Making a Carriage stop for a lathe

[Chris MateParticipant @chrismate31303]

Hi, Dave Wootton,

I originally wired two stops to switch off lathe, the one is for carriage with toolpost near chuck(Fixed).

Then a moveable one with sliding rod towards carriage from headstock-bed..I used this one in conjunction with a dial indicator. So if I overshoot the dial indicator mark slightly on repetition, the lathe switch off and need to be reset, in series with all safety switches.

None of these cover you if you move the topslide or change tool in toolpost while you in this current operation, so one has to be aware of anything moving towards each other all the time.

Actually I feel somebody new shoulod practice these spacial awareness possibilities with the lathe power unplugged, so you just realise the possibilities up front ….

[SteviegtrParticipant @steviegtr]

Well guys & gals. Thank you for all the comments that my video attracted. It is difficult for me to do a sum up , because.

1st off . I love to make things in my little mancave. With my little lathe & milling machine. I also like to show the stuff i make for anyone that may be interested. Oh yes some folk are. Well i have 600 such people who do watch my terrible video's.

My aim is not at the absolute pro's out there like the threaded rod no gearbox lathes. It was a problem with having the QCGB fitted & with the limited room available.

Most of the responders do not have the gearbox so it is easy to make a & in some cases a terrible hash of a 10 min assembly.

The whole point of my video's are not about anything serious. It is just entertainment.

I.E as one posted Show the finished product. 2.5 secs & it's done. Well if i watched a film on TV & it showed the plane crashed or whatever then the film is over before it starts.

This video was over 3 parts of which i am sure many did not fully watch.

I am subscribed to 100's of channels on youtube. Some are not so good like mine & some are great to watch. The odd thing is that i have had a lot of comments , saying it looks great. But no one on this forum can acknowledge that i have made something good.

Weird really.

Dave SOD. You made a comment about materials used. You should know by now that I make the things I make as cheap as possible. So if i had planned & made a bill of materials for the project, Which i could not do as i build as i go. Then I would end up buying all sorts of stock with a once only value. Meaning a draw full of unused stock left over. This project actually cost in materials £1.97. That was for the handle. Everything else was given to me by my many friends. Who we share anything we have with each other.

I know if I were to build a special steam engine or IC etc . Then i would need to buy the appr stock. But when only making gadgets , surely the cheaper the better. You must remember i need all my spare cash to buy the 99 oct fuel for the bike & car.

Oh & guys i would like to take this opportunity to announce that as of Yesterday. I have past my Pilots licence.

Dave also i do not kid when i say a lot of members will not post. I did not mean flack in that sense. You must remember that the bulk of members on this forum are aged. Like me past there sell by date. So can be very sensitive. If someone as i used to do asked a question . The answer is always available on this furom through some very clever people. But as the thread escalates some answer can be a little belitteling. So the poster will not ask again. You may not acknowledge this but I can assure you it happens. I have the P.M's to prove it.

Please don't get me wrong this forum is fantastic. The likes of Jason & Neil + many more moderators make this probably the best place for any kind of information related to model engineering.

So you see i digressed again as i do in my video's . I'm off to fly my Drone now.

We are away to the Canaries in a few weeks but not sure Jet2 will let my fly the plane.

Don't forget to like & subscribe to my free channel.

Just joking , not really.

Steve.

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Good on you Stevie. As long as you are happy in your man cave, that's all that matters at the end of the day. And congrats on getting your pilots license. That's a major achievement, especially in our age bracket. Home built aircraft on the horizon?

[Dave WoottonParticipant @davewootton]

Hi Chris

I think I misunderstood your requirement for the carriage stop in that I use mine more as a means of machining to length accurately than as a safety feature. Although I do use it as a safety feature on occasions, typically when working very close to the chuck.

I served a very old fashioned apprenticeship where doing something daft on a machine had a twofold danger, the initial disaster immediately followed by a clump round the earhole!

Dave

[not done it yetParticipant @notdoneityet]

I've not seen the video, but might relent and have a peek at this one. I expect I will be in agreement with most of the comments.

I have, in the past pointed out some shortcomings that were obvious, even to me.

I am lucky in that my 60 year old (myford era) hobby lathe was built with an auto trip on the long travel. I use it a LOT.

Personally I would not, for several good reasons, make and put up videos on youtube. There are already far too many videos out there that can mislead the unknowing. Most watch videos in the hope of learning something – and can often take them as gospel, thus perpetuating poor practice.

I’ve seen sandwich boxes touted as enclosures for mains voltage kit (and installed outside without any further protection!). That one sticks in my memory but there are many others. Having worked, for most of my life, with potentially lethal chemicals, potentially lethal machinery, etc – and been safety officer at a few events – I am particularly aware when risky operations being carried out.

I’ve experienced a very wide spectrum of safety in my 70+ years – farming with little more than oneself taking care of one’s own safety, even to learning some of the practicalities of aircraft design and safety. Where machining metals is concerned I am still a learner. In fact, I’m still a learner in virtually everything I do!

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Posted by not done it yet on 21/02/2022 08:48:31:..

…

I’ve experienced a very wide spectrum of safety in my 70+ years – farming with little more than oneself taking care of one’s own safety, even to learning some of the practicalities of aircraft design and safety. Where machining metals is concerned I am still a learner. In fact, I’m still a learner in virtually everything I do!

Yes funny isn't it. None of us know anywhere near as much as we did when we were 20.

[Neil LickfoldParticipant @neillickfold44316]

My S7 does not have any area like your lathe does for the stop as you have described. My only way , is going to have to make a block to the bottom of the leadscrew cover bracket. Will take pics and show what I make to help with those who have the older models like myself of a S7. Mine is from 1972 as best as I can tell.

Neil

[SteviegtrParticipant @steviegtr]

It would seem this item will not fit every version of the Myford 7 lathe

Here is a photo for those not wishing to watch the build. The serial No indicates 1975 to 1979 era.

Steve.

.

Edited By Steviegtr on 21/02/2022 09:59:40

[Neil LickfoldParticipant @neillickfold44316]

Mine does not have the sold extra material on the saddle casting like your one does. For sliding things I made , I have just draw filed or milled a flat where the locking screw sits. Mainly as the things I was sliding needed to be orientated and it gave more area for set screw to lock against. I like the way that the brass piece is the fine adjustment. To make a semi locking device on threaded items, I have cut a slot and used a small piece of Oring material to create the locking resistance. On bolts that need the nylock type feature I insert a piece of weed trimmer line nylon.

Neil

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

Neat designs! I like that " Myford Look " on Hopper's example.

I treated my ML7 to a second-hand gearbox, so that affects how I would go about it, but I've sometimes wangled a simple stop using an oddment of steel bar held to the bed with the clamp borrowed from the fixed steady.

It works OK, with the felt-holder screw-heads as the contact points, provided I brush the swarf away more frequently so it doesn't clog the stop. (If it did, it would at least err on the side of safety of turned length.)

The "oddment" was a simple clamp-bar for holding one of my machine-vices to the milling-machine – if an accessory made for one task can easily be used / adapted for a second task without compromising its first, that's "Two For The Price Of One" !

'

Regarding the gearbox, this is the earlier pattern with the shortened lead-screw driven on the right-hand side of the box. I gave the screw a double-length key-way for the pinion so that can be drawn out of engagement, avoiding having to wind all that machinery round when using the lead-screw hand-wheel.

[egaParticipant @ega]

Posted by Nigel Graham 2 on 01/03/2022 22:18:21:…

…

Regarding the gearbox, this is the earlier pattern with the shortened lead-screw driven on the right-hand side of the box. I gave the screw a double-length key-way for the pinion so that can be drawn out of engagement, avoiding having to wind all that machinery round when using the lead-screw hand-wheel.

I have the later gear box whose selection lever on top of the box has intermediate "neutral" positions. I assume from your ingenious modification that the earlier box does not have this feature?

[SteviegtrParticipant @steviegtr]

Posted by ega on 01/03/2022 22:56:56:

Posted by Nigel Graham 2 on 01/03/2022 22:18:21:…

…

Regarding the gearbox, this is the earlier pattern with the shortened lead-screw driven on the right-hand side of the box. I gave the screw a double-length key-way for the pinion so that can be drawn out of engagement, avoiding having to wind all that machinery round when using the lead-screw hand-wheel.

I have the later gear box whose selection lever on top of the box has intermediate "neutral" positions. I assume from your ingenious modification that the earlier box does not have this feature?

I don't think it does.

Steve.

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Posted by Nigel Graham 2 on 01/03/2022 22:18:21:

Neat designs! I like that " Myford Look " on Hopper's example.

…'

Regarding the gearbox, this is the earlier pattern with the shortened lead-screw driven on the right-hand side of the box. I gave the screw a double-length key-way for the pinion so that can be drawn out of engagement, avoiding having to wind all that machinery round when using the lead-screw hand-wheel.

Thanks. I thought it was worth five minutes on the belt sander/linisher to make it blend in. Shame about the bright zinc plated cheapo threaded bar though!

I have the same issue using the graduated leadscrew handwheel on my change gear model ML7. Have to pull off the cover and remove two gears to free up the leadscrew for hand use. I got used to using the leadscrew handwheel on my Drummond, which has a leadscrew dog clutch for instant disengage. Very handy for measuring tool movement on the x axis and when using the vertical slide, and for rough turning before using the fine auto feed for finishing. Much steadier than using the carriage handwheel.

So my next (proposed, on the round tuit list) project will be to make and fit a leadscrew dog clutch based on the ML10 method of a sliding sleeve over the leadscrew, which has been cut. As in pic of ML10 below. But I reckon I will add the Drummond style knock off bar along the bed so it can be used as an auto stop when cutting up to a shoulder etc, or even when screwcutting IF the TPI is a multiple of the leadscrew, so 8, 16, 24, 32 and 40tpi etc.

ML10:

I figure for the ML7 I will add a support bearing (sintered bronze bush) bracket over to the right of the sliding clutch sleeve. I don't like the idea of the sleeve supporting the weight of the full length of the leadscrew. Although, it seems to work on the ML10. I'm not sure if the ML10 is the same length as the ML7. Maybe it's shorter?

[SteviegtrParticipant @steviegtr]

Some good mods coming out of this thread.

Clever guys

Steve.

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

Steviegtr –

It has a sort of neutral position, but it does not seem to be by design. So turning the lead-screw from its handle still drives some of the gears, adding quite a load to the action.

This pattern of gear-box does have the disadvantage that it restricts the approach of the saddle to the headstock. It's not a problem when using the chuck but can be when using a direct spindle collet.

' ' '

Incidentally, there is an "unofficial" spindle neutral on the geared headstock of my Harrison L5 lathe = a "sweet spot" on the range lever disconnects the spindle completely, e.g.for centering 4-jaw and faceplate work. It is not by design!

[Martin KyteParticipant @martinkyte99762]

Here is a design I bought from Myford.

regards Martin

[Anthony KnightsParticipant @anthonyknights16741]

Not a Myford, but my mini lathe.

[Richard MillingtonParticipant @richardmillington63972]

I have two carriage stops for my lathe, one is std and makes a clutch slip in the apron. The other one I put on the carriage stop which operates a micro switch to add a braked stop from the vfd for when screw cutting.

[Sam Longley 1Participant @samlongley1]

I apreciate that one should not put items for sale in the threads but as the subject on hand is stops I thought that I would cheat ( If I can get away with it!!) & say that I have one of these for sale for £ 80-00 plus P & P

It is quite heavy

[Terry KirkupParticipant @terrykirkup37827]

Here's mine. I thought I'd avoid any flack by not showing the 45 second video I didn't make of me drilling and tapping one 8mm hole.

[JourneymanParticipant @journeyman]

This is my version for WM250

Details of build *** HERE *** but no video!

John

[Danny M2ZParticipant @dannym2z]

For a mini-lathe it is not too difficult to wire a micro-switch into the chuck guard stop circuit as an over-run switch.

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

Stops that switch the motor off….

Fine in theory but I would be wary of using it with a VFD as it would seem to emulate the Emergency Stop action, not recommended for the sake of the electronics.

At least I would suggest seeking the manufacturer's advice before making any such system.

The switches on machine-guards are to prevent you starting the machine with the guard open, not for stopping it.

[GreensandsParticipant @greensands]

This is my answer to a gearbox fitted Myford S7 making use of the tapped hole provided for the oiler. It has provided satsfactory service over many tears.

[SteviegtrParticipant @steviegtr]

Hey Greensands. That looks great. Not seen one like that before.

Steve.

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