Hi all, newbie with first lathe, rare one i think.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

A decent photo of the Gewindesschneide Tabelle would help … but [to me] it looks likely that the leadscrew is Englisch

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.

 

Credit: **LINK**

http://www.lathes.co.uk/union-werk/

MichaelG.

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 19/10/2021 10:46:47

[Dave HalfordParticipant @davehalford22513]

Which would be quite handy for a metric German naval vessel crew.

Makes you wonder about the story.

[DC31kParticipant @dc31k]

Posted by Dave Halford on 19/10/2021 11:26:41:

Which would be quite handy for a metric German naval vessel crew.

Makes you wonder about the story.

Yes. It is interesting to note that the two shown on the German site linked to above are also imperial – they are both gearbox models and the screwcutting charts are shown in the two discussion threads.

In one of the German site discussions, the poster says the bearings were marked GDR, so East German. However, that may have no relevance to dating this one.

[Pete RimmerParticipant @peterimmer30576]

Posted by Michael Gilligan on 19/10/2021 10:45:09:

A decent photo of the Gewindesschneide Tabelle would help … but [to me] it looks likely that the leadscrew is Englisch

.

.

Credit: **LINK**

http://www.lathes.co.uk/union-werk/

MichaelG.

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 19/10/2021 10:46:47

4 tpi leadscrew on that lathe Michael.

[Martin ConnellyParticipant @martinconnelly55370]

I wonder if the 6 threads comment is 5 pitches of the lead screw with the lands either side being counted from 1 to 6, with the 4TPI Pete says it has that would give a travel of 1.25"

Martin C

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Dave Halford on 19/10/2021 11:26:41:

Which would be quite handy for a metric German naval vessel crew.

Makes you wonder about the story.

.

Before the world went mad … Sir Joseph Whitworth’s system of threads was widely accepted.

Or example: We have recently confirmed [beyond reasonable doubt] that the Leica 39mm camera mount used 26tpi Whitworth-form thread [not 1mm].

MichaelG.

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 19/10/2021 14:11:49

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Martin Connelly on 19/10/2021 12:41:02:

I wonder if the 6 threads comment is 5 pitches of the lead screw with the lands either side being counted from 1 to 6, with the 4TPI Pete says it has that would give a travel of 1.25"

Martin C

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That was my assumption

It’s a classic error, which most of us have probably made at least once.

MichaelG.

[wayne ollerenshawParticipant @wayneollerenshaw89933]

I will redo the check again tonight. Will of been me and a newbie to the world of lathes making a mistake like that.

[DC31kParticipant @dc31k]

Posted by wayne ollerenshaw on 19/10/2021 14:09:40:

I will redo the check again tonight. Will of been me and a newbie to the world of lathes making a mistake like that.

As Herr Michael Gilligan suggests above, a photo of the Gewindesschneide Tabelle will mean you do not need to measure anything – the info. on the plate will tell you. Think of it like the label in your trousers – you do not need a tape measure to size them, you just look inside and see FB.

[wayne ollerenshawParticipant @wayneollerenshaw89933]

Posted by DC31k on 19/10/2021 14:26:54:

Posted by wayne ollerenshaw on 19/10/2021 14:09:40:

I will redo the check again tonight. Will of been me and a newbie to the world of lathes making a mistake like that.

As Herr Michael Gilligan suggests above, a photo of the Gewindesschneide Tabelle will mean you do not need to measure anything – the info. on the plate will tell you. Think of it like the label in your trousers – you do not need a tape measure to size them, you just look inside and see FB.

I jave a clear image here but cant download off my phone. I beleieve its good though from what I have been told. I'll do it tonight when I'm home.

[larry phelan 1Participant @larryphelan1]

She looks like a good solid machine, beautiful gearbox and a good solid bed.

May have been through the wars, but still plenty of fight left in her.

A good clean up will do wonders and she should give many happy hours turning.

At the risk of being nosey, what did she cost ?

[not done it yetParticipant @notdoneityet]

Posted by larry phelan 1 on 19/10/2021 15:28:40:

… At the risk of being nosey, what did she cost ?

A proverbial steal at less than £400 (plus shipping, of course).

You can see it running (but not at work) in this video:

VIDEO

Edited By not done it yet on 19/10/2021 15:52:40

[Brian WoodParticipant @brianwood45127]

The video shown by NDIY gives a lovely clear picture of the threading plate which, when frozen, confirms that the leadscrew is indeed of English pitch at 4TPI

No need for Wayne to post a picture, the information is all there

Brian

[wayne ollerenshawParticipant @wayneollerenshaw89933]

Posted by larry phelan 1 on 19/10/2021 15:28:40:

She looks like a good solid machine, beautiful gearbox and a good solid bed.

May have been through the wars, but still plenty of fight left in her.

A good clean up will do wonders and she should give many happy hours turning.

At the risk of being nosey, what did she cost ?

I am thinking on doing that. Well a basic dismantle clean etc. Dont really want to paint it ????

I paid £380, i only jumped at it as its a dam good price, well i thought and nont knowing much about lathes. and i was planning on spending well over a grand for a lathe next year or so. You could call it an impulse buy.

[wayne ollerenshawParticipant @wayneollerenshaw89933]

Here is the pic just incase.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by wayne ollerenshaw on 19/10/2021 17:31:11:

.

I paid £380, i only jumped at it as its a dam good price, well i thought and nont knowing much about lathes. and i was planning on spending well over a grand for a lathe next year or so. You could call it an impulse buy.

.

Looks like you made a very good buy, Wayne

Try not to find anything broken, though … Spares could be tricky to find.

MichaelG.

[wayne ollerenshawParticipant @wayneollerenshaw89933]

Posted by Michael Gilligan on 19/10/2021 17:50:21:

Posted by wayne ollerenshaw on 19/10/2021 17:31:11:

.

I paid £380, i only jumped at it as its a dam good price, well i thought and nont knowing much about lathes. and i was planning on spending well over a grand for a lathe next year or so. You could call it an impulse buy.

.

Looks like you made a very good buy, Wayne

Try not to find anything broken, though … Spares could be tricky to find.

MichaelG.

What can be broken easy though, gears can be made, there is one with three teeth half missing. not sure on what else can break easy, or with misuse.

But yes its a good bu i reckon

[wayne ollerenshawParticipant @wayneollerenshaw89933]

Ok then gears i have

25

40 with 2 off

42

45

46

50

55

64

70

76

100

plus whats on the lathe now, so looks like a full set ??

I turned the lead screw 10x and the bed moved 2.5" or near as dam but for 8 thou.

[Pete RimmerParticipant @peterimmer30576]

What gears are on the machine Wayne? The 25, 42,46 and 64 aren't part of the original set but you shoud have a pair of 50's and a pair of 20's.

[wayne ollerenshawParticipant @wayneollerenshaw89933]

Posted by Pete Rimmer on 19/10/2021 19:02:56:

What gears are on the machine Wayne? The 25, 42,46 and 64 aren't part of the original set but you shoud have a pair of 50's and a pair of 20's.

just did a quick removal and found

20 x two

35

45

65

80

plus lead screw one i which cant see the number.

[Brian WoodParticipant @brianwood45127]

You could make an intelligent guess at the one on the leadscrew by measuring the diameter and seeing what you do have that is about half that diameter.

You might be lucky and find it is 127 teeth in which case the metric side of the threading table also becomes available in the threads that the lathe can screw cut. The best result of course is to count the teeth, then you know for certain what it is and can mark it accordingly.

Brian

[wayne ollerenshawParticipant @wayneollerenshaw89933]

Posted by not done it yet on 17/10/2021 21:52:54:

Hi W.olly, welcome over here.🙂

Get the 2HP motor. Have you checked the threads on any of the bolts and measured the lead screw pitch (travel per rev) yet?

You won’t break it if you are careful. It is built like the proverbial brick bog.

Ipswich is a bit far for me, but I expect there are some nearer, who could give you some practical on-site advice- sort out your accessories and get that indexer working.

The better VFDs can be programmed for all manner of things.

Edited to add: Check the type of bearing on the headstock. If it is a plain bearing stick to the 1000rpm limit – well not much more. If a taper roller bearing, the main spindle could go much faster but the gearbox may not like it. It would be a shame to push it too hard.

Edited By not done it yet on 17/10/2021 22:04:10

okeydoke then. is the only way to check what bearings there is in there is to strip it ? cant see much otherwise.

[Brian WoodParticipant @brianwood45127]

I would be very reluctant at this stage in your knowledge of this lathe and it's potential habits to strip it down just to establish what sort of bearings the spindle runs in. Not only will you disturb any preload setting, without knowing what it should be set back to afterwards, but you run the risk of introducing foreign bodies into the bearings in taking it apart and putting it together.

Does it really matter that much what the bearings are? Spindle speeds are given on the information plate and I would stick to those as a guide to see how the lathe performs before any such invasive surgery.

Thus far I don't think you have cut any metal on it yet.

Brian

Edited By Brian Wood on 22/10/2021 17:54:13

[wayne ollerenshawParticipant @wayneollerenshaw89933]

Posted by Brian Wood on 22/10/2021 17:51:56:

I would be very reluctant at this stage in your knowledge of this lathe and it's potential habits to strip it down just to establish what sort of bearings the spindle runs in. Not only will you disturb any preload setting, without knowing what it should be set back to afterwards, but you run the risk of introducing foreign bodies into the bearings in taking it apart and putting it together.

Does it really matter that much what the bearings are? Spindle speeds are given on the information plate and I would stick to those as a guide to see how the lathe performs before any such invasive surgery.

Thus far I don't think you have cut any metal on it yet.

Brian

Edited By Brian Wood on 22/10/2021 17:54:13

I am just trying to get info for the lathe still, i have not yet touched it but for a clean down. rebuilding this cant be any harder than an engine which i can do, but yes the settings to rebuild it i still need to find out which is what i am trying to do still, very little info found still on these lathes. you dont ask you dont know, so its all gathering info for now.

I plan to get the new motor fitted first on a new cabinet i will building soon, then see how it runs. oh yes first new oil added once drained. i cant find a drain so it will be pumped out with a sump pump i have from when i serviced boat engines. what gets me is the vary in folks idea on what oil to use for the head stock.

[Brian WoodParticipant @brianwood45127]

OK, I understand you are gathering information, I guessed wrongly at your response re. spindle bearings.

I used 10W-50 oil in my recent restoration, a geared head lathe made in 1947 so not that unlike yours. Plain SAE 30 horticultural oil would also be a good choice. Avoid gear oils and very thin hydraulic oils, they would both be wrong for differing reasons.

Brian

Edit. Look underneath the headstock, there might be a drain plug there.

Edited By Brian Wood on 22/10/2021 19:23:18

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