Boxford C Lathe

[Dave HalfordParticipant @davehalford22513]

Steve,

Given that there is nearly 1/2" of clearance between each of the tumbler gears and the gear on the end of the main spindle it's hard to see how you can move the red lever from forward to backward through the neutral point where no gear engages the main spindle and still have the lead screw rotate and therefore the carriage to still move in the same direction.

Don't forget BACK on a lathe merely refers to LOW GEAR and nothing else, I suspect that it got it's name because it's placed at the back of the main spindle.

The main spindle will only turn the other way if the motor is electrically reversed.

[Steve Jones 20Participant @stevejones20]

thanks guys. i'm going to have a look today to see what happens.

[Steve Jones 20Participant @stevejones20]

Ok, so I’m happy to report that the issue here is me and not the lathe (easier fix). Now that I know where the correct position is with all the various levers all seems to be great so I can forget about a reversible motor to change the direction of the spindle as I don’t need that anyway now that I’m beginning to understand what I want to do with the lathe and how a lathe works.

So what I wanted to do was actually make the leadscrew move forward and then backwards as required so that the saddle moves automatically.

I have now identified the following options with all your help:

• 2 speed lever (Fast or slow)
• Auto Saddle selector lever
• Saddle move forward, neutral, and reverse lever

You guys have all been brilliant with advice and pictures. I can’t thank you all enough. Sorry if my questions are a little confused at times but I thank you for being understanding.

image 1: showing my markings for the 2 speed lever (Fast or slow) and Saddle move Lever marked as R,N,F for Reverse, Neutral, and Forward.

Image 2; showing the grey lever (Saddle selector lever) in the position to engage the Auto Saddle.feed

[Clive Brown 1Participant @clivebrown1]

No; the grey lever in the 2nd. pic. is nothing to do with the saddle feed. It's the lever to engage the back-gear, used in conjunction with your "fast/slow" lever in the 1st. pic.

The saddle feed is engaged using the half-nut lever on the front of the saddle, which isn't pictured. This is used in conjunction with the red-knob lever.

Edited By Clive Brown 1 on 23/04/2020 11:36:05

Edited By Clive Brown 1 on 23/04/2020 11:51:02

[Martin 100Participant @martin100]

While you can, with a suitable gear train feed longitudinally using the leadscrew, technically only the model a and model b lathes have an automatic feed.  That feature requires in the first instance a slot the length of the leadscrew and a different apron, one that has, in addition to the leadscrew nut lever two other controls, the clutch knob and the longitudinal / cross feed lever.

Boxford Model A & B Apron

See other images here

Boxford lathe article at lathes.co.uk

 

Edited By Martin 100 on 23/04/2020 11:56:08

[Steve Jones 20Participant @stevejones20]

Thanks Clive and Martin, Could you help me correctly name these levers as it's a nightmare for a novice.

[Clive Brown 1Participant @clivebrown1]

The red lever can be called the "tumbler reverse lever." The other two levers on the head-stock can be jointly called the "back-gear levers".

The lever on the saddle is the" half nut lever". This engages a split nut with the lead-screw and thus drives the saddle along when the lead-screw is rotating under the control of the tumbler reverse.

Hope that's clear.

[Martin 100Participant @martin100]

I'm sure the 'know your lathe' book would detail this but I don't have my copy to hand right now.

There is a copy floating around online, possibly in what was until recently the yahoo group

In the interim maybe this will help

Boxford Lathe Spares Diagrams

[Ronald MorrisonParticipant @ronaldmorrison29248]

Posted by Steve Jones 20 on 23/04/2020 10:52:28:

Now that I know where the correct position is with all the various levers all seems to be great so I can forget about a reversible motor to change the direction of the spindle as I don’t need that anyway now that I’m beginning to understand what I want to do with the lathe and how a lathe works.

You may not need the spindle to reverse now but being able to do so becomes a valuable tool if you need to make threads right up to a shoulder or threading into a blind hole. Being able to start at the shoulder and thread away from it is much easier and safer than trying to retract the threading bit while stopping the carriage advance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1DHKjMtdQw&t=2s

 

Edited By Ronald Morrison on 23/04/2020 12:04:53

[Steve Jones 20Participant @stevejones20]

Thanks Clive and Martin. I will endeavour to use the correct terminology in future. I do have a copy of "know your lathe" that a member sent me but at this moment in time some of it is like a Foreign language. Lol.

Naturally, I’m not an engineer tech guy but a beginner enthusiast. I will get there one day.

You guys are amazing – Thank you.

[Steve Jones 20Participant @stevejones20]

Thanks Ronald for that advice and Video link. I will have a look later at that. Much appreciated.

Edited By Steve Jones 20 on 23/04/2020 12:16:35

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

DO NOT move any of the levers on the headstock, (that's the big grey lump at the left hand end) while the lathe is running. After you change any lever check that everything is free to move by pulling by hand on the belt. Sometimes you have to do this to get the gear teeth to engage and to move the lever right across.
You will find that one combination of the grey lever (moved towards you) and the shiny knob on the front (positioned to the right) causes everything to lock up. Never use this combination for anything at all ever.

The red knob must not be moved when the lathe is running. It is not a stop lever for moving the saddle.

The lever on the front of the saddle is the one you are allowed to move up and down when the lathe is running. It is also the emergency stop for the saddle when it is moving automatically as it is instant while the motor may run on for a few seconds after turning off.

[Steve Jones 20Participant @stevejones20]

Thanks Bazyle (Safety point noted) I am good with the stopping the lathe before selecting another lever option and ensuring nothing is in the chuck or sitting loose on the lathe thanks to a lathe course I attended 43 years ago, This being my first time lathe operation since then.

Your help and advice is much appreciated.

[Johnboy25Participant @johnboy25]

I’ve read through the thread – I except I my have missed reading a similar reply but are you aware to change the direction of the lead screw or to put it into neutral, you need to release the lock-in pin mechanism by first of all pulling the direction change (red) knob towards the tailstock – with pressure exerted on the lever, move the lever up or down so that it moves the tumbler gear either out of neutral to mesh in the ‘forward’ or ‘reverse’ selection position. Something similar to the reverse gate on a car’s reverse gear selector. Hope this makes sense… 😳

P.S. The lathe MUST be in the stopped condition before operating any movement of the reversing lever.

 

Edited By Johnboy25 on 26/04/2020 23:51:26

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

Coming in late,

As you have already gathered, once you are familiar with what levers and knobs do, life will be so much easier.; and you avoid making mistakes that can be costly!

If you can find a Model Engineering Club near you, it will be worth joining. If you have a problem or query that needs face to face help, someone will be willing to help and demonstrate.

Whereabouts are you, roughly?

Just by hearing others talking, you will pick up wheezes that "will come in handy, one day"; just like all the materials that we squirrel away!.

Your lathe will enable yo to do all sorts of things that you probably never thought possible.

Enjoy yourself

Howard

[Steve Jones 20Participant @stevejones20]

Thank you Johnboy25 for your advise and knowledge on this subject. It's much appreciated.

[Steve Jones 20Participant @stevejones20]

Hi Howard Lewis, Yeah with every ones help here I'm getting better at knowing what to do. I live in Shropshire though I hadn't thought of joining a Model Engineering Club, so thanks for that, I need to have a look.

[Sam SpoonsParticipant @samspoons83065]

Sorry about the delay Steve Jones, I did not have email alerts active of PMs, now fixed……

Not sure if I can actually upload a video but here is a link. When the lead screw gear rotates clockwise the apron moves towards the headstock, anticlockwise and it moves away.

HTH

**LINK**

Edited By Sam Spoons on 07/05/2020 14:42:33

[Steve Jones 20Participant @stevejones20]

Thank you Sam Spoons for the video link, it's very good and highlights how i can use my boxford gears. Perfect.

[Sam SpoonsParticipant @samspoons83065]

You're welcome

[Steve Jones 20Participant @stevejones20]

Hi all, hope your keeping safe in these difficult times.

As you know I’ve been learning about my lathe and with the help and guidance from you guys I’ve managed to do a few little projects plus I managed to go on a lathe turning course.

I now want to try screw cutting but small bespoke sizes for example 0.7 which is a screw size for a Bugle I have which has no lead pipe tuning screw.

I also want to try to turn a bugle mouthpiece and would like to know if anyone knows the best tools for these two projects and any tips to achieve them.

Here are some pictures of the types of items I'm looking to create.

[SteviegtrParticipant @steviegtr]

Hi Steve. To turn your mouth piece it may help to grind some HSS bits to suit your profiles to turn. I.E to do the radius you could grind a blank with the radius you require. ETC ETC . Some one will be along shortly with a better description of making cutters for the type of work you are doing. From your posts it sounds like you are at last getting there. Regards .

Steve.

[Clive Brown 1Participant @clivebrown1]

The mouthpiece doesn't look too difficult. The radius could be made with a ground HSS form tool as suggested. Personally I'd favour a form tool from carbon steel which can be shaped by milling, drilling sawing and filing before being hardened. An good alternative for the radius could be hand-turning using a graver. For a one-off this has the advantage of simplicity.

For the screw, I can only suggest a silver-soldered assembly. The concavities in the finger plate will be difficult without very tedious hand filing, although fly-cutting  might just be possible, but requiring a tricky set-up. A flat piece of brass would do, apart from the aesthetics.

Edited By Clive Brown 1 on 02/11/2020 08:38:27

[Speedy Builder5Participant @speedybuilder5]

For the screw if you want make the thumb piece part of the screw, I would suggest that you machine the concave parts by "milling" or fly cutting whilst it is still part of the bar stock and before you turn down for the screw portion – if it doesn't go to plan, you could cut off the failure and try again without loosing too much material. You would have to support the bar stock onto the cross slide (Not sure if you have one with "T" slots) . Not such an easy thing to do if you don't have "T" slots. Not everyone wants to drill and tap some spare holes into the cross slide to hold work.

Also, when you screw cut, you may find it more rigid if you drill the end of the screw for a small centre.

[Sam SpoonsParticipant @samspoons83065]

A couple of thoughts. For milling a small workpiece in my Boxford (a 15mm round aluminium bar) I used my QC tool holder which also made it easy to centre the piece. However unless the screw needs to match one elsewhere on the instrument you could machine a knurled knob instead of the flat 'butterfly' thumb piece. Or mill a slot in the end of the screw and make a butterfly from flat sheet brass and solder it in place (a little like the pic below).

WRT the mouthpiece, the tricky bits would be the internal shaping of the cup, the profile of the rim and the taper of the backbore, the external parts (apart from the taper of the shank) are mainly cosmetic.

[Author]

Posts