25-03-2014, 08:47 AM
Hi,
Thanks Alan D. Clutches are usually meant to take up drive and not slip once fully engaged but the cone clutch on this Lorch will also drive without slipping until a pre-set torque is reached then it dis-engages the drive; I've not yet been able to test this under power but I believe this is how it works? I'll post more pictures of the two drives once I install them showing the lead-screw and the sliding key drive shaft.
Thanks Refugee. Yes it appears the large control knob adjusts the torque settings by applying pressure to the cone clutch; this clutch must have been an expensive addition to this lathe considering its complexity and all the extra machining etc involved; this lathe must have been really special in its day in fact considering it has this sensitive clutch installed it is still a very special lathe today? Regarding the cross feed (facing) not working when I first got the lathe home I'm rather puzzled about this; I tried many times with the lathe under power trying to get the various feeds to work both sliding feeds worked OK but as I previously said I thought there must be some damage to the apron gears/linkages which I expected to find once the lathe was completely stripped? I was delighted to see no such damage only lots and lots of dirt; I completely removed all the dirt and and as I reassembled all the gears and linkages at each stage I ensured all was working as it should with correct adjustments. The gear teeth are not deep so I now believe given the amount of dirt I uncovered and removed this has allowed the facing feed gears to finally mesh providing the missing feed? This Lorch is in remarkably good condition under all the rust and dirt; take for example the hidden drive belt idler pulley in the bed end; I thought this would be a nightmare to restore but once it was removed and given a good clean then spun on the Graduate it came up like new; the plain bearing bushes were in good order as was the shaft.
I don't think this lathe has received a great deal of use during its lifetime hence it got into this dirty condition which certainly worked in my favour when I bought it. I thought this lathe would be very rough and badly abused when I first saw it and held out little hope; I wasn't prepared to pay a great deal of money for it after being caught out so badly and losing so much money on my two previous Myford's which were indeed little more than scrap. I would not have bought this lathe without firstly being able to inspect it and try it out under power; it was very noisy but all the main items appeared to be in decent condition so it was well worth what I paid for it and the price also included delivery so this time unlike with the Myford's I would not lose any money should I have decided to sell it on. I bought the Myford's unseen and this was a huge mistake. I like good old fashioned British machinery but this German Lorch is very superior to the Myford's I owned; I lost out big style with the Myford's (around £1,000) but this Lorch I'm sure will be ample compensation once restored.
I'm indebted to Big Al for tipping me off about this Lorch; at first I was unsure whether to visit to inspect it because I was still smarting from the Myford's but as it was local and Alan had taken the trouble to let me know about it I thought why not at least have a look at it; I was even accompanied by my personal black cloud so it looked promising. The pictures of this Lorch posted on eBay hardly inspired me with confidence but look what I'm uncovering as the restoration progresses; so far all is going well and I think I've already resolved the problems causing all the noise these being bearings in the motor and the counter-shaft which have now been replaced; I think I'll end up changing all the electrics including the motor because this very old motor still isn't as quiet as I would like it to be with the new bearings installed.
Ideally I would like to install a cast iron motor because these are very sweet running indeed converting the Lorch to 3 phase running through a VFD but I've a lot more work to do yet before reaching the electrics.
Kind regards, Col.
Thanks Alan D. Clutches are usually meant to take up drive and not slip once fully engaged but the cone clutch on this Lorch will also drive without slipping until a pre-set torque is reached then it dis-engages the drive; I've not yet been able to test this under power but I believe this is how it works? I'll post more pictures of the two drives once I install them showing the lead-screw and the sliding key drive shaft.
Thanks Refugee. Yes it appears the large control knob adjusts the torque settings by applying pressure to the cone clutch; this clutch must have been an expensive addition to this lathe considering its complexity and all the extra machining etc involved; this lathe must have been really special in its day in fact considering it has this sensitive clutch installed it is still a very special lathe today? Regarding the cross feed (facing) not working when I first got the lathe home I'm rather puzzled about this; I tried many times with the lathe under power trying to get the various feeds to work both sliding feeds worked OK but as I previously said I thought there must be some damage to the apron gears/linkages which I expected to find once the lathe was completely stripped? I was delighted to see no such damage only lots and lots of dirt; I completely removed all the dirt and and as I reassembled all the gears and linkages at each stage I ensured all was working as it should with correct adjustments. The gear teeth are not deep so I now believe given the amount of dirt I uncovered and removed this has allowed the facing feed gears to finally mesh providing the missing feed? This Lorch is in remarkably good condition under all the rust and dirt; take for example the hidden drive belt idler pulley in the bed end; I thought this would be a nightmare to restore but once it was removed and given a good clean then spun on the Graduate it came up like new; the plain bearing bushes were in good order as was the shaft.
I don't think this lathe has received a great deal of use during its lifetime hence it got into this dirty condition which certainly worked in my favour when I bought it. I thought this lathe would be very rough and badly abused when I first saw it and held out little hope; I wasn't prepared to pay a great deal of money for it after being caught out so badly and losing so much money on my two previous Myford's which were indeed little more than scrap. I would not have bought this lathe without firstly being able to inspect it and try it out under power; it was very noisy but all the main items appeared to be in decent condition so it was well worth what I paid for it and the price also included delivery so this time unlike with the Myford's I would not lose any money should I have decided to sell it on. I bought the Myford's unseen and this was a huge mistake. I like good old fashioned British machinery but this German Lorch is very superior to the Myford's I owned; I lost out big style with the Myford's (around £1,000) but this Lorch I'm sure will be ample compensation once restored.
I'm indebted to Big Al for tipping me off about this Lorch; at first I was unsure whether to visit to inspect it because I was still smarting from the Myford's but as it was local and Alan had taken the trouble to let me know about it I thought why not at least have a look at it; I was even accompanied by my personal black cloud so it looked promising. The pictures of this Lorch posted on eBay hardly inspired me with confidence but look what I'm uncovering as the restoration progresses; so far all is going well and I think I've already resolved the problems causing all the noise these being bearings in the motor and the counter-shaft which have now been replaced; I think I'll end up changing all the electrics including the motor because this very old motor still isn't as quiet as I would like it to be with the new bearings installed.
Ideally I would like to install a cast iron motor because these are very sweet running indeed converting the Lorch to 3 phase running through a VFD but I've a lot more work to do yet before reaching the electrics.
Kind regards, Col.
Happiness is a wreck of a cabinet to restore.
