Engaging half nut

[Alberto-sp]

Hello.

I have a minilathe and is a PITA engaging the falf nut. I have a threadind dial, but not always engage where it should and a I have to try it a few times.

So, Am I clumsy, there is anything I´m missing or just my minilathe doesn´t have the quality that it should?

Thank you

Best regards

 

[Just for fun]

I was having that problem on my PM 1236T. On the dial the pointer in a rivet head, I have to engage just before it gets to center. I slowed way down and practiced with nothing in the lathe but learned where to engage. It has helped.

 

[T Bredehoft]

practiced with nothing in the lathe but learned where to engage.

That's what you've gotta do. Practice it dry, without intent to cut. Practice till it's automatic, don't try for fast turning, start slow as the lathe will go with a coarse thread.

 

[Gaffer]

Joe Pie's video below is helpful. Some folks don't care for it, but I like it. Let me know what you think.

 

[Wheat.Millington]

Joe also has an old video on this exact topic:

 

[maspann]

Yep, I just did a 1/2 - 28 on my PM1236T using Joe Pie's method. I was able to dial it in and get a perfect 3 wire reading. Would never have attempted it turning toward the chuck.

 

[graham-xrf]

I have always loved Joe Pie's method, but I can only use it when I have fixed up a way to guarantee my chuck won't unscrew itself off the spindle. It's going to require a modification add-on of some kind.

 

[Alberto-sp]

Thank you for all your answers.

I saw the first Joe´s video, but he uses the dial and in my lathe doesn´t work very well. I´ll see the other video.

But, do you use always the threading dial to engage the falf nut? I mean, if I only machining somethinh (not threading) I´ll need the threading dial?

thank you

 

[WobblyHand]

Thank you for all your answers.

I saw the first Joe´s video, but he uses the dial and in my lathe doesn´t work very well. I´ll see the other video.

But, do you use always the threading dial to engage the falf nut? I mean, if I only machining somethinh (not threading) I´ll need the threading dial?

thank you

For feeding, you can engage the half nut where ever you can. You do not need the threading dial for that.

 

[great white]

Thank you for all your answers.

I saw the first Joe´s video, but he uses the dial and in my lathe doesn´t work very well. I´ll see the other video.

But, do you use always the threading dial to engage the falf nut? I mean, if I only machining somethinh (not threading) I´ll need the threading dial?

thank you

You don’t absolutely need the threading dial to engage the half nuts, but it gives you a visual ref as to when the the half nut threads are lined up with the leadscrew threads. Without that, you just gotta flip the lever and hope they’re lined up or the half nut is going to ride on the leadscrew until it lines up and can drop in to the leadscrew threads. Not good for longevity of the half nuts….