Another neck turning thread.

I'm still trying to figure out what that gear is on the cross feed shaft?? Did that shattered oblong housing come off that? There is a rod running across the lathe parallel to the cross slide that has something to do with that gear...a rapid traverse on the cross slide?? ?? ??? Donno?? Probably drives the cross feed, but that shaft beside it?????

The long rods running parallel to the bedway casting, one is for the spindle clutch, one is to drive the feed mechanism for the long and cross axis, the one with the acme thread is for threading. They look fine from the pictures.

It still doesn't look fatal by any means.
 
The gear on the cross feed shaft looks like a spud gear that drives the cross feed itself, the rod on the headstock side of it appears to be nothing more than a tracking rod, it isn't load bearing and it has play in it. The shattered oblong casting came off of the cross feed shaft, you can see where the casting sheared off in the picture with the spud gear stuck up in the air like a flag. The rest of the casting is bolted on with allen head bolts, I need to get a long driver and some allen bits later and a ratchet, then I'll pull it off and see if the cross feed shaft is boogered or still okay. I get the feeling that the spud gear just fractured and hopefully that saved the cross feed shaft from damage. I'll post pictures of it when I get the covers off the cross feed and the carriage handwheel, hopefully I won't have to pull the apron and saddle, that would be ideal.
 
After looking at picture 3 pn this lathe http://www.nrmachinesales.com/lathes/l300062.htm it apparently drives the cross axis power feed or rapid traverse. Kind of a non-traditional was of doing that (having the drive mechanism outside the apron housing...its gotta' be for a rapid traverse???? I say again-dunno??? If it is just for the cross slide traverse you can sure live without that feature.
 
I sent Jackie a PM, and I'll call his shop on Monday if I don't hear from him by then, I'm sure he's a busy man.

This is going to be an enlightening adventure to get this lathe back to where it was this time yesterday, and even more so to update it. The way I'm figuring it, I need to find any damaged components in the entire lathe while I'm making repairs, and just go ahead and do an overhaul while I'm in there.

Jim
 
Jim unless you get a parts lathe give to you, you'll likely end up with more money in the lathe than it's worth and you still won't have a tailstock. When a machine is 50-70 years old its had to find parts that aren't wore out.

It might be cheaper to find a South Bend heavy 10.

I wish you the best of luck.

Hal
 
Hal,

The plan for the tailstock as of right now is to machine a base plate to mount a tailstock to, pretty much any quality one I can find that's close enough to center to work with, and set it to the base plate by machining the base plate too tall and lowering it with a fly cutter to get exact dead center.

The thing I'm brainstorming right now is brazing the shattered casting back together, I'll probably have to fill the casting where voids are sure to be since it went all over the place. I may be able to replace it with a machined part, won't be as elegant and pretty but as long as I can make something work I'll be happy.

I'm pretty determined to fix it, can't let operator error scrap a piece of history.

Jim
 
You've got that right Jerry!

I've been examining the shattered casting, I'm going to have to machine a new one. Hopefully a guy I know can write a g code for it and run one out in the Haas he uses at work.

Jim
 
Jim Cox said:
You've got that right Jerry!

I've been examining the shattered casting, I'm going to have to machine a new one. Hopefully a guy I know can write a g code for it and run one out in the Haas he uses at work.

Jim
Click to expand...

G-code programming, I used to do a lot of that but not on a Haas. These were big machines like Giddings & Lewis floor type HBM's, 12' x 12' x 7' and 85hp.
 
Upon further inspection, the cross feed shaft is destroyed. I'm going to have to cut it just to remove it from the apron. I get the feeling it's going to be expensive to have a new one made.

The carriage handwheel spur gear is heavily worn, but appears to be undamaged by the fall. It's useable, but I'm going to replace it. The gear that it engages is actually beautiful, completely undamaged. Covered in gunk and 70 years of sludge, but underneath that it's beautifully machined and totally intact. Which is encouraging.

The cross feed handwheel casting might be salvageable, I'm going to try and braze it.

I'll put up pictures when the computer starts working again.
 
That casting has a lever that locks down the handwheel, almost like a redundant brake to aid the one on the saddle. I got the cross feed shaft out with a cut right in the angle created by the fall, and now that you mention it I think it would work to weld it back up, the rest of it is straight. The gear that slips over it into the broaches is beyond saving though. That one will have to be replaced. The good news is that the ways are still pretty, and the cross slide is nice and smooth. Getting all the gunk out of it as we speak.

I tried calling Jackie's shop a minute ago, didn't get an answer. I'll try again in the morning.
 
Jim Cox said:
That casting has a lever that locks down the handwheel, almost like a redundant brake to aid the one on the saddle. I



I tried calling Jackie's shop a minute ago, didn't get an answer. I'll try again in the morning.
Click to expand...

After looking at the parts manual I would guess it is a cross slide lock used in threading...pretty complicated mechanism for that chore. Engaging that lever would stop the cross slide in a certain place for each threading pass.

Feeding the tool into the thread for each subsequent pass would be done using the compound. At the end of each pass the cross slide would then be used to back the tool away from the workpiece, the carriage traversed back to the beginning and the cross feed dial would then be moved back in to be stopped where that mechanism has its stop set.

If that is in fact what that is for, you can use the lathe and thread without it even being on there. But there will be a parts machine somewhere if you look long enough.
 
I've got time, I'll keep scrounging around and hopefully I get lucky and stumble upon a parts machine with a tailstock too! I've been looking around, and methinks it's going to be a long road to get this machine back in the groove. In the meantime, I've scrubbed the cross slide clean of gunk, and next I'm going to strip the compound down and give it a good cleaning.

Thankfully the gear that the carriage handwheel engages is still looking great under all the gunk.
1782464_634669749901812_944700465_o.jpg

Unfortunately, here's the gear that's on the handwheel shaft…
1553056_635236786511775_1309688508_o.jpg

The cross feed ways…
1522543_635236789845108_1369092476_o.jpg
1614534_635236796511774_2085940734_o.jpg

Here's what the gear inside that casting looks like…
1292950_635236913178429_1390312791_o.jpg

At the end of the day, here's a nice little surprise…
1618332_635236903178430_1688415725_o.jpg

12" Bison 3 jaw. Would've been nicer to have a 4 or 6 jaw, but I'm pleased that it at least has a high quality chuck.

Pics of the cross feed shaft in the next post.
 
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The cross feed shaft is straight in between the bearings, here's a picture of the broached end…
741308_635236783178442_404588880_o.jpg

The part of it I had to cut off to remove it from the machine is a little more mangled, and it'd take some serious doing to repair it enough to weld on. Whatever steel they used to make it, it is one SERIOUSLY tough piece. Not super hard, it cut easily enough, but it absorbed the entire impact of the machine and didn't break.
1531798_635236909845096_1776189486_o.jpg

Here's the gear that slipped over the broached end of the cross feed shaft, it's completely wrecked, no salvaging it. In fact, I'll be doing good to get accurate measurements off it to find a replacement.
1617115_635236899845097_1529701941_o.jpg

This brass bushing was over the gear…
1655544_635236999845087_1485482158_o.jpg

Last but not least, the engagement nut for the cross feed shaft's threaded section, a big hunk of brass…
1009203_635236996511754_1609462964_o.jpg


All in all, nothing completely unfixable. The ways are still in good shape for not being hardened and ground, and don't show any excessive wear. The cross feed has wedges to take the slop out of the ways as they wear, a thoughtful addition from a brilliant engineer. I'm diving into the compound tomorrow, after some manual studying to figure out how it comes apart so I don't booger anything else up.

Cheers,

Jim
 
Jim Cox said:
. The cross feed has wedges to take the slop out of the ways as they wear, a thoughtful addition from a brilliant engineer.

Cheers,

Jim
Click to expand...

Those little "wedges" are called gibs. Quality machine tools have them on all moving slides.

Great learning experience isn't it?
 
NOW that makes sense! I kept seeing that word but it wasn't clicking. Definitely an invaluable learning experience, it's actually been enjoyable tearing into it and learning hands-on how it all works together.
 
Hart neck turner

Jim Cox said:
I never said or implied they aren't worthy of my consideration, I've considered all of them and they each have features that don't appeal to me. Someone else's results are not mine, good for them, but I'm not trying to copy recipes here. I have an aversion to aluminum tools, it's a mental thing. I just far prefer steel, and more so I like to have measured and repeatable control over adjustments, regardless of the complexity of the operation.
Click to expand...

I have had a hart for over 15 years and they work good. I did replace the arbor with a carbide one. The main thing is to size the brass properly before turning.
Good luck with wichever you choose.
Ron
 
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