Help setting up Clarke 500m

[Stuart Cox 3Participant @stuartcox3]

Posted by Steviegtr on 27/12/2020 14:16:43:

Hi Stuart , you sound just like i did some months ago when i 1st got my lathe. You'll get there no problem.

So on the lathe bed is a carriage which traverses left & right with the main feedscrew you mention.

On top of the carriage is mounted the cross slide which pans across the carriage.

On top of the cross slide is mounted your compound. Or anything else you care to fit on there.

Don't fret over parting off. I am pretty useless at it myself. Getting better slowly. Lots of youtube video's of people who have done mods to them. Just saw one guy who made the gear holder longer, for doing more varied threads. I had to stop watching it , as his camera was so bobbly i started to feel woozy. Good luck with you new venture.

Steve.

Thanks for the encouragement Steve

Stuart

[martin perman 1Participant @martinperman1]

Stuart,

Re threading, from experience I would suggest you do the following, obviously select the correct gears for the TPI, set your chuck speed to the minimum rpm of 200 and when you place your metal in the chuck give your self plenty of space between the end of the thread and the chuck because your going to do three things very quickly 1. stop the lathe 2. wind the crosslide back away from the job, remembering how many turns you wound the crossslide back and 3. put the lathe in reverse and send the saddle back to the beginning remembering not to disengage the saddle feed.

Betwwen 1 and 2 you will be amazed how far your tool will travel towards the chuck whilst coming to a stop.

I have gone down the VFD route because 200 rpm is to quick, I've not fitted it yet but its fairly straight forward.

Martin P

[Stuart Cox 3Participant @stuartcox3]

Posted by martin perman on 27/12/2020 15:58:47:

Stuart,

Re threading, from experience I would suggest you do the following, obviously select the correct gears for the TPI, set your chuck speed to the minimum rpm of 200 and when you place your metal in the chuck give your self plenty of space between the end of the thread and the chuck because your going to do three things very quickly 1. stop the lathe 2. wind the crosslide back away from the job, remembering how many turns you wound the crossslide back and 3. put the lathe in reverse and send the saddle back to the beginning remembering not to disengage the saddle feed.

Betwwen 1 and 2 you will be amazed how far your tool will travel towards the chuck whilst coming to a stop.

I have gone down the VFD route because 200 rpm is to quick, I've not fitted it yet but its fairly straight forward.

Martin P

Thanks Martin, can I ask what VFD set up you used and where you got it?

Stuart

[Author]

Posts