indexing head lathe

[Danni BurnsParticipant @danniburns84841]

Hi there

I need some way of indexing my lathe chuck (CL500M). It would also be handy if it locked.

I’m sure this has been done many times before, but I can’t find a search function here.

Any ideas? (links/pics)? Thanks

Danni

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

You could make up a form of Mandrel Handle to carry a 60T gear and some form of locking.

You could then index in 6 degree increments. (A 36T gear would give 10 degree intervals)

A  90T gear would give 4 degree intervals.

Just choose a gear to provide what you need.

If you really want get complicated, add another gear, say 59T or 61T so that you have a vernier adjustment.

Or make up a worm to suit the wheel, and use division plates. A 90T gear and suitable worm would allow you to use the dividing plates (and chart) from a Rotary Table such as the Vertex HV6 (Soba probably do a set as well)

Howard

[Danni BurnsParticipant @danniburns84841]

Sorry if my request above is a tad lacking/cryptic.

Im looking to index the chuck for manual work on a turned/chucked part.

I have just found this v-cheap plate. I am wondering if I can use this in any way; e.g. attached to the headstock spindle.

[noel shelleyParticipant @noelshelley55608]

Howards post on the use of change wheels works well, once you have made the attachment you can use which ever wheel gives you the division you need. Noel.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

The gear method suggested works just like that plate. Mount to spindle and index the teeth or holes with some form of indent pin. Without knowing the size of the plate hard to say if it could be fitted or not. But like the gears an expanding arbor in the back end of the spindle and a flange to mount the plate to should work.

Some people also drill a series of holes around the chuck back plate

[Danni BurnsParticipant @danniburns84841]

Thank you Howard

I should have guessed you’d have a solution right off the bat.

Do you have a link/pic?

and Thanks Jason

[old martParticipant @oldmart]

The Atlas 12 x 24 at the museum has the bull gear drilled with 60 holes and an indexing pin can lock the spindle. 60 is a useful number because it divides by 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, 15, 20 and 30.

A lot of users are able to drill holes around the circumference of their chuck backplate for indexing if they have the use of a mill and rotary table. The rotary table indexing discs could be attached to the left end of a lathes spindle and give a large number of choices.

[DiogenesParticipant @diogenes]

‘mood board’ articles ?

https://mikesworkshop.weebly.com/60-position-index-wheel.html

https://mikesworkshop.weebly.com/headstock-indexing-unit.html

https://www.cgtk.co.uk/metalwork/minilathe/dividingetc

..IIRC there’s probably also something here too..

http://www.homemetalshopclub.org/news/article_sort.htm

 

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

A dividing-plate is only useful if its hole-counts give the divisions you are likely to need. Their primary purpose is for gear-cutting, when you sometimes need awkward and even prime-number tooth-counts.

Most pitch-circles and polygons in mechanical engineering use multiples of 2, 3 and more rarely, 5.  A 24-division system will probably cover most work other than 5-based and some gears (2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12); 30-divs gives 2, 3, 5s multiples.

A 60-division reference will give all those except 8-based.

A common method uses a change-wheel on the spindle, and a detent, so you have a very wide range of possible divisions.

[John HinkleyParticipant @johnhinkley26699]

As an alternative …..

I have made a couple of fixtures to index the chuck on my lathe by one degree increments.  Two fixtures, in fact.  The first was produced using a CNC router on black Perspex® for my then lathe – an Asian 9 x 20 machine.  The build is documented in a series of four videos on YouTube, starting here.

A lot can be fast-forwarded to get the idea. (according to the stats, that’s what a lot of viewers do, anyway!)

I’ve subsequently sold both the lathe and the router, but have acquired a mini lathe for which I’ve redesigned the indexer for its smaller (100mm Ø) chuck.  This was 3D printed and the project is introduced in this ‘ere video.

Although I’ve printed it out and trial-fitted it to the lathe, it’s not quite complete, nor is it on video ‘in the flesh’ so to speak.

There are always more than one way to skin a cat and I’m a firm believer in  “why do it simply when, with a little effort, you can complicate matters beyond all reasonable grounds.”  It was done as much as a training exercise for me in the use of 3D CAD and the router and latterly, the 3D printer as much as any practical use.  Needless to say, I have never used the indexer for anything!  I just built it because I wanted to, and had the means to do it!

John

 

[Danni BurnsParticipant @danniburns84841]

Thank you Diogenes & Nigel

Thanks John

Just checked out your clips. Interesting but I don’t have as many toys as you.

I think its safe to say – it’s gonna be another painful side project, where I forget what I actually needed it for.

I see a rear-end solution on youtube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xauJcjrINy0), which is what Howards etc. are referring to.

I guess the design (front or rear) comes down to where I can best/easiest attach an indexing plunger, without modifying the machine.

[Author]

Posts