We have had discussions here before about metric leadscrews used on UK-manufacturered machines. Sadly, I cannot find one by searching, nor can I remember whether it was specific to Boxford or concerned another marque.

However, the consensus appeared to be that many of the manufacturers used imperial diameter stock and an ACME thread form for their leadscrews, just with a metric pitch.

It would be great if someone could find the thread just to refresh our memories.

Indeed. I think as Thor suggests you would be best to quiz the Boxford groups on Facebook or groups.io etc. The aficionados can probably quote you chapter and verse on the topic.

Like DC31K I vaguely remember threads about metric Acme hybrids but no idea if it was Myford or Boxford or Raglan or another. Sounds like a typical cost saving piece of production engineering any of them could have indulged in.

as denford made both machines

Maybe at one time, but they were two different companies with two different manufacturing sites for a very long time. I would be wary of assuming that the drawings for one manufacturer were interchangeable with products from the other.

Nigel B.

Hi Kim,

If lathes.co.uk are correct, Denford sold the Boxford side to Harrisons in 1952 & designed their replacement machines after the split. If your machine is early '60s, that would put it as being made after the two companies split up ?

The lathes.co.uk descriptions of the Denford machines produced after they moved to Brighouse suggest that their design was different to the Boxford product to address perceived shortcomings. The pictures of the various Viceroy models on the site look quite different to the Boxfords & I would be very suprised if Viceroy parts would drop straight in to a Boxford.

Boxford used a Jowett thread whirler to manufacture some (if not all) of their leadscrews – a rather noisy thing, it was at the end of the workshop near the loading bay door ( I did the last year of my apprenticeship at Boxfords Sept '80 – Sept '81).

Nigel B.

Denford certainly used imperial stock sizes for Metric pitch leadscews. Their metric cross slide screw drawing calls for a 0.750" diamter 5mm pitch LH ACME form thread. A friend of mine enquired with someone for a Boxford cross-slide screw and he was also told it was a metric pitch but ACME form screw, but I cannot verify that. I have an imperial drawing but not a metric one.

See Bernard's post above re Moore International for leadscrews.