Upgrading My South Bend 9" Lathe to large Dials

Mark_f

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Jan 16, 2020
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The dial upgrade on my X-Y table was practice for doing my South Bend lathe.
I am so pleased with the results on the table, it will be great on my lathe.

I will be increasing the dial size on both the compound and the cross slide from 1 inch in diameter to 1 3/4 inches in diameter. This project requires making a new lead screws for the compound and the cross slide. I am starting with the compound (I could cut up the old ones but there would be no going back). I started with a piece of .500 drill rod ( because I had no 3/8 diameter), turned it to .374" diameter and cut 3/8-10 acme thread for 3.750 inches. I had an old compound nut from when I replaced it. It only had a little wear ( I think about .010" back lash) So I cut the new screw to fit this nut and will use it in the change over.

The photo below shows testing the nut for fit. There is zero back lash on the fit.
machining compound lead screw.jpg

The next photo is the completed lead screw. It will fasten to the bushing in the bearing assembly.
finished compound lead screw.jpg


more tomorrow.....
 
Today I made the large bushing that screws into the compound.
20170625_113846_HDR_resized.jpg
The bearing pocket and retainer plate pocket is cut, the screw holes are drilled and tapped.

20170625_113901_HDR_resized.jpg
The rear of the bushing has a spud that is threaded 9/16-18 to screw into the compound.

20170625_114207_HDR_resized.jpg
This is the unit assembled. the bearings will be here tomorrow.

Next is to make the lead screw extension.
 
Nice, I already did the crossfeed, and am wanting to do the compound.
Are you going to do 200 ticks to get a direct reading dial on the crossfeed? I recommend it. Work is so much faster. I can rough out quickly just using the dial, where as before, there were lots of errors due to radius readings.
 
Nice, I already did the crossfeed, and am wanting to do the compound.
Are you going to do 200 ticks to get a direct reading dial on the crossfeed? I recommend it. Work is so much faster. I can rough out quickly just using the dial, where as before, there were lots of errors due to radius readings.

Actually no...... I am used to the way it reads now so I will be leaving it at 100 ticks on the dials. I automatically half the dial readings in my head when working. I guess it is a matter of preference, but I never minded the way the South Bend dials read and I think it would be hard to change now for me.
 
The compound upgrade is almost done. I am waiting on the bearings now.


I installed the bushing into the compound and marked the location for the witness mark and spanner wrench hole, and drilled the oil hole.
oil hole.jpg
witness mark.jpg
spanner wrench hole.jpg

I test fit the assembly and all is as close to perfect as I could expect. I will finish machining the outside end of the shaft for the handle after installing the bearings when they arrive.
test fit.jpg
I will also engrave the lines and numbers on the dial.
 
I set up my dividing head on the lathe and engraved the lines on the dial. ( I'm working on a mounting bracket for easily mounting the dividing head to the lathe for marking dials.)
20170626_161749_HDR_resized.jpg
The lines came out perfect. Tomorrow, I will stamp the numbers.
 
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