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Default Thread Cutting

Hello,

First of all, I have an Acra (now Enco?) 9x20 Chinese bench lathe. This
lathe was given to me by a friend a few weeks ago and it didn't get
much use at all from him.

For some reason the thread cutting system seems way off. When I cut one
pass (say 16tpi) and measure the light cut with my thread guage, I'm
getting closer to a 17tpi cut. When I try to do a 26 tpi pass I get
closer to a 28tpi cut. I've checked and rechecked all of the gear
combinations listed on the chart and the are correct.

Additionally, when I try to use the thread chasing dial, I can never
get the same cutting pass. For example, I'll use strictly the number 1
on the dial and my second cutting pass will be right in between the
first cutting pass. I'll try it for a third pass and I'll get a whole
different cutting pass.

This is really frusterating! Has anybody ever heard of this before? I
was actually impressed with the quality of this Chinese manufacturing,
but now I'm beginning to wonder...

If pictures would help at all I'd be glad to take a few and post them.

Thank you very much,
Carter

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d.dixson
 
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wrote:
Hello,

First of all, I have an Acra (now Enco?) 9x20 Chinese bench lathe. This
lathe was given to me by a friend a few weeks ago and it didn't get
much use at all from him.

For some reason the thread cutting system seems way off. When I cut one
pass (say 16tpi) and measure the light cut with my thread guage, I'm
getting closer to a 17tpi cut. When I try to do a 26 tpi pass I get
closer to a 28tpi cut. I've checked and rechecked all of the gear
combinations listed on the chart and the are correct.

Additionally, when I try to use the thread chasing dial, I can never
get the same cutting pass. For example, I'll use strictly the number 1
on the dial and my second cutting pass will be right in between the
first cutting pass. I'll try it for a third pass and I'll get a whole
different cutting pass.

This is really frusterating! Has anybody ever heard of this before? I
was actually impressed with the quality of this Chinese manufacturing,
but now I'm beginning to wonder...

If pictures would help at all I'd be glad to take a few and post them.

Thank you very much,
Carter


I wonder if you have a metric cut lead screw. I would recommend that
you measure the pitch to see if it is cut in inches or millimeters.
That would explain why you cannot pick up the lead on your second cut
using the chasing dial. It may also explain why your threads are off in
that the gearing/lead screw combination may only allow an approximation
of the desired thread. HTH

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Eric R Snow
 
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Default Thread Cutting

On 10 May 2006 14:08:37 -0700, wrote:

Hello,

First of all, I have an Acra (now Enco?) 9x20 Chinese bench lathe. This
lathe was given to me by a friend a few weeks ago and it didn't get
much use at all from him.

For some reason the thread cutting system seems way off. When I cut one
pass (say 16tpi) and measure the light cut with my thread guage, I'm
getting closer to a 17tpi cut. When I try to do a 26 tpi pass I get
closer to a 28tpi cut. I've checked and rechecked all of the gear
combinations listed on the chart and the are correct.

Additionally, when I try to use the thread chasing dial, I can never
get the same cutting pass. For example, I'll use strictly the number 1
on the dial and my second cutting pass will be right in between the
first cutting pass. I'll try it for a third pass and I'll get a whole
different cutting pass.

This is really frusterating! Has anybody ever heard of this before? I
was actually impressed with the quality of this Chinese manufacturing,
but now I'm beginning to wonder...

If pictures would help at all I'd be glad to take a few and post them.

Thank you very much,
Carter

Greetings Carter,
It sounds like it may have a metric leadscrew. Another thing to check
when looking at the gears is to see if paired gears are used and if so
maybe one of the gears is on the shaft the wrong way. What I mean is
this: the lathe may have a 120 tooth gear paired with a 127 tooth
gear. These gears will be on the same shaft and both gears will be
keyed to the shaft so they rotate together. There should be a gear
driving the 120 tooth gear and the 120 tooth gear should drive another
in turn. So the 120 tooth gear is acting as an idler. OR, it could be
the 127 tooth gear that is acting as the idler. But if the lathe has
an inch leadscrew and you want to cut metric threads then one gear
will drive the 127 tooth gear, which spins the 120 tooth gear, which
drives another gear. This is how the metric conversion is done. Also,
when cutting metric threads using this method you must keep the half
nut closed until all threading passes have been made. This means that
at the end of the cut you must withdraw the tool and stop the lathe at
the same time. Then with the tool clear of the part, reverse the
spindle to back the tool up, then so on and so forth. If your machine
is equipped with a metric leadscrew and the gears are set up for
cutting inch threads then the same thing happens. By the way, when you
figure out what is really going on please let us know.
Eric


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Default Thread Cutting

You guys all had some very good info...

Here's a link to some photos I took earlier:
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/cj1210...548scd&.src=ph

Right now trying to get the thread chasing dial working is not my
biggest concern. I've got to get an accurate TPI first. For some reason
though I think this may be all intertwined...

As you can see from the photos I've strictly kept the setting
(according to the charts and gears) to 16tpi. The leadscrew is exactly
16tpi (not anything metric as you can see from the picture). When I
turn the chuck over one rotation by hand I don't get a complete
rotation in the leadscrew.

This obviously points to some kind of gear miscalculation on the
manufacturer's part... (at least that's the only explanation I can
think of at the moment).

Now, as far as the thread chasing dial, I've tried pulling it away from
the headstock while cutting in order to take all of the play out. This
doesn't do anything. I've also tried giving it resistance with the
carriage wheel.

Maybe the thread chasing dial can't work properly if the gears are
messed up. For example maybe when it's set to 16tpi and it's really
cutting close to 17tpi this will then proceed to not let the half nut
engage at the proper time, which will defeat the whole purpose of the
thread chasing dial.

There is about .007" play in the leadscrew itself which I can probably
fix with a thin washer. There is about .014" play in the half nut unit.
This I'll have to pull apart to see if I can tighten it up. This could
definitly be part of my problem with not getting the same cut to line
up and is just not right, but something tells me there's more to it.
Like I said up above I've tried keeping pressure on the carriage (away
from the headstock) and it hasn't done any good...

Any other ideas!?

Thanks,
Carter

Eric R Snow wrote:
On 10 May 2006 14:08:37 -0700, wrote:

Hello,

First of all, I have an Acra (now Enco?) 9x20 Chinese bench lathe. This
lathe was given to me by a friend a few weeks ago and it didn't get
much use at all from him.

For some reason the thread cutting system seems way off. When I cut one
pass (say 16tpi) and measure the light cut with my thread guage, I'm
getting closer to a 17tpi cut. When I try to do a 26 tpi pass I get
closer to a 28tpi cut. I've checked and rechecked all of the gear
combinations listed on the chart and the are correct.

Additionally, when I try to use the thread chasing dial, I can never
get the same cutting pass. For example, I'll use strictly the number 1
on the dial and my second cutting pass will be right in between the
first cutting pass. I'll try it for a third pass and I'll get a whole
different cutting pass.

This is really frusterating! Has anybody ever heard of this before? I
was actually impressed with the quality of this Chinese manufacturing,
but now I'm beginning to wonder...

If pictures would help at all I'd be glad to take a few and post them.

Thank you very much,
Carter

Greetings Carter,
It sounds like it may have a metric leadscrew. Another thing to check
when looking at the gears is to see if paired gears are used and if so
maybe one of the gears is on the shaft the wrong way. What I mean is
this: the lathe may have a 120 tooth gear paired with a 127 tooth
gear. These gears will be on the same shaft and both gears will be
keyed to the shaft so they rotate together. There should be a gear
driving the 120 tooth gear and the 120 tooth gear should drive another
in turn. So the 120 tooth gear is acting as an idler. OR, it could be
the 127 tooth gear that is acting as the idler. But if the lathe has
an inch leadscrew and you want to cut metric threads then one gear
will drive the 127 tooth gear, which spins the 120 tooth gear, which
drives another gear. This is how the metric conversion is done. Also,
when cutting metric threads using this method you must keep the half
nut closed until all threading passes have been made. This means that
at the end of the cut you must withdraw the tool and stop the lathe at
the same time. Then with the tool clear of the part, reverse the
spindle to back the tool up, then so on and so forth. If your machine
is equipped with a metric leadscrew and the gears are set up for
cutting inch threads then the same thing happens. By the way, when you
figure out what is really going on please let us know.
Eric


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Default Thread Cutting

From ERS:
Another thing to check
when looking at the gears is to see if paired gears are used and if so
maybe one of the gears is on the shaft the wrong way. What I mean is
this: the lathe may have a 120 tooth gear paired with a 127 tooth
gear.


From the OP:
Here's a link to some photos I took earlier:
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/cj1210...548scd&.src=ph


These two gears he's talking about are clearly visible in photo
100_2259.

You need to change the small input and output gears on the pair of big
gears so that they are both on the same large gear (it doesn't matter
which one since it will then be acting as an idler--a gear which
transfers
power but does not change ratios). I'm guessing there's a spacer under
one or both of the small gears, and if you swap one of the gears and
its
spacer in position on its shaft, and re-align the bracket and the big
gears
so that everything meshes, you'll be all set...
--Glenn Lyford

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Default Thread Cutting

These two gears he's talking about are clearly visible in photo
100_2259.

You need to change the small input and output gears on the pair
of big gears so that they are both on the same large gear.


Also see pic 100_2252 which shows the "a" and "b" gears both
meshing with the 127 tooth gear. That's not how yours are set
up...
--Glenn Lyford

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Gerald Miller
 
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Default Thread Cutting

On 11 May 2006 17:17:56 -0700, wrote:

You guys all had some very good info...

Here's a link to some photos I took earlier:
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/cj1210...548scd&.src=ph

Right now trying to get the thread chasing dial working is not my
biggest concern. I've got to get an accurate TPI first. For some reason
though I think this may be all intertwined...

As you can see from the photos I've strictly kept the setting
(according to the charts and gears) to 16tpi. The leadscrew is exactly
16tpi (not anything metric as you can see from the picture). When I
turn the chuck over one rotation by hand I don't get a complete
rotation in the leadscrew.

This obviously points to some kind of gear miscalculation on the
manufacturer's part... (at least that's the only explanation I can
think of at the moment).

Now, as far as the thread chasing dial, I've tried pulling it away from
the headstock while cutting in order to take all of the play out. This
doesn't do anything. I've also tried giving it resistance with the
carriage wheel.

Maybe the thread chasing dial can't work properly if the gears are
messed up. For example maybe when it's set to 16tpi and it's really
cutting close to 17tpi this will then proceed to not let the half nut
engage at the proper time, which will defeat the whole purpose of the
thread chasing dial.

There is about .007" play in the leadscrew itself which I can probably
fix with a thin washer. There is about .014" play in the half nut unit.
This I'll have to pull apart to see if I can tighten it up. This could
definitly be part of my problem with not getting the same cut to line
up and is just not right, but something tells me there's more to it.
Like I said up above I've tried keeping pressure on the carriage (away
from the headstock) and it hasn't done any good...

Any other ideas!?

The chart in photo 11 shows the gear box driven from the 127 tooth
gear which is being used as an idler gear; but, in photos 6, 7, 8 and
9, the gear box appears to be driven by the 120 tooth gear, which only
used for metric threads.
Gerry :-)}
London, Canada
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I feel extremely stupid right now... I could have sworn I checked and
rechecked those gears according to the chart 20 times.

Thanks for your time guys. I'll go change that right now and then give
it another shot... Maybe this will fix my thead chasing dial problem as
well. If it doesn't, you know I'll be back!

Thanks again, I came to the right place!

Best Regards,
Carter



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DoN. Nichols
 
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Default Thread Cutting

According to :
You guys all had some very good info...

Here's a link to some photos I took earlier:
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/cj1210...548scd&.src=ph


These photos do it!

Right now trying to get the thread chasing dial working is not my
biggest concern. I've got to get an accurate TPI first. For some reason
though I think this may be all intertwined...

As you can see from the photos I've strictly kept the setting
(according to the charts and gears) to 16tpi. The leadscrew is exactly
16tpi (not anything metric as you can see from the picture). When I
turn the chuck over one rotation by hand I don't get a complete
rotation in the leadscrew.


Maybe the leadscrew is not metric, but your gear train is set up
for metric. In the photo "b2e3scd.jpg", which shows the entirity of
the threading chart, it shows that the input to the gearbox should have
its gear engaging the 127 tooth gear for inch thread 'n/1"', and it
should engage the 120 tooth gear for the metric thread "mm"

And looking at the photo "b1fascd.jpg", it is obvious that the
gear from the quick-change gearbox is engaging the 120 tooth gear.

So -- you need to loosen the various nut, exchange the spacer
and gear on the input shaft to the QC gearbox, and then re-mesh all of
the gears and tighten them back in place.

When you had initially posted your question, I was thinking that
you had the other common pair of gears for metric/inch transpostion,
100/127, which would introduce more error than you were observing.
However, with 120/127 you would get (depending on the direction of the
transposition) either 15.12 TPI or 16.93 TPI -- the latter being rather
close to your observed 17 TPI.

This is probably enough all by itself. I presume that the flat
paddle lever on the right of the apron is your half nuts engage, and
the long round lever in the bottom center of the apron is your power
feed, either longitudinal or cross-feed. If you had been using that by
mistake, you would have gotten a much greater mismatch.

This obviously points to some kind of gear miscalculation on the
manufacturer's part... (at least that's the only explanation I can
think of at the moment).


Nope -- simple mis-positioning of one gear -- you are set up for
metric threading.

Now, as far as the thread chasing dial, I've tried pulling it away from
the headstock while cutting in order to take all of the play out. This
doesn't do anything. I've also tried giving it resistance with the
carriage wheel.


Your thread chasing dial will not work properly for metric
threading, even when you *know* that is what you are doing. For it to
work properly, you would need to have the leadscrew and half-nuts metric
as well.

Maybe the thread chasing dial can't work properly if the gears are
messed up. For example maybe when it's set to 16tpi and it's really
cutting close to 17tpi this will then proceed to not let the half nut
engage at the proper time, which will defeat the whole purpose of the
thread chasing dial.


It truly will not work properly when you are set up for cutting
*any* metric threads.

There is about .007" play in the leadscrew itself which I can probably
fix with a thin washer.


Don't worry about it.

There is about .014" play in the half nut unit.


Again -- don't worry about it. These are normal amounts of
play, and since the carriage is always moving in the same direction when
cutting, the play is taken out. And especially so if you use the 29.5
degree compound infeed, so the cutting load is always on the left side
of the tool.

This I'll have to pull apart to see if I can tighten it up.


You can't -- and if you could, it would still wear back to that
much play rather quickly.

This could
definitly be part of my problem with not getting the same cut to line
up and is just not right, but something tells me there's more to it.


Yep -- that one gear in the train before the QC box.

Like I said up above I've tried keeping pressure on the carriage (away
from the headstock) and it hasn't done any good...

Any other ideas!?


Yep -- re-set the gears. Then you should be fine.

Enjoy,
DoN.

--
Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---
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Eric R Snow
 
Posts: n/a
Default Thread Cutting

On 12 May 2006 05:23:43 GMT, (DoN. Nichols)
wrote:

According to :
You guys all had some very good info...

Here's a link to some photos I took earlier:
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/cj1210...548scd&.src=ph

These photos do it!

Right now trying to get the thread chasing dial working is not my
biggest concern. I've got to get an accurate TPI first. For some reason
though I think this may be all intertwined...

As you can see from the photos I've strictly kept the setting
(according to the charts and gears) to 16tpi. The leadscrew is exactly
16tpi (not anything metric as you can see from the picture). When I
turn the chuck over one rotation by hand I don't get a complete
rotation in the leadscrew.


Maybe the leadscrew is not metric, but your gear train is set up
for metric. In the photo "b2e3scd.jpg", which shows the entirity of
the threading chart, it shows that the input to the gearbox should have
its gear engaging the 127 tooth gear for inch thread 'n/1"', and it
should engage the 120 tooth gear for the metric thread "mm"

And looking at the photo "b1fascd.jpg", it is obvious that the
gear from the quick-change gearbox is engaging the 120 tooth gear.

So -- you need to loosen the various nut, exchange the spacer
and gear on the input shaft to the QC gearbox, and then re-mesh all of
the gears and tighten them back in place.

When you had initially posted your question, I was thinking that
you had the other common pair of gears for metric/inch transpostion,
100/127, which would introduce more error than you were observing.
However, with 120/127 you would get (depending on the direction of the
transposition) either 15.12 TPI or 16.93 TPI -- the latter being rather
close to your observed 17 TPI.

This is probably enough all by itself. I presume that the flat
paddle lever on the right of the apron is your half nuts engage, and
the long round lever in the bottom center of the apron is your power
feed, either longitudinal or cross-feed. If you had been using that by
mistake, you would have gotten a much greater mismatch.

This obviously points to some kind of gear miscalculation on the
manufacturer's part... (at least that's the only explanation I can
think of at the moment).


Nope -- simple mis-positioning of one gear -- you are set up for
metric threading.

Now, as far as the thread chasing dial, I've tried pulling it away from
the headstock while cutting in order to take all of the play out. This
doesn't do anything. I've also tried giving it resistance with the
carriage wheel.


Your thread chasing dial will not work properly for metric
threading, even when you *know* that is what you are doing. For it to
work properly, you would need to have the leadscrew and half-nuts metric
as well.

Maybe the thread chasing dial can't work properly if the gears are
messed up. For example maybe when it's set to 16tpi and it's really
cutting close to 17tpi this will then proceed to not let the half nut
engage at the proper time, which will defeat the whole purpose of the
thread chasing dial.


It truly will not work properly when you are set up for cutting
*any* metric threads.

There is about .007" play in the leadscrew itself which I can probably
fix with a thin washer.


Don't worry about it.

There is about .014" play in the half nut unit.


Again -- don't worry about it. These are normal amounts of
play, and since the carriage is always moving in the same direction when
cutting, the play is taken out. And especially so if you use the 29.5
degree compound infeed, so the cutting load is always on the left side
of the tool.

This I'll have to pull apart to see if I can tighten it up.


You can't -- and if you could, it would still wear back to that
much play rather quickly.

This could
definitly be part of my problem with not getting the same cut to line
up and is just not right, but something tells me there's more to it.


Yep -- that one gear in the train before the QC box.

Like I said up above I've tried keeping pressure on the carriage (away
from the headstock) and it hasn't done any good...

Any other ideas!?


Yep -- re-set the gears. Then you should be fine.

Enjoy,
DoN.

DoN,
This business with the 120 and 127 tooth gears was what I had posted.
How the gear, either the 120 or 127, was not being used as an idler. I
guess I should have made it more clear in my first post.
ERS
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DoN. Nichols
 
Posts: n/a
Default Thread Cutting

According to Eric R Snow :
On 12 May 2006 05:23:43 GMT, (DoN. Nichols)
wrote:


[ ... ]

Yep -- re-set the gears. Then you should be fine.


[ ... ]

DoN,
This business with the 120 and 127 tooth gears was what I had posted.


Yes -- I saw your posting *after* I posted my followup.

How the gear, either the 120 or 127, was not being used as an idler. I
guess I should have made it more clear in my first post.


From the chart, it is expected for the 127 tooth to be the one
used as an idler gear.

I tend to post a lot more detail, simply because if someone is
having problems of this nature, the more detail the better the chance
that he can make things work -- and avoid similar problems in the
future.

One thing which I did *not* get around to mentioning is that he
needs to bear in mind that whenever he is cutting metric threads, that
he should leave the half-nuts engaged the whole time, and reverse the
lathe to get to the start for another pass. This is a side-effect of
the threading dial just plain not working with metric threading and an
imperial leadscrew (or for that matter, with imperial threading, and a
metric leadscrew).

I also should mention that this can be a serious pain when
cutting threads to a shoulder, unless the lathe has a quick-acting
clutch to stop the spindle before there is a crash.

Enjoy,
DoN.
--
Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. |
http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---
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Eric R Snow
 
Posts: n/a
Default Thread Cutting

On 12 May 2006 20:34:11 GMT, (DoN. Nichols)
wrote:

According to Eric R Snow :
On 12 May 2006 05:23:43 GMT,
(DoN. Nichols)
wrote:


[ ... ]

Yep -- re-set the gears. Then you should be fine.


[ ... ]

DoN,
This business with the 120 and 127 tooth gears was what I had posted.


Yes -- I saw your posting *after* I posted my followup.

How the gear, either the 120 or 127, was not being used as an idler. I
guess I should have made it more clear in my first post.


From the chart, it is expected for the 127 tooth to be the one
used as an idler gear.

I tend to post a lot more detail, simply because if someone is
having problems of this nature, the more detail the better the chance
that he can make things work -- and avoid similar problems in the
future.

One thing which I did *not* get around to mentioning is that he
needs to bear in mind that whenever he is cutting metric threads, that
he should leave the half-nuts engaged the whole time, and reverse the
lathe to get to the start for another pass. This is a side-effect of
the threading dial just plain not working with metric threading and an
imperial leadscrew (or for that matter, with imperial threading, and a
metric leadscrew).

I also should mention that this can be a serious pain when
cutting threads to a shoulder, unless the lathe has a quick-acting
clutch to stop the spindle before there is a crash.

Enjoy,
DoN.

Greetings DoN,
My post was aimed at the OP, not you. Once again I fail to make myself
clear. Sometimes when I proofread my stuff I discover all sorts of
things which I have left out, or that make assumptions that a reader
might not. This business with metric threading and threading to a
shoulder has caused me to take a look at installing a dog clutch just
for this purpose. If the spindle only has one gear on it that engages
the the threading gear system then if that gear is driven by a dog
that can only engage at the same point in rotation then any thread can
be cut without fear of losing position.
ERS
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Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
F. George McDuffee
 
Posts: n/a
Default Thread Cutting

On Fri, 12 May 2006 16:19:33 -0700, Eric R Snow
wrote:

On 12 May 2006 20:34:11 GMT, (DoN. Nichols)
wrote:

According to Eric R Snow :
On 12 May 2006 05:23:43 GMT,
(DoN. Nichols)
wrote:


[ ... ]

Yep -- re-set the gears. Then you should be fine.


[ ... ]

DoN,
This business with the 120 and 127 tooth gears was what I had posted.


Yes -- I saw your posting *after* I posted my followup.

How the gear, either the 120 or 127, was not being used as an idler. I
guess I should have made it more clear in my first post.


From the chart, it is expected for the 127 tooth to be the one
used as an idler gear.

I tend to post a lot more detail, simply because if someone is
having problems of this nature, the more detail the better the chance
that he can make things work -- and avoid similar problems in the
future.

One thing which I did *not* get around to mentioning is that he
needs to bear in mind that whenever he is cutting metric threads, that
he should leave the half-nuts engaged the whole time, and reverse the
lathe to get to the start for another pass. This is a side-effect of
the threading dial just plain not working with metric threading and an
imperial leadscrew (or for that matter, with imperial threading, and a
metric leadscrew).

I also should mention that this can be a serious pain when
cutting threads to a shoulder, unless the lathe has a quick-acting
clutch to stop the spindle before there is a crash.

Enjoy,
DoN.

Greetings DoN,
My post was aimed at the OP, not you. Once again I fail to make myself
clear. Sometimes when I proofread my stuff I discover all sorts of
things which I have left out, or that make assumptions that a reader
might not. This business with metric threading and threading to a
shoulder has caused me to take a look at installing a dog clutch just
for this purpose. If the spindle only has one gear on it that engages
the the threading gear system then if that gear is driven by a dog
that can only engage at the same point in rotation then any thread can
be cut without fear of losing position.
ERS

===================================
If you are serious about [low volume] metric threading to a
shoulder with an inch lead screw, take a close look at a spindle
hand crank. This will allow lyou to get as close to the shoulder
as you desire and have time to retract the tool and reverse the
spindle to return to the start point. [I am assuming that you
know you can't use the thread dial and must not open the half nut
if you using metric/inch change gears.] If you anticipate high
volume metric threading you may want to check the cost/difficulty
of swapping the inch/metric lead screw.

see
http://www.mcduffee-associates.us/ma...ndle_crank.htm
to see a hand crank we manufactured in class for exactly this
purpose.


Unka George
(George McDuffee)

There is something to be said for government by a great aristocracy
which has furnished leaders to the nation in peace and war for generations;
even a democrat like myself must admit this.

But there is absolutely nothing to be said for government by a plutocracy,
for government by men very powerful in certain lines and gifted with the "money touch,"
but with ideals which in their essence are merely those of so many glorified pawnbrokers.

Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919), U.S. Republican (later Progressive) politician, president. Letter, 15 Nov. 1913.


  #16   Report Post  
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
Eric R Snow
 
Posts: n/a
Default Thread Cutting

On Fri, 12 May 2006 18:55:05 -0500, F. George McDuffee
wrote:

On Fri, 12 May 2006 16:19:33 -0700, Eric R Snow
wrote:

On 12 May 2006 20:34:11 GMT, (DoN. Nichols)
wrote:

According to Eric R Snow :
On 12 May 2006 05:23:43 GMT,
(DoN. Nichols)
wrote:

[ ... ]

Yep -- re-set the gears. Then you should be fine.

[ ... ]

DoN,
This business with the 120 and 127 tooth gears was what I had posted.

Yes -- I saw your posting *after* I posted my followup.

How the gear, either the 120 or 127, was not being used as an idler. I
guess I should have made it more clear in my first post.

From the chart, it is expected for the 127 tooth to be the one
used as an idler gear.

I tend to post a lot more detail, simply because if someone is
having problems of this nature, the more detail the better the chance
that he can make things work -- and avoid similar problems in the
future.

One thing which I did *not* get around to mentioning is that he
needs to bear in mind that whenever he is cutting metric threads, that
he should leave the half-nuts engaged the whole time, and reverse the
lathe to get to the start for another pass. This is a side-effect of
the threading dial just plain not working with metric threading and an
imperial leadscrew (or for that matter, with imperial threading, and a
metric leadscrew).

I also should mention that this can be a serious pain when
cutting threads to a shoulder, unless the lathe has a quick-acting
clutch to stop the spindle before there is a crash.

Enjoy,
DoN.

Greetings DoN,
My post was aimed at the OP, not you. Once again I fail to make myself
clear. Sometimes when I proofread my stuff I discover all sorts of
things which I have left out, or that make assumptions that a reader
might not. This business with metric threading and threading to a
shoulder has caused me to take a look at installing a dog clutch just
for this purpose. If the spindle only has one gear on it that engages
the the threading gear system then if that gear is driven by a dog
that can only engage at the same point in rotation then any thread can
be cut without fear of losing position.
ERS

===================================
If you are serious about [low volume] metric threading to a
shoulder with an inch lead screw, take a close look at a spindle
hand crank. This will allow lyou to get as close to the shoulder
as you desire and have time to retract the tool and reverse the
spindle to return to the start point. [I am assuming that you
know you can't use the thread dial and must not open the half nut
if you using metric/inch change gears.] If you anticipate high
volume metric threading you may want to check the cost/difficulty
of swapping the inch/metric lead screw.

see
http://www.mcduffee-associates.us/ma...ndle_crank.htm
to see a hand crank we manufactured in class for exactly this
purpose.


Greetings George,
If I have to do many pieces then the CNC lathe does it for me. But the
real reason for not using a slow spindle speed is because of finish.
Many materials will not machine well at low surface speeds. My other
option is to buy a Hardinge HLVH. Which I'm considering. But the
Hardinges doesn't have the 14 inch swing. On top of that, this lathe
should have this feature anyway. In fact, all lathes should be made
this way. My opinion of course isn't worth anything though...
Eric

Unka George
(George McDuffee)

There is something to be said for government by a great aristocracy
which has furnished leaders to the nation in peace and war for generations;
even a democrat like myself must admit this.

But there is absolutely nothing to be said for government by a plutocracy,
for government by men very powerful in certain lines and gifted with the "money touch,"
but with ideals which in their essence are merely those of so many glorified pawnbrokers.

Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919), U.S. Republican (later Progressive) politician, president. Letter, 15 Nov. 1913.

  #17   Report Post  
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
Gunner
 
Posts: n/a
Default Thread Cutting

On Sat, 13 May 2006 07:46:59 -0700, Eric R Snow
wrote:


see http://www.mcduffee-associates.us/ma...ndle_crank.htm
to see a hand crank we manufactured in class for exactly this
purpose.


Greetings George,
If I have to do many pieces then the CNC lathe does it for me. But the
real reason for not using a slow spindle speed is because of finish.
Many materials will not machine well at low surface speeds. My other
option is to buy a Hardinge HLVH. Which I'm considering. But the
Hardinges doesn't have the 14 inch swing. On top of that, this lathe
should have this feature anyway. In fact, all lathes should be made
this way. My opinion of course isn't worth anything though...
Eric



The HLV-H will thread easily and comfortably up to about 1000 rpm,
older machines may need a bit of clearance if the half nuts are worn.

Many machines can be fitted with a fast release on the half nut if its
a half nut threading style machine..which the Hardinge is not.

Indeed..I have to run some materials up near that 1000 rpm range to
get decent threads with no chatter marks, but until you are
comfortable with using an HLV-H...its a heart in mouth experience
watching that sucker heading for the spindle at high speeds.

CNC threads so quick, its not much of an issue as each cycle happens
so fast you really dont see it, much of the time.

Gunner



The aim of untold millions is to be free to do exactly as they choose
and for someone else to pay when things go wrong.

In the past few decades, a peculiar and distinctive psychology
has emerged in England. Gone are the civility, sturdy independence,
and admirable stoicism that carried the English through the war years
.. It has been replaced by a constant whine of excuses, complaints,
and special pleading. The collapse of the British character has been
as swift and complete as the collapse of British power.

Theodore Dalrymple,
  #18   Report Post  
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
F. George McDuffee
 
Posts: n/a
Default Thread Cutting

On Sat, 13 May 2006 23:55:54 GMT, Gunner
wrote:
snip
Many machines can be fitted with a fast release on the half nut if its
a half nut threading style machine..which the Hardinge is not.

snip
Problem is not opening the nut, it is "picking up" the thread.

When you use metric/inch change gears the thread indicator no
longer works. You have to keep the half nuts closed and reverse
the spindle to return to the starting point.

Quick retract tool holder may help, but like the old joke says
"you gotta be quick..."

For info on quick retract tool holder kit see
http://www.statecollegecentral.com/m...he/MLA16D.html

AFAIK these are no longer available new however you may be able
to pick up a good used unit.

Note that the three armed machinists to operate this set up are
no longer available either.



Unka George
(George McDuffee)

There is something to be said for government by a great aristocracy
which has furnished leaders to the nation in peace and war for generations;
even a democrat like myself must admit this.

But there is absolutely nothing to be said for government by a plutocracy,
for government by men very powerful in certain lines and gifted with the "money touch,"
but with ideals which in their essence are merely those of so many glorified pawnbrokers.

Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919), U.S. Republican (later Progressive) politician, president. Letter, 15 Nov. 1913.
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