On Tue, 18 Nov 2003 11:05:22 +0100, Hans van Dongen
wrote:

Hi


I'm not neccesarily into watchmaking, but I found a Lorch "Junior"
watchmaker's lathe for very little money

see http://lathes.co.uk/lorch/img2.gif

I want to keep it for tiny precision work or trade it towards a larger
lathe (hopefully of equal quality - that liny lorch is gorgeous!)
which still fits my very small (hobby) workspace.

The Lorch misses a slide rest. I understand that the increase in value
of the package far exceeds the investment in a used slide, so I can go
two ways: find the original slide rest, or get another one and adapt it.

I suspect that finding the original rest is probably impossible, and I
know of a working slide rest, non-original, for sale here in Holland
which probably has enough metal on it to be made to fit my bed, but I'd
like some information about the original.

If there's anybody that has a Lorch "junior" who could provide me with
info or (gasp!) pictures I would be very grateful.

I assume the bottom of the original rest to look similar to the
Headstock; a ridge over which goes a small block with a straight side
that fits the straight side of the slot in the bed, and an angled side
that pushes the appliance to the straight side, alligning it.

But the way it looks on the picture, the bottom part of the slide rest
is way too thin to accomodate the kind of excentric lever (1) that draws
the block onto the headstock through bolt (2) and nut (3) -see ascii
drawing below.

So the main question is : How was the slide rest originally attached to
the bed? I'm not above "creative" solutions but the suggestion I got
to cut a slit in the underside of the bed to access te screw from
underneath is a little too much.

Thanks for any info (or any info about any info etc.)

Hans van Dongen

Want a bigger one?
http://home.lightspeed.net/~gunner/myshop/lorch1.jpg
http://home.lightspeed.net/~gunner/myshop/lorch5.jpg
http://home.lightspeed.net/~gunner/myshop/lorch2.jpg

Mine has no side bar to push in and align. The slot has a simple tab
attached to the bottom of the slide with a Tnut on the bottom of it.
On the larger versions, the slide is held in place with a knob that
pulls it down. Crank your slide out, and see if there is a countersunk
hole under the slide. If so, simply make a t-nut and drop in a bolt
and tighten.

You could always make a split Tnut to fit the slanted side....install
a dowel pin through both sides, then use a simple set screw to push
them apart, which will force the flat side into the face, and tapered
"gig" into its mating tapered side. An 1/8" set screw would exert
enough force to hold it in place on a machine of this size.

Or..you could use a pair of tapered set screws, with the split block,
drilled and tapped down the center of the split to expand and hold
them apart. Hummm you could probably get by with only one screw if you
machined the block to the slot close enough.

Gunner

"The British attitude is to treat society like a game preserve where a
certain percentage of the 'antelope' are expected to be eaten by the
"lions".
Christopher Morton