Southbend Screwcutting clutch

[Mike OConnor]

Hi Gray,

The bump-out is 4-7/8" long. It begins 1-3/4" from the change wheel end of the bed and ends 6-5/8" from the end of the bed. Thanks!

Mike

[Graham Meek]

Hi Dave/Mike,

I have attached to views of the proposed trip rod route. Any thing shown in Blue is the bed profile and is to scale. Basically I have used a piece of 1/2 x 1/2 x 1/8 angle to connect the trip rod to the bearing on the bottom of the drop arm. In the position shown it should clear the edge of the bump out as well as the top by 0.125", and the angle will not interfere with an under drive system as the angle is 3/16 short of the inner wall of the bump out.

By using angle I have been able to mortice and tenon the blocks onto the angle and this will make a very strong job of the assembly. you can weld these joints if you prefer.

The trip rod clears the carriage keep plate as well as the clamp plate for the taper turning attachment. With the trips angled upwards at 45 degrees the heads of the capscrews for making the adjustments will just appear above the rear inverted Vee. There will be a copper/brass pad bearing on a flat on the trip rod to maintain the angle and to protect the rod. I have in mind to use capscrews for the adjustments but Hex headed bolts might be better especially if the capscrews are prone to fill up with swarf.

If this is OK then I can finish detailing the various parts and the drawings will follow shortly.

My best regards
Gray,

[Mike OConnor]

Hello Gray and Dave,

That looks great! I am certain that this was more work than you originally thought, but it should save some headaches for constructors who have an under drive lathe by sorting this out now. You have done an amazing job! Thanks so much for all of your efforts, I really appreciate it! Thanks Dave for taking all those measurements too!

Kind regards,
Mike

[Graham Meek]

Hi Dave/Mike,

I always say I have the easy part of any project, if I make a mistake it is only a case of copying and moving a detail to some new location, not so easy when it is in metal. So far this project is well below the time taken to do the Emco Compact 8, that was a real brain teaser. A lathe that has a tumbler reverse to start with is always far easier to adapt to a screwcutting clutch.

It has been a real pleasure doing this unit, and sorting the trip rod out now to suit all machines was a step in the right direction.

My best regards
Gray,

[steamer]

Gray,

Thank you so much for your efforts!   I got the drawings via email, what I am doing is reviewing them, and then I will post them here to this thread as attachments so everyone can have access to them   I should have that complete this weekend.

Thanks again!

Dave

[Graham Meek]

Hi Dave,

Sorry I missed your post, as regards the drawings you are entirely welcome. I hope you and the other constructors have many happy hours using the device. Working on the South Bend version has completed my initial goal when I first started the thread, (excuse the pun, not intentional), on Model Engineer back in 2011. As I had hoped then others are now taking up the challenge and designing clutches to fit their own machines. There has been a novel idea recently put forward on the above ME thread for a Colchester Bantam lathe which has a geared head, I shall be following this with interest.

My best regards
Gray,

[steamer]

Alright guys...a confession.   I have not been able to go through these yet.   Life has conspired against me. 

So here are Gray's drawings.   Enjoy!   And thank you Graham!

The first four pages.

[steamer]

Pages 5-8

[steamer]

Pages 9-12

[steamer]

Pages 13 - 18

That's all of them.

Dave

[Graham Meek]

Hi Dave,

Thanks very much for your help, I hope there are not too many mistakes.

My best regards
Gray,

[steamer]

Graham,

My intention was to be helpful, As an Engineer and machine designer, I always try to have my drawings reviewed by others as they see the forest through the trees...where I sometimes can't.   it's not a big deal on a bracket, but on something like a machine base that weighs 20 tons...well...that's a good deal more difficult to rework and the error affects more than just me...it could be the whole company!  It's a mature and responsible way of doing business.

In that vain, It was my intent to "watch your 6" and review the drawings for you.   Especially since a good deal of the dimensions were provided by me in the form of measurements off my lathe!..

But.....Life has conspired against me this past week  or two.   some of the personal commitments were very time consuming.    In interest to get Grahams drawings published.   I "went for it"

SO.....to the good members who venture into this build with me......Measure twice, cut once, and yell at me not Graham If I find something that doesn't line up.

Thank you again Graham for your effort.   THAT was a good deal of work!

If I find issues....in any form....I will post them here in this thread so future builders will have our notes to go with the drawings.

We can then update the drawings, and we'll know I didn't mess up the measurements!

Regards,

Dave

[Graham Meek]

Hi Dave,

I appreciate the help, it is one thing to design something for a particular machine when you have access to that machine, and it is something entirely different to design that same something when the machine is 3000 miles away.

You were lucky in the sense that I was not under the spell of my illness which has suddenly without warning re-appeared, but luckily the Steroids has it under control and I hope to be back to somewhere near normal soon. Normal being able to concentrate fully without feeling as though I am peering through a Fog.

I shall look forward to all the input, good or bad, and once repairs to the house are complete I shall be eager to get back into my workshop, I have been too long away, I need the therapy.

My best regards
Gray,

[Graham Meek]

Just out of curiosity has anyone started this version yet?

My best regards
Gray,

[steamer]

Not yet Graham.   But I will.