Myford Retracting Topslide

[flatlineParticipant @flatline]

Hi,

 

Regarding the Hemmingway Myford Retracting Topslide has there ever been an article covering this kit in MEW magazine??

 

TIA 😎🇬🇧👍

 

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[DC31kParticipant @dc31k]

If you peruse the Hemingway product description, you learn that it was designed by George Thomas. He somewhat pre-dated MEW.

Its description may have appeared in ME and you can search the online index to find the details.

It is also described in Thomas’ book.

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

Done mine nearly 20 years ago and have never regretted it. It does benefit from careful machining and none of it is very difficult IMHO.

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

The book Model Engineers Workshop Manual by GH Thomas has full drawings and instructions. Available from Tee Publishing.  It is a revised and edited version of the series of Model Engineer articles he did in the 1980s. Lots of other great stuff in the book too. Well worth having.

[John PurdyParticipant @johnpurdy78347]

The original article was in ME Vol. #147 1981 issues # 3653 to 3692 and as Hopper says it is also in his “Model Engineers Workshop Manual” book. Like Bernard I made mine many years ago (from the Hemingway kit) and have never regretted it. As he says, requires some careful machining but is not difficult. Makes screw cutting much faster and more error free. I also highly recommend modifying the topslide with his dowel pin and lock (shows in the pic).

John

[Martin KyteParticipant @martinkyte99762]

Hemmingway do comprehensive drawings and a copy of GHT’s instructions from the book. I’m just building a non retract version for GHT’s 4 way tool post to live on. Did the retracting one a while back. I have a new square style Myford top slide casting and have just made a gib strip for it. I modified GHT’s dowelling arrangement as I decided to omit the dimples for the adjusting screws. I fitted 2 dowels between the outer pairs of screws with the clamp screw in the middle pair. My thinking was that with the dowels the dimples really don’t serve much purpose and it’s a lot of faff to drill them through the existing threaded holes.

I find the major advantage of the project is the larger and lockable micrometer.

Have fun with making it.

regards Martin

[Martin KyteParticipant @martinkyte99762]

I see John Purdy has also built the cross slide micrometer too.

Martin

[John PurdyParticipant @johnpurdy78347]

After doing the top slide I found the new micrometer collar such a pleasure to use that I made the one for the cross slide as per GHT’s instructions, including the thrust washers. It’s a vast improvement over the original. It’s so much easier to use. It can be set with one hand, lock the screw with a 1/4 turn of the small lever on the right. half a turn CCW of the knurled knob at the front to unlock the collar, set the collar to “0” ( or whatever), re-lock the collar with the knurled knob, and release the screw lock. No more trying to hold the cross slide handle so it doesn’t move with one hand while you fight with the collar against the tensioning spring to set it with the other. I wouldn’t be without it.

As a bonus, being larger they are much easier to read, especially the top slide one.

John

[Martin KyteParticipant @martinkyte99762]

<p style=”text-align: left;”>Nice example. I did the cross slide micrometer with the Graham Meek modification which allows the lead screw to telescope inside the unit controlled by a cap head screw. The idea is that when using the taper turning attachment all that is required is to loosen the cap head screw and then the slide has enough free play. It is a lot better than removal of the screws holding the end bracket which leaves the lead screw vulnerable to knocks. It does mean the positive lock is lost but a friction washer on the larger mic diameter works very well.
regards Martin</p>

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