Stringer EW lathe

[IanTParticipant @iant]

So the two 'holes' in front are not actually part of the headstock casting Justin? There are just two long "shim" pieces (with two holes in each?) – it's just that they look like part of the castings from your photo…

Anyway – My headstocks are not shimmed (I'm wondering whether these are not actually shims but some kind of 'bracket' strips placed there to support something else). You are obviously aware that if you overtighten the headstock bearings too much, you might crack them – so I wouldn't worry (at all) about holding the "shims" tight – just adjust for a free running spindle and be very careful not to over tighten the bearings.

I must admit, I haven't touched my EW bearings but on my Rollo, I used to clamp the bearings just enough to feel a slight tightness/friction in the spindle and then back the screws off just a tad. Oil the bearings first if you've cleaned them.

Regards,

 

IanT

Edited By IanT on 19/07/2017 23:21:47

[Paul White 3Participant @paulwhite3]

Justin, Ian.

Thanks for the explanation. Ian's post says it all, the truth of the old saying about pictures and words comes to mind.

My guess was that the holes were for pin location on some sort of hinged guard over the pulley, embryo H&S.

The log in and password proceedure on this site is most unstable and very annoying…

Regards to both

Paul.

[Justin BennettsParticipant @justinbennetts65988]

Hello Ian and Paul ! Yes I only just nip them up until I feel the spindle binding then back off a touch as you said

It all feels very smooth the spindle is unmarked as are both headstock castings ! Remarkable for something that is 70

Years old,I'm just off into the garage to weld a bracket on my countershaft frame so I can tension the belt properly that's if the modern style fuse box will behave and not trip the entire house every 2 seconds! Wish me luck

Regards Justin

[IanTParticipant @iant]

Justin – the EW is not only a very solid little machine but was also (mainly) sold to model engineers and other hobbyists. This can be an advantage in terms of a machines longevity

Most of the surviving examples have probably a) been generally well cared for and b) not really heavily used over that length of time. Larger machines are much more likely to have served most of their time in Industry (in some form of commercial production role) where heavy wear is much more likely and 'care' perhaps not always present. I use my EW fairly regularly but it's certainly not running all day, every day and it's seems in good order. Your EW has probably had a similar life and it also seems someone has taken good care of it – as I'm sure you will.

Anyway you asked, so – Good Luck!

Regards,

IanT

[Paul White 3Participant @paulwhite3]

Justin.

I have laboured the advantage of having a clutch in the drive line of the EW. (see my posts) , as you are working on the countershaft now would be a good time to consider such a fitment.

regards

Paul.

[Justin BennettsParticipant @justinbennetts65988]

Hello Paul ' I've been in the garage today spent hours fabricating brackets bushes and all sorts ! The welder would not play ball during the week but I am on my own tomorrow so no washing machine or oven on so I'm hoping the fuse box will be kind and let me turn the welder up to the settings I need? I've looked at the clutch on your lathe and others but feel I just need to get mine up and running and learn and then go back and improve on things when the need comes! I will post some pictures up tommorow

Regards Justin

[Justin BennettsParticipant @justinbennetts65988]

Update on my lathe I made the countershaft mounted the motor and got it running' initially it was cutting rough then smoothed out after a few mins so was very pleased and went to bed 'this afternoon eagerly went into the garage and all I got was very rough cuts and lots of chatter! Very annoying ! I have put some pics up in my album but of course there upside down again? Why? I should point out that I'm using old belts could this be the problem?

Regards Justin

[IanTParticipant @iant]

It might be Justin – but I'd probably check a few other things first.

I try to work methodically on the possible cause of the 'fault'. So I change just one thing at a time and note any change and/or improvement – if you change multiple things in one go – it's very hard to know what's really going on. The EW can do very nice work but is still a relatively small lathe. So I'd work through these things, one by one.

a) Is the tool height on centre b) are you running too fast (chatter) c) is the tool sharp and have the required clearances d) is the work (or tool) over-extended e) are the gibs set correctly f) is there any lateral movement of the spindle (not the split bearing adjustment – the one on the back of the spindle) g) is the work material itself the problem (e.g. are you using free turning steel/brass or something unknown out the skip….)  and so on…

You may have checked these areas already but generally when I'm not getting the results I expect, these are usually the main culprits….

Regards,

 

IanT

Edited By IanT on 27/07/2017 18:48:42

[Justin BennettsParticipant @justinbennetts65988]

Hi Ian spindle was at lowest speed on pulleys no back gear tool height spot on with new cutter,I've just been out and checked for end float and I can feel movement only a fraction but that could be it ? Should there be any end float ?

The belts are also no good they are breaking up so I will replace them as well ,yesterday I turned a 20mm piece off round alloy bar and the finish was perfect nice curly pieces of swarf all over the workbench ! I'm on holiday for 2 weeks as of tommorow so will not be able to try adjusting things etc! Will be thinking about it on the beach!

Regards Justin

[IanTParticipant @iant]

Like many things on this type of machine Justin – screw the adjusting nut till the spindle starts to bind and then back off just a bit. There shouldn't be noticeable end play but the spindle must be free. If alloy turns well but steel is more of a problem, try getting some free cutting (leaded) steel to try but be sure to check your gib adjustments too. Check them for tightness/movement with the feed screws removed.

Have a good holiday.

Regards,

IanT

[smfParticipant @smf]

Hello all – I'm sorry for resurrecting an old thread. I've recently acquired an EW lathe which I hope to get up and running in the next few weeks. It's the model D version with back gear and screw cutting, and a swathe of accessories, some OEM, some homemade – 3 jaw chuck, 4 jaw chuck, vertical slide, full change gear set, OEM countershaft, etc.. It seems to be in pretty good condition, although there are a couple of issues. The bed has had a slot and hole cut in it, probably for bolting the vertical slide down as the holes seem to line up. This needs some cosmetic tidying up. Someone has taken a grinder to the 'EW' on the bed in order to mount a saddle stop and again this needs some tidying up. The OEM boring table has been converted to be the cross slide and the original cross slide to the top slide (which is now missing). The faceplate is also missing, although I've a spare backplate and so will have to make something up. The method of mounting the top slide doesn't seem to me to be ideal – two small clamps fit into the T-slots, but they are only accessible to tighten over a very limited range. I'll have to think about this, although it should only be an issue for cutting tapers. On the plus side are the various accessories, including a version of Martin Cleeve's independent saddle feed. Talking of Martin Cleeve, is the list of EW-related articles someone mentioned some while back complete? I've printed off the Exactus articles that someone posted. I'm looking forward to getting this lathe back in work again.

Here are some pictures:

Stephen

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

My EW is the plain-bed version, was second-hand when my Dad bought it for my 18th birthday-present, ooh, err, last century; but I was delighted to learn many years later, from 'lathes.co', that its has all the original fittings and extras except the change-wheel guard, which the photos suggest was a casting.

The EW lathes were not fitted with clutches on the drives, and the lead-screw was permanently engaged for both feed and screw-cutting. NB: the change-wheel set supplied is not suitable or intended for power-feed, only screw-cutting.

I don't find screw-cutting to a shoulder to be too much of a problem – though I might baulk at large batches. I simply turn the machine by hand, using the big pulley on the countershaft as a (rather mucky) handle. With the motor unplugged of course! (And the motor belt loosened to reduce the effort needed.)

'

I do have a budget QCTP that just about fits but long before such things were available made a set of little tool-holders from short lengths of rectangular BMS bar, to hold tool bits ground from worn-out centre-drills and the like. The tool-holes are inclined, giving easy though limited height adjustment.

'

Watch out for the T-slots. They are thin, and one on my vertical slide, for which I made a rather crude but effective vice, came complete with a piece broken out. Rather than separate T- nuts I made T-strips to distribute the load along the slot.

Another point regarding the vertical slide. It is meant to fit on the boring-table, of course, but its single central bolt is not conducive to keeping square-ness of setting, nor to fair stresses on the T-slots. Not believing in modifications to the original metalwork other than for repairs, I made two L-shaped steel blocks each clamped by two T-bolts to the table, forming a 3-sided "nest" abutting against the (OEM) machined body of the slide.

'

Presently my EW is resting – a Myford ML7 does most of the work, a Harrison L5 is there for the bigger stuff; an Axminster "Micro-lathe" awaits a suitable bench.

It is resting though because the spindle and headstock castings are worn to the extent you can see the chuck "jump" when applying a cut, and it reveals what if anything is the weak point of this otherwise fine little lathe – others might find this too.

The spindle runs directly in the castings; and they are not very thick-walled.

The "obvious" solution is to bore out the castings, turn the spindle down, and insert a thin-walled bush, split to match the original adjustment, Unfortunately there is very little metal available for removal from either without weakening the headstock or compromising the spindle's fine-pitch thread for its retaining/ adjusting nuts. I investigated commercially-made bearing-bushes, but found none thin-walled enough to use without creating serious problems.

I think all I can do is combine line-boring the headstocks with skimming the spindle, but removing only just enough for very thin-walled bushes turned from leaded gun-metal – that material as the spindle is not hardened. I would have to rebore and sleeve the heftier tailstock casting too, to ensure concentricity as much as to correct its own wear.

Thinking how to bore two castings with slots cut along them, I realised I would have to make cast-iron – or possibly aluminium – shims to fill the slots and give nearly-uninterrupted cuts.

The spindle's thrust-flange had also worn a recess in the headstock-face, but I made a thrust-washer with a tiny anti-rotation pin locating in the adjustment slot, to overcome that.

'

Chromed handles, as mentioned right back several pages ago? The handles on my example show no sign of ever having been plated, even allowing for years of wear. I don't deny they might have been at least on some of these lathes, though, and the 1940s-50s were a great time for finishing all sort of machines in black-crackle paint and chrome.

SMF–

At least yours came with the original countershaft!

Pity someone thought fit to put that hole in the bed, and I wonder why whoever did it, wanted the vertical-slide in a fixed location anyway.

I did not know Stringer made a gap-bed version of this lathe.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Nigel Graham 2 on 12/07/2020 00:45:35:

[…]

Presently my EW is resting – a Myford ML7 does most of the work, a Harrison L5 is there for the bigger stuff; an Axminster "Micro-lathe" awaits a suitable bench.

It is resting though because the spindle and headstock castings are worn to the extent you can see the chuck "jump" when applying a cut, and it reveals what if anything is the weak point of this otherwise fine little lathe – others might find this too.

The spindle runs directly in the castings; and they are not very thick-walled.

The "obvious" solution is to bore out the castings, turn the spindle down, and insert a thin-walled bush, split to match the original adjustment, Unfortunately there is very little metal available for removal from either without weakening the headstock or compromising the spindle's fine-pitch thread for its retaining/ adjusting nuts. I investigated commercially-made bearing-bushes, but found none thin-walled enough to use without creating serious problems.

I think all I can do is […]

.

Just a thought, Nigel …

Another option would be to make a significantly smaller diameter spindle, and bush the headstock to suit.
You already have bigger capacity lathes available, so perhaps the EW could be usefully adapted to suit more delicate work.

MichaelG.

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

This message might appear twice – I apologise if it does.

It would arise because the site is just so awkward to open and log in properly, and it does not always show messages readable in the review panel of the ordinary e-posts ! I have encountered this quite a few times; along with its tendency to lock the logging-in to the viewed topic only.

So this might arrive twice or even out-of-order but is a reply to..

Michael Gilligan –

Thank you for your suggestion – making a smaller spindle – and I had considered something like it, but want to keep the lathe as original as possible. The taper is only 1MT, and I don't want to reduce that.

I think there is enough steel in it to reduce the outside by about 1mm / 0.040" dia altogether on the bearing surfaces, including the shaving taken off the headstock, and use a split bush that will pass over the full diameter but close down to the new journals.

Alternatively, I could use 2-piece linings prevented from rotating by very shallow extensions to the oil-cups, and that might be feasible with Oilites with their outsides turned down. I know you must never turn or ream the bearing surface of an Oilite bush.

Considering the plan further showed me that it won't be a straightforward project, and will need an appreciable amount of extraneous jig-making etc., though with care the latter would provide the means to make such luxuries as steadies!

'

The lathe is presently on a welded (ish) angle-steel trolley whose top is a slab of ex-work laboratory bench surface, a form of very dense SRBP hard to cut and probably abrasive to cutting-tools, but very stable. The machine itself is bolted lightly down to steel cross-members below that.

To a large extent my wish to restore the EW lathe to a decent condition is sentimental as well as considering my ownership of vintage machines and tools as custodial. More immediately usefully though, I would like it to augment the all-metric Axminster lathe so I have a couple of small machines indoors to use in comfort for making small parts, on dark, cold nights when expeditions to the workshop at the bottom of the garden are less inviting. I had also considered having the BCA jig-borer indoors, but living in an Edwardian end-of-terrace I need consider loads on old wooden floors, and noise transmission through them and the very thin party-wall.

[IanTParticipant @iant]

SMF – that looks to be a very interesting EW, which has had a lot of modifications and changes made to it, although the slot in the bed is unfortunate. I normally use my EW with just the boring table fitted and therefore do not use the top-slide. Generally this is not a problem and helps improve rigidity. I have a small QCTP that I use occasionally but for most work I use very simple 'Rose' blocks – that hold 3/16th HSS tools at centre height. Like Nigel I often screw-cut fine (40tpi) threads and do so with a handle on the spindle.

The T-slots are quite thin but a simple bolting plate helps with this and can be used to attach the vertical head for instance. This lifts the vertical head to give more movement and uses a larger bolt, which stops it twisting under load, which it will do with just a smaller bolt in a T-slot I certainly would not try using the vertical head mounted on the top-slide.

Nigel – Martin Cleeve bored out his headstock castings and fitted a larger spindle. I have all of his EW articles that were published in ME scanned and can send them if you would like to PM me.

Regards,

IanT

[smfParticipant @smf]

All – Thanks for your replies. I'll post some more pictures, if anyone's interested, of some of the changes that have been made. I've been removing the rust on various of the accessories, and sorting bits out before I start a full strip down of the lathe itself. The slot in the bed is a bit irritating, mostly because no-one bothered to clean it up to ensure the sides were parallel, the drill/saw marks were removed, etc. Interestingly, the spindle has been replaced and the nose thread is now 1 1/8" 12tpi. I don't know if the headstock has been bored out or if this is what Martin Cleeve did with his. What I thought was a version of Martin Cleeve's fine feed gearbox, is a more complex, bespoke item made with clockwork gears offering both forward and reverse fine feed. I understand the original owner was a clock repairer. Unfortunately, the gears aren't engaging properly in one direction but restoring that is going to have to wait. I'll go and take some pictures.

IanT – I'd be really grateful if you could send me the Martin Cleeve articles too please. I'll PM you.

Stephen

[smfParticipant @smf]

Hi – some photos:

[smfParticipant @smf]

Ooops – sorry, they seem to have come out sideways!

[smfParticipant @smf]

And here's the spindle – 0.751" in diameter. The headstock bearings seem to be fine.

[smfParticipant @smf]

As I was missing the original cross and top slide, I bought another EW lathe for spares… This one also came with the original countershaft, a full set of change gears, catch plate, change plate and boring table. Some of it doesn't look to have been used at all.

[smfParticipant @smf]

And my first EW lathe has been cleaned up and put to work – I'm really enjoying using it. It's so much more solid than my Simat 101. I've temporarily rigged up a 200w DC motor but plan on moving to a 3 phase motor (as I've a spare converter from my wood lathe) – any recommendations?

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

Fine work!

They are good little lathes – mine needs some attention as its spindle and headstock are worn.

You could try asking Newton-Tesla about a motor, but give them the specifications of the inverter you have. I have converted four of my machines to 3ph using their sets, though don't plan to do that to my EW, which has a modern 1ph motor.

[Andy CarlsonParticipant @andycarlson18141]

Nice lathe. Always liked the look of the EW.

Your milling slide looks like my Tom Senior one, but with lots of extra bits bolted on. I have plans for some mods to mine but a lack of round tuits has held things up.

I'd be interested to know a bit more about what you've done to your milling slide.

Regards, Andy

[smfParticipant @smf]

Thanks for the suggestion to contact Newton-Tesla.

The boring table and vertical slide have both had small extensions fitted and larger micrometer dials, but are otherwise standard. In the picture above, there's an adjustable height tool holder bolted to the boring table which a previous owner made. Or is there something else I'm missing?

[IanTParticipant @iant]

Hello SMF – an interesting EW you have there.

I looked more closely at the photo of your "adjustable height tool holder" mounted on the boring table and thought I should caution that using (what appears to be) a single through T-bolt directly into the table is not a great idea in my view.

My EW boring table is also just about permanently fitted to my EW (in preference to the cross/top slide combination) but I generally have the tool-post screwed into a separate block which is in turn attached to the table. If (when) you crank up the tool post, you cannot then damage or distort the T-slot. The block also supports the toolholder more securely at the front end (where it's needed).

The photo below shows the general idea – although I only use the QCTP for 'special' tooling these days. My normal set-up uses a similar (slightly larger) block but with simple 'Adams' toolholders for my day-to-day work (don't have a photo to hand). They hold 3/16th HSS tools and the set-up is very rigid.

Regards,

IanT

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