Today I had to remove the tailstock barrel on my 51/2" Synchro, because it had got impossibly stiff to move. I had to drift it out, and after a certain amount of polishing of the barrel and the bore in the tailstock, its freed off. Still not sure what caused it, everything was well lubricated, and t...

To cut imperial threads on a metric TDS, or metric threads on an imperial TDS needs, amongst other things, a special cast iron quadrant bracket. The same bracket is used in both cases. If theres any demand out there for these brackets, I'm happy to make a pattern and get some cast. Price a bit uncer...

Mine came with one of those tip up chip guards hinged over the chuck, which I never use because its too small for the faceplate or the big 4 jaw, and useless if the cutting operation isn't directly in front of the chuck. I might make one as shown on the first download, at least the shield moves with...

OK Andy, duly noted. I've turned some blanks, just waiting to see if my ebay bid on a 24DP cutter is successful.

Anybody need a 30T gear for a thread dial indicator? I've got a spare one.

Richard

I need to cut a 28T gear for the thread dial on my metric Synchro, to supplement the more commonly found 30T gear. Cutting it isn't a problem, just have to incline the dividing head over slightly to skew the teeth to match the pitch of the leadscrew. I believe that this component is common to metric...

I have managed to get a 30 tooth thread dial I just need a 28 tooth gear for it now so if anyone has one laying around I would be interested thanks nige Did you ever get a 28T gear for the thread dial? I've got to make one for my 280, and I think the gears are the same, so I could make 2 as easily ...

I've got a drawing showing the basic arrangement for a non gearbox metric lathe, type TDS 1 Metric, drg ML105/100A/M, which refers to Chart CH159 for the actual individual gears for each pitch, and I don't have a copy of that chart. Drg 105 does differ a bit from your chart, for example in Fig 1, it...

I've got a spare 127T/135T compound gear, as used for cutting imperial threads on metric 5" and 280 Denford lathes. Its brand new, never been used, only slight issue is that the teeth are cut to 14 1/2 degree PA, not 20 degree PA, because I couldn't source a set of 20PA cutters. To be honest, althou...

So I have had a fixed steady that came with my second hand 280vs 15 years ago. After trying to use it today it is too low. It measures 5.5" to bed flats. My 280vs seems to measure 6". All the time I thought this was a 5.5" lathe! So the question is was a 6" lathe and steady produced or are my verni...

Jon Yes, you have to physically remove the cross slide nut in order to use the taper/tracer attachment. Its a bit easier for me, because I've got a long slotted cross slide which is what I normally use, plus a standard cross slide without a nut, so I wind back the slotted slide till the nut disengag...

Sounds better. You didn't mention the VFD first time. I still think you'll need Option 2 to get slow speed low enough though.

Here's some photos of my latest 280 Synchro project, an imperial transposing set to allow a metric lathe to cut imperial threads. The standard set up supplied by Denford could do 21 pitches from 4 TPI to 28TPI, but I added 3 more gears so I can now do 27 pitches from 4 TPI to 56TPI, which pretty muc...

Assuming you are using typical 4 step pulleys, with steps of 2",3",4" and 5" with a 2800 rpm motor, the lowest speed you will get is about 450 rpm, followed by 850, then 1500, and so on up to a theoretical maximum of 17500! I don't know what you intend to use the lathe for, but you'll only have abou...

Does anyone out there own a metric 250 with the additional translation gear set to allow it to cut imperial threads? If so, can you settle something for me please. Is the cast bracket the cranked one used on the 280, to drg BVS 114/1B or is it the 'T' shaped one to drg ML114/1A?

Richard

Sorry I can't answer your questions, mine was already running on an inverter when I got it, although I can't see why you would want to change the varispeed pullies, just leave them as is. The inverter, when used in conjunction with the lowest varispeed setting will allow you to get a lower bottom sp...

In case anyone is interested, heres some photos of the taper turning attachment I've made. The only change to the available drawings is that I've made the swivelling plate from 2 1/2" x 1/4" MS plate, not 2 1/2" x 1/8" which Denfords specified. Thats because I thought it would give a better bearing ...

Yes it is easy. I've just made one, all except the cast brackets, which I collected from the foundry on Wednesday, and I'm machining as we speak. Most of the drawings are on this site, except for the spring housings and attachment pins, which I had to work out for myself. I'll be making an extra sty...

I'm curious about this. I've looked at the various items of Denford literature I've got, and theres no mention of this 'knock off'/push off' anywhere, nor can I spot it on the drawings. Presumably it was a factory option, but did they ever publicise it?

Richard

Surely this isn't a Denford original fitting? To be useful, it would need to spring the half nuts open, not just gradually open them. How is it reset, does the operator have to manually pull the bar out each time? As a safety device, yes maybe it does have some merit, but as a device for releasing c...

I think the problem with fixing it on the topslide instead of the toolpost(which would be very easy), is that it would make the vertical very high relative to centreline, and I'd have doubts about how much useful milling could be done on it. A lot depends on the size and type of work the OP has in m...