Stringer EW lathe

[IanTParticipant @iant]

Interesting link Michael,

The idea of having a drive to the "top-slide" seems to be quite popular on small precision German lathes. There was a posting here some time ago of a YouTube video of a Lorch KD50 which used the same idea.

It's here:

**LINK**

Go in about 35 minutes to see the unit in operation (it's an interesting video but perhaps a bit overly long in parts!).

Another idea of interest is extending the countershaft behind the lathe to provide an auxilary drive for overheads etc – something that's quite easy to do on the EW too.

Regards,

Ian T

[MICHAEL WILLIAMSParticipant @michaelwilliams41215]

Hi Ian T ,

I dropped that link in as a taster really .

Study of all the info on the AS site and more on http://www.lathes.co.uk about Schaublin lathes will suggest top quality solutions to almost every design problem there is regarding small lathes and accessories .

Regards ,

Michael Williams .

PS: Hi Alan – note the three slot quadrant in lowermost picture .

[alan smith 6Participant @alansmith6]

Michael and EWers,

You have a large number of postings and the ones that I have read have been intelligent and erudite.

What you have shown us is an attempt to address the shortcoming of the small precision lathe by the manufacturer. Normally these kind of watchmaker's lathes do not have a leadscrew but have a very long topslide so that the drive to the topslide is a logical step to take.

The bolt on solution probably costing an arm and a leg allows these dinky little lathes to cut a few threads.

Our EW lathes that cost tuppence have a leadscrew and can cut modellers threads no problem!

There is no claim that the EW is a precision lathe but it does what it says on the tin.

I can understand why people want to buy the best in every life situation but after spending thousands of pounds on one of these super precision toy lathes, what are you going to use it for?

Alan

[alan smith 6Participant @alansmith6]

EWers and bookmarkers,

I enclose a photo of the laser cut experimental screwcutting quadrant:

One more step towards the prototype.

Alan

Edited By alan smith 6 on 03/11/2012 12:43:50

[alan smith 6Participant @alansmith6]

Herewith the prototype five gear slow feed.

More info to follow.

Alan

Edited By alan smith 6 on 15/11/2012 23:40:55

[IanTParticipant @iant]

That looks very tidy Alan!

I could hack those arms out of the raw metal (but it would add another thing to my long list of things to-do) – but what sort of costs are involved in the laser-cut solution you adopted?

Regards,

IanT

[alan smith 6Participant @alansmith6]

IanT and EWers,

The laser cutting cost me £24 but there was a minimum charge so that I had to buy two sets.Sorry but I need both.

When you source the laser cutter ask them what the tolerances are on the cut dimensions. In my case the figure was plus and minus .02mm about 7 thou. So that in the case of diameters, you have to make the dimensions so that the upper limit tolerance is below the dimension that you want. this is important on the 3/4 dia holes which have to be reamed and to the slots which do not want to be undersized but about 5 thou plus.

Most of the ( metric ) dimensions you can glean from the photo, I can't scan the drawing for you at the moment.

You will be glad to know that preliminary tests were successful with smooth and quiet action.

Alan

Edited By alan smith 6 on 16/11/2012 11:08:16

[alan smith 6Participant @alansmith6]

EWers and bookmarkers,

Just a word about the state of play of the slow speed and clutch:

When adding the gears to the quadrant I found out that I was wrong about the 20DP 20 tooth gear, the pin radius at the EW spindle collar is too large so that the pin hole breaks out at the gear tooth base diameter.

The answer is to substitute the 25 tooth gear which is OK.

I will be talking about the overall picture for the gear train in a later posting.

I was very pleased at the outcome of the gear train prototype, I used myford gear studs which I modified to suit the new EW quadrant. These studs were purchased from a well known tool supplier and looked OK but when it was time to fit the gears I was horrified to see that the keyed barrels which carry the gears were grossly undersized, varying from -12 thou to -25 thou.

As I was all set up to run the gear train on the lathe I continued the assembly and set it in motion and was rewarded with a smooth running and quiet train.

The next thing was to try out the leadscrew clutch, with the operating lever temporariy clamped in position I started the lathe and saw that with the clutch in the disengaged positon the friction in the clutch was turning the leadscrew.

Then engaging the clutch, I set a cut on a piece of mild steel and again was gratified to see the metal being carved away.

Obviously there is a problem with the clutch that needs to be addressed, which I will do soon.

Alan

[alan smith 6Participant @alansmith6]

EWers and bookmarkers,

I`m back at my home in Oslo and am going to set up the EW lathe in my garage. IanT, remember we were joking about working in cold unheated sheds? Well the temperature here was -12 C when I arrived yesterday and it`s -8 c today so I`m not going out until I find all my cold weather gear again.

Don`t expect much news for a week or so and let me wish you all the best for Xmas and the New Year.

Alan.

ps. I started a new thread about "Chinese lathe accessories". It`s all about suppliers selling chinese made lathe accessories not fit for purpose.

[IanTParticipant @iant]

It's a bit milder here at the moment Alan – but it was distinctly chilly last week.

I've therefore not been tempted to pop down the 'Shed' for any length of time recently but I have been making a small hand pump for a boiler-test set-up. It is much more attractive to sit down in the warm and do these smaller kinds of jobs inside. If I do need to use one of my larger machines, it doesn't feel so bad if I nip down the shed and just do that one specific thing – before hurrying back indoors for a cuppa and a warm-up.

The EW is more than capable of doing this kind of work, although I must figure out a better system of stops. I've been using a small tool makers clamp on the back of the topslide to control depth of cuts on simple turning jobs – but I'm doing some boring into stopped holes this time around and could use something to control the boring depth (I'm using the topslide for this too of course!). Having said that I'm finding the EW very accurate to use with the dials, provided you take up any backlash first of course.

Anyway – good luck with your EW.

Regards,

IanT

[IanTParticipant @iant]

PS Sorry – that clamp is put on the back of the cross-slide of course – not the top-slide!

However some means of fitting a simple 'stop' on (or that works with) the top-slide would be useful and should be possible with a bit of thought.

Regards, IanT

[alan smith 6Participant @alansmith6]

IanT and EWers,

I can supply an idea for the stop Ian and will make a sketch and post it as I have a scanner here in Oslo.

While I`m writing this, it comes to mind that there are other simple improvements that can be made to the EW.

A graduated dial for the leadscrew that enables removal of the tailstock.

Mod to the top and cross slide graduated dials to enable them to be zeroed.

Longer tee slotted cross slide.

Vertical slide to original pattern.

Guard for the headstock gears.

I have bought a second EW which will remain at my workshop in the UK. This came with an original countershaft so that I will be casting another in aluminium using the original as a pattern.

If anybody would like a casting at cost plus postage then let me know.

I will be finalising my slow speed and clutch designs in the new year.

I started yet another thread about the search for Martins completed designs but have had little response and no sightings, so that I have bought in all the parts to make Martins grandfather clock slow speed gearbox which I will start on in the new year.

Alan

[IanTParticipant @iant]

Hi Alan,

That offer of a counter-shaft might be interesting, mine works but is not exactly pretty! Perhaps you could PM me with the likely costs (and what sort of bearings you intend to use?)

In the meantime – all was going well yesterday until I rushed things!

I was busy boring some blind holes 8.8mm x11mm deep (and only had 8mm drill) – and will admit to a 'bodge' that probably will be frowned upon by many. I was using an old Eclipse boring bar that has been well ground down to get into smaller holes and to get the depth right – I used that clamp again but directly on the tool. I could then just touch the tool to the face and then bore in till the clamp also touched the face (which you can hear touch). The clamp was positioned using a vernier gauge for depth. Anyway, it all worked well, so happy – I moved on to boring a flat on the side of the (round) valve assembly.

Obviously I must have been flushed with success from my previous work – as I managed to well and truely screw this up. I didn't get the item completely centred and it also must have moved in the process (even though it was in the 4 jaw). It might be useable (just) but I think I will have to re-do it again from scratch, as it offends me!

It was the last operation on the part too. A few choice words were said in private last night!!

So back down to that frosty Shed later to see if I have another suitable bit of brass in the scrap box.

Regards,

Ian

[alan smith 6Participant @alansmith6]

Ian,

You`re not alone, even though I did an apprenticeship in precision engineering, I tend to go at it and take chances when I don`t have exactly the right tool at hand.

I was suggesting the casting only which would be about £25 each as the foundry charges by the box not per part. As far as machining goes I have a superb Machinist in Coventry, who does a lot of car bits for me and he charges a lower rate if he can use the work as a fill in. There isn`t a lot of work involved in machining the casting and I think that I will get him to do my castings. I will get him to give me a price.

The bearings could be Oilites which can be sourced from HPC.

I think that anyone that does not have an original countershaft for their EW should buy a casting, as I said, I will do this at cost but will not be able to initiate the work until I can get back to the UK.

Drawings for the other countershaft items will be supplied.

Alan

[Cornish JackParticipant @cornishjack]

Not sure whether this has been mentioned previously, but ME Vol 117 (July- December 1957) has a series of articles by Martin Cleeve on mods to the EW. He seems to have incorporated everything except a tea-maker! This Vol has been bed-time reading for the last month or so.

Rgds

Bill

[alan smith 6Participant @alansmith6]

Bill,

This thread has been considering all the accessories proposed by Martin Cleeve in the articles that you have put forward. If you want to see what convolutions the thread has gone through, why not start the thread from the beginning, I guarantee that you will have a good night`s sleep.

Alan

[IanTParticipant @iant]

Hi Alan – that sounds Ok. Please keep me informed.

Fortunately my scrap box yielded up a suitable lump of brass – a bit wider than the first one but good enough. It's currently being faced at both ends and brought to length. Last time I did the easy bits first, leaving the hardest operation till last. This time I will do the hardest bit first and hopefully not screw up the "easy" bits (assuming sucess with the first part) afterwards!

Bill – thank you for thinking to let us know about the Martin Cleeve articles – but I am afraid we "EW'ers" are somewhat ahead of you here. Copies of those articles (much of which would be useful to other users of smaller lathes btw) have already been distributed around our somewhat select (e.g. small) EW Owners Club!

Regards,

Ian T

[V8EngParticipant @v8eng]

I do not own an EW lathe but have found a few adverts for them from ME mag the 1950s.

From these it seems that they started as 2 1/2" x 8" machines, then in 1953 became 2 1/2" x 10".

Various improvements seemed to occur over the years and they appear to have been supplied as models A, B, C & D.

There was apparently a review in the 8th December 1949 issue of ME, unfortunately I do not have that issue.

If there is interest in seeing these adverts I can scan them to go in my album, subject to David Clark saying there are no copyright issues involved.

Edited By V8Eng on 11/12/2012 19:23:43

[IanTParticipant @iant]

Hallo V8eng – thank you for this and you are correct with regards to models available.

One of our group (sorry I cannot recall who off the top of my head) distributed some Stringer EW sales literature and invoices sent to a relative to our group that dated from May 1953.

The "Plain" EW A Model ( 10" bed ) lathe cost £13-4-0 back then.

The Model B added the leadscrew at a toal cost of £14-17-0

The Model C added backgear at a total cost of £17-1-0

The Model D added a set of changewheels at total cost of £19-16-0

It was however simple to upgrade to any model by simply purchasing the required parts. The gap-bed was an option and cost 8/3p

It might interest some and help to put these prices into some perspective, if I add that a 4" 4-Jaw Burned chuck was listed at £2-16-0 – a pretty expensive item in 1953 but one that sounds quite reasonable these days!

Regards,

 

Ian T

Edited By IanT on 11/12/2012 19:54:22

[V8EngParticipant @v8eng]

Hi Ian.

In 1953 the average (weekly) wage was reckoned to be about £9, that also helps put it into perspective.

Regards.

 

Edited By V8Eng on 11/12/2012 20:53:35

[MICHAEL WILLIAMSParticipant @michaelwilliams41215]

'Martin Cleeve' was not the only author to describe modifications and atachments for the EW . The late J.J.Constable described several as well . The earliest dated article I know of by him is in ME Nov 11 1954 vol. 111 No.2790 – ' A self acting fine feed for the lathe ' .

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

"In 1953 the average (weekly) wage was reckoned to be about £9, that also helps put it into perspective."

So that's about two weeks wages for the top of the range.

If one could have bought a Myford for four weeks average wages in 2012, the queue would have gone twice round the block.

Neil

[V8EngParticipant @v8eng]

In 1953 the adverts suggest you could have bought an ML7 for £48 and five shillings (48.25), without motor but with a motor pulley.

Using the same source of information about wages the current weekly figure is £465.

It seems that motors were extra on most of the small machinery then, no I'm not old enough to remember those sort of things so have to rely on advertising to inform!

Back on the subject of EW Lathes, in mid 1953 they were advertising an "industrial" model with larger slides and chrome headstock mandrel, all this for an extra £4 and 5 shillings.

 

Edited By V8Eng on 12/12/2012 20:04:17

[alan smith 6Participant @alansmith6]

V8Eng,

Would it be possible for you to scan and post the advert for the EW Industrial Model, as it could be interesting.

Thank you,

Alan

[TerrydParticipant @terryd72465]

Posted by V8Eng on 12/12/2012 19:50:18:

In 1953 the adverts suggest you could have bought an ML7 for £48 and five shillings (48.25), without motor but with a motor pulley.

Using the same source of information about wages the current weekly figure is £465.

…………………………………..

Edited By V8Eng on 12/12/2012 20:04:17

So you can buy a rather nice Seig C3 (180mm x 300 mm) from Arc for around 1 weeks wages (complete with motor) or a really nice Super C6 (250 x 550mm) for just over 2 1/2 weeks wages.

Seasons greetings to all,

Terry

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