Elliott Omnimill 00 axial spindle lock ideas

[Wade BeattyParticipant @wadebeatty78296]

There are times when being able to lock the spindle in a fixed position (axially) would be very handy. Has anyone come up with a clever (or not so clever) locking arrangement?

Happy New Year to all

 

Wade

[DC31kParticipant @dc31k]

Please link to a page showing a picture of the machine, and if that page is on lathes.co.uk, please indicate the caption written under the picture.

Every vertical head I see on lathes.co.uk appears to have a quill lock on it from the factory. Does that mean that you have a different arrangement or that by ‘axial’ you want something that will stop the spindle rotating?

If that is the case, have a look at a quick release bicycle seat post clamp. That would clamp around the projecting nose of the spindle and a pin projecting from it could engage with a hole drilled into the underside of the depth stop rod.

[Wade BeattyParticipant @wadebeatty78296]

https://www.lathes.co.uk/elliott-omnimil-00/

 

 

 

[Wade BeattyParticipant @wadebeatty78296]

the quick release bike seat lock is a great idea, thank you.

I have removed the depth stop for the brace seen in this photo but a quick clamp could have a pin going up to engage and lock it.

 

[DC31kParticipant @dc31k]

The head brace you have there gives you opportunity (space) to enhance a simple lock. You could also locate it on the left side as it would have no connection to the depth stop.

You might be able to add some rotational adjustment to it so you can clamp the spindle near enough and then dial it in exactly using a pair of opposed screws pressing on the pin.

It strikes me that if you wanted two different angular positions of the spindle, a known number of degrees apart, you could connect the spindle to a zero’d rotary table, loosen the clamp, rotate the RT and reclamp.

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