Dividing Head On Small Horizontal?

[G-ManBart]

I did some searching and couldn't really find much in the way of a good answer on this. For background, I've got a Bridgeport 2J 2HP vertical mill and a K&T 2H Plain horizontal mill for bigger stuff, so this is just an idea I'm kicking around.

I recently bought a beautiful Sheldon No. 0 horizontal mill that has seen almost no use. It came from a university machine shop school and was barely used...not a mark on the table and just a bit of dried cutting oil to clean off. I didn't need it, but it was close and so cheap I couldn't pass on it. I've got some ideas that would require making some gears, and I don't have a dividing head, but nothing I'm ready to start on just yet. I've been looking off and on at bigger dividing heads for the K&T but then a thought popped in my head that I could essentially set up the Sheldon for making gears and leave the dividing head on it semi-permanently. The table is 22" by 5.25", so pretty small. I think that would limit me to a BS-0 size dividing head. I looked at the old Sheldon catalogs, but really couldn't get an idea of the size they listed as an accessory for this mill. I don't envision a need to make particularly large gears at this point, so I don't think the mill's size will be a factor.

Has anybody here used a combo like this? Since everybody loves pictures, here are a few pics of the Sheldon after nothing but a quick wipe down when I got it home. Since then I've started to clean off the cutting oil and it's amazing how nice this thing is!

 

[benmychree]

Does it have power feed on the table? If not it might not be too good for gear cutting.

 

[G-ManBart]

Does it have power feed on the table? If not it might not be too good for gear cutting.

Yes, the power feed is the QCGB on the right side.

 

[benmychree]

Yes, the power feed is the QCGB on the right side.

I see the gearbox, but do not see the means of it driving the table or engaging the feed

 

[G-ManBart]

I see the gearbox, but do not see the means of it driving the table or engaging the feed

If you zoom in on the first picture you can see some of the output shaft from the gearbox and the lever on the right side of the table that engages the power feed. At least with this late version power feed was standard and they didn't even over a manual version with a handle on the right side of the table. Here it is in action...

View attachment IMG_5594.MOV

 

[benmychree]

If you zoom in on the first picture you can see some of the output shaft from the gearbox and the lever on the right side of the table that engages the power feed. At least with this late version power feed was standard and they didn't even over a manual version with a handle on the right side of the table. Here it is in action...

View attachment 485598

It works nicely!

 

[BROCKWOOD]

As for correct dividing head size, figure your available working height & reverse engineer the size needed. Once you lock in that specification, taking into account the max size gear blank the mill can accommodate, look into a rotary table that has horizontal capability. Suddenly 4" & up are easily available! Just be sure your selection includes a tail stock & dividing plates while you're at it. Or it's go fish for you again.

I could only dream of a Sheldon when I bought my bench top combo & paid more than anyone with knowledge would. It's been a good machine for me as I began my learning journey & beefed it up to meet my needs. It's far short of a Sheldon in that department. For reference, it's a mill with max throat of 10" - collet holder & cutter. Of course for gear cutting, it will take a bit of thinking to figure & set up for gear cutting. This is after all usually a horizontal mill operation. But, yeah, cutting your blank from the side works just as well! Happy planning! Happy purchase & happy milling!

My combo for reference is a Grizzly G0733. Yep, a Sheldon would be a much better decision.

 

[matthewsx]

I had a similar thought for my Hardinge BB4. Don’t think even a 0 size dividing head would work though.

Interesting that a power feed would be necessary, my machine was originally owned by Frieden and I can’t imagine it was used for anything beside gear cutting since they made mechanical calculators.

Hardinge did sell an appropriately sized dividing head but finding one of those might be a lifetimes work. Any thoughts on a good one to look for?

John






John

 

[matthewsx]

That’s a little rotary table I bought but I don’t think it’ll work for gear cutting. I could probably make something that would work with a stepper motor but that’s not what I had in mind when I bought the mill.

My interest in setting up this way is a very long term goal of building an ornamental lathe.

John

 

[projectnut]

Just about any "reasonable size" dividing head should fit on your Sheldon horizontal mill. I have a smaller US Machine Tools #1 horizontal mill from the 1940's. One of the accessories that could be purchased for it is a 6" dividing head. I have placed my 11" dividing head on the table, and it seems there is sufficient room to make up to a 6" diameter gear.

The main difference between the Sheldon and the US Machine Tools mill is the fact that the US Machine Tools machine has a rise and fall head. The head itself has a 4 1/2" vertical range along with the table having a 15 3/4" vertical range.

Here's a brochure outlining the features of the US Machine Tools #1 mill.