Pye MM

[Retired]

Hi,

It's looking good Alan and the dimensioned drawing will prove very useful to others suffering a broken spindle.

The mill makes such work a doddle and the dividing head is an extremely useful attachment.

I made my MM spindle using my Colchester Triumph lathe and setting up was more of a problem also I didn't even own a vertical slide so could only use the cross slide taking cuts for the flats across the lathe bed; doing it this way I ended up with having to hand file both ends of each flat to make them straight because the end mill obviously left these round.

Be careful because it is so easy to slip up resulting in the square being rotated the wrong way in relation to the flats also drilling clearance and tapping holes need to be on centre. Check every setting twice before cutting then check again.

Could you shim the end float by adding a simple washer?

Kind regards, Col

[AlanBeckett]

Col,

A confession first. I was thinking about it last night and I simply couldn't believe that it should have that much end float, especially as everything else seemed OK. So I went down to the garage and had another look. Put simply I'd put the knob on in the wrong place. Slackening it off and retightening it with no float sorted it :@

Yes, the Vertical Mill and Rotary certainly make the job easier. However, as you found with your Triumph, it's all a bit big for this size of work. One slip with the handles and it's a right-off.
I'm not too bothered if I get it wrong as this was meant to be the rough prototype, although if it turns out OK I'll use it. As we all know, it's much easier to make the second one

Alan

[Retired]

Hi,

That's the end float removed Alan so now all you need to do is to make a perfect job without resorting to a prototype which should be easy given the kit at your disposal.

Yes I was thinking just how easy it is to trash a job by a simple silly mistake. One mistake we lathe owners tend to make is with using the cross slide; on normal turning which covers most of the jobs the cross slide is moved towards the operator moving the tool away from the cut.

I would bet that just about everyone who has ever used an engineering lathe has moved the cross slide exactly the same way whilst using a boring bar putting a cut on instead of taking it off and as the bar is quickly withdrawn it cuts a very nice coarse thread.

Keep at it Alan and good luck I'm watching your scrap bin.

Kind regards, Col.

[AlanBeckett]

Now for some (more) measurements.
I reassembled the RHS Panel - not all the screws - and the second stage coil box and marked where the Contact Fingers fell. The fingers are 3/8" apart in all three cases. I marked the finger positions with a fine felt pen. This was not exact as I had to poke down behind the panel with the pen, but better than nothing. Then I took it to bits again.
Next I did a 1:1 plot and laid the spindle on top - that's the bottom half of the attached picture. I was pretty surpised that the second and third - counting from the left - were so far out. However, that's what I did it for. As before I expect the dimensions to be sensible Imperial values. So, a bit of jiggery-pockery with the Drawing produced the top half of the picture. I think that's about right. I was a bit surprised that the first one is 1 1/16" (1.0625") and not 1", but I suppose 'why not?" I've adjusted the overall length to 6" which seems much more logical.
Next some more machining. There'll be plenty of scope for making a mistake then
Alan

   

[AlanBeckett]

So, back to work. This time of the year is a menace as there's a constant drip of 'Can you just hang this up?' I've even had to drill holes through the walls for outside lights

Step one was to coat the spindle in Layout Blue so I could see what I was doing. This was preceeded by knocking over the pot. There's now a nice blue stain on the bench which is probably a permanent feature. I just required a lot of hand scrubbing so that I could go out for a Christmas Dinner without looking like an Ancient Briton in war paint

Next was marking up. That was a combination of sharp dividers, a good rule and the lathe. Then I rubbed off the blue on the bits that I didn't want machined. It's always a bit infuriating when you find yourself machining between the wrong pair of lines.

Finally it was back into the Rotary to mill the flats. There was much head scratching and neck twisting to get the offset the right way round, but I believe I've managed it. Then rub off the blue and do a bit of fettling. I think it will do, but we'll see.

Next some holes. I'm feeling a bit wimpish about using my big drill for this so there'll probably have to be a delay while I do a bit of cobbling on my little drill.

More soon, I hope.

Alan

                       

[Retired]

Hi Alan,

Looking good; now don't mess up with the drilling and tapping.

Kind regards, Col.

[AlanBeckett]

And that young Col is always the danger.
I shall become more and more nervous from now on.

Alan

[Retired]

Hi,

Have you considered making a couple of extra spindles whilst everything is set up Alan as there must be a demand for them.

I'm not surprised the manufacturer resorted to using die cast spindles as this must have saved a great deal of money not having to machine every one.

Kind regards, Col.

[Joe]

You seem to have done everything else, Col, so how about setting up a home foundry?

- Joe

[Retired]

Hi,

Thanks Joe. You won't be surprised to learn that I did actually look into setting up my own workshop foundry. I joined an American forum and all the information was there. Please check this out as an example;

http://www.backyardmetalcasting.com/

I was taught blacksmithing as an apprentice and wish many times I had an anvil and forge. It would be wonderful now that I'm retired to have everything I could dream of in my garage as I would run riot with ideas. A garage the size of a warehouse would certainly help but I can't grumble with what I have.

I also miss full size oxy/acetylene equipment; not for welding but brazing and burning would be useful; I once bought the smaller size but decided having compressed gasses around home was just a bit too dangerous.

I'm pleased Alan has added the dimensioned spindle drawings as this information is not available elsewhere; when I made my spindle I didn't know this was going to become a common weak point on these sets and is why I suggested making a few spares whilst Alan has all the equipment set up. Whenever I do such work the first is always the hardest and most time consuming to do.

At the moment I'm totally frustrated as I want to potter around in the garage but the weather is dire. It's also perishing in the workshop so I'm doing a bit of web surfing for ideas regarding my proposed new home made belt grinder. I've already pulled out a chunk of Aero-space alloy bar stock at 2.5" Dia by 5.75" long to make two rollers from but I need to check out my black iron stock.

Kind regards, Col.