A friend just got a Birmingham 12x36 lathe and tells me the leadscrew
is 8 TPI, yet the thread dial gear is 14 teeth, with 8 marks on it.
Anyone else out there with a similar lathe? Does it have the same
thread dial? I would think a 16 tooth thread dial would be
appropriate. What's the thinking behind 14, and will it really work?

Thanks!