reply #53 on: November 18, 2013, 09:50:00 PM »
Thanks Dave

I'll be following your thread when you get going

Steve

Offline Don1966

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Re: Simple Dividing Head
« Reply #54 on: November 19, 2013, 12:47:03 AM »
Nice job Steve, you know it just occurred to me that you had bored it on the cross slide. See looks good up there buddy. How much trouble is it to align?

Don

Offline swilliams

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Re: Simple Dividing Head
« Reply #55 on: November 19, 2013, 01:29:39 AM »
Thanks Don

I don't find it too bad to align, can just run a dial indicator along it. I'm not sure if I'll use it on the lathe that often, but it's nice to have the option :)

Steve

Offline metalmad

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Re: Simple Dividing Head
« Reply #56 on: November 19, 2013, 08:25:36 AM »
Hay Steve
That thing looks fantastic :ThumbsUp:
Pete
A little bit every day, sometimes the same little bit

Offline swilliams

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Re: Simple Dividing Head
« Reply #57 on: November 19, 2013, 10:24:44 PM »
Thanks Pete

Offline swilliams

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Re: Simple Dividing Head
« Reply #58 on: November 27, 2013, 10:36:23 AM »
Ok, I'm calling this thing finished with this post



Continuing with my ball handle and shamelessly stealing some techniques from the Quorn tool & cutter grinder book. This will hold the big end of the ball handle.



This is a ring to clamp on the outside of the previous piece. The slot is milled in at an angle so the handle can go through later.



turning the middle section



then face off at an angle and drill and tap.



So here's the finished contraption. There is one thing left to do, and that's to make a draw bar for my 3C collets. But I'll leave that for another day, i.e. when I want to use a 3C collet in it.

So I'm pretty happy with how it turned out and I'm calling it finished.

Steve

Offline steamer

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Re: Simple Dividing Head
« Reply #59 on: November 27, 2013, 10:49:24 AM »
Well done Steve....can't wait to see her in action!....I can see a need for this in my shop, leaving the mill vise where it is for most dividing.  I often just set up on the F1 due to the speed at which I can set up a dividing head...but it's limited in size, and is not as convenient.    Hence why I'm looking at it.

Like yours, it will drop right in the mill vise and go, or ....set up on the lathe cross slide and be on center.

I'll end up with 3 separate ranges/standards of lathe/mill tooling......5C, 3C and W12....which I hope will promote flexibility and reduce set up time.

Dave
"Mister M'Andrew, don't you think steam spoils romance at sea?"
Damned ijjit!

 

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