Precision Matthews BS-1 Dividing Head - Delivery and Unboxing - Full review coming

BladesIIB said:
Understand, it definitely does not have a plate like that. Thanks.
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Yes, they did not come with the machine, they were an optional extra, I have only seen one, ever and that was on EB, I had to have it, but have never used it, it just fills a slot in the change gear compartment on the mill. So many accessories and so little time!
 
I have the same dividing head. The worm can be disengaged.
 
dpb said:
I have the same dividing head. The worm can be disengaged.
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You can disengage it yes, but on mine, you have to take the plate off and you are essentially at the same step as just pulling the worm gear shaft completely out of the unit, and after disengaging, you would need to reset the backlash. I think some others have a quick lever to disengage the worm gear in a much more user friendly manner. I would not disengage mine and then have to reset the backlash, unless I was going to do a lot of direct indexing for a job. I would just crank it around for direct indexing, I think that would be faster in the long run IMO.
 
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On the original B&S universal head, the worm is disengaged by being held in an eccentric carrier that when rotated pulled the worm out of mesh in a radial direction; on early models this was done with a knob that when rotated turned a pinion gear that engaged gear teeth on the eccentric carrier, when reengaged, there was a locking knob that prevented the pinion shaft from rotating, later units (the one that I have has a lever directly attached to the eccentric carrier and has a hinged arm that secures the knob in place.
 
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