Hi
If anyone is looking for a Denford lathe, there is one on ebay.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Denford-Lathe-/132733267913

Hi
I developed a bearing preload setting procedure written up here viewtopic.php?f=14&t=499

Hi
From memory, the shear pin can be found on the gearbox input shaft. This is on the left hand side under the hinged cover. Remove the twin gears to access the pin. If I am wrong, just let me know.

Dazz

Hi
These items are no longer available.


Dazz

Hi
I have standardized on 16mm tool holders for carbide tooling. I still use HSS a lot. I prefer 5/16 or 3/8 for that.
Dazz

Hi
Here is the finished control panel.

Hi The apron is definitely made to hold oil. The gears dip into the oil and carry it up into the apron. There is a pin that indicates the correct level but the oil cup is set at a height that provides oil level. Just put oil into the cup until it nearly overflows. The oiling points (including down t...

Hello 3 terminals means the motor is fixed 400VAC. 6 terminals means the motor will run 240VAC or 400VAC. With VFD, motor power peaks at the rated 50/60Hz. This has nothing to do with the VFD. It is because of the physics of motor design. For this reason, it is usual to fit a larger motor that provi...

Hello I would recommend you simply use the VFD run down option as an emergency stop. The aim is to stop the spindle rotating as quickly as possible and that is achieved with power on the VFD. There are technical reasons to avoid cutting power to the VFD supply. Under certain circumstances, it can da...

Hihere The poly link style belt is a good choice for a lathe. They are good at absorbing shock and vibration. I have fitted a VFD to my Denford lathe and I am fitting a 4kW unit to a larger lathe. On a small lathe with a 1.5kW VFD, you probably don't need a braking resister. I don't have a braking r...

Hi John Thanks for the feedback. I has proven to be a superb machine and one in this condition with so many factory accessories is incredibly rare in NZ. I have mostly used it for making tools. If I had done an apprenticeship, it probably would have been tool making. I don't know exactly how old my ...

Hi
I actually ended up with quite a lot of pre-load.
On the left hand end of the spindle are two nuts.
These are left hand threaded..
Just tighten the nuts until you get the desired pre-load.

Hello

RCDs should be tested every 6 months by manually tripping them.
Best to do at daylight saving when all the clocks need to be reset anyway.

Testing RCDs improves their reliability.

Filters can cause RCDs to trip if they have large capacitors/inductors.

Hi The RCD is probably tripping because of all the power capacitors in the mill control system. Filling the capacitors with electrons looks like leakage fault to the RCD. Try connecting a 100W incandescent light in series with the mill. If there is no fault the lamp will be dull, and the control sys...

Hi That's good news. For that length of work piece, I would normally use the centre or a steady. It makes a big difference to work stability and surface finish. I retained the back gears for my VFD conversion. I find it is useful to have the extra torque when required. I probably engage back gears a...

Hello
If you look on the edge of the bearings, you will find the part numbers etched.

The bearing will run hot with too much preload, too much or too little grease.

I got a 10 deg C temp rise when I set preload on my lathe.
See here: Setting Spindle Preload

Hello My lathe and I are currently on opposite sides of the planets so I can't take any measurements off my lathe. The torque drag method is most commonly quoted for checking preload. A better method is to measure axial deflection to a set force. In practice this would mean applying a set force (say...

Hi The Denford is a relatively small and light lathe. Flex is normal. Too much is abnormal. I would run a few cuts on a test piece to check that you can turn a parallel bar. You have to allow for deflection in order to achieve accurate dimensions. Specifically you should aim to reach a target diamet...

Hi
In the absence of any other replies, I still think my method is the best option.
If you find a better way, please let everyone know.

Hi Based on similar early experiences I had, I suggest two things. 1. Buy a length of good known grade steel. 2. Run the carbide fast and deep. If it isn't scary, your not doing it right. If you look up the data sheet for the particular inserts you are using, you will find that a "fine" cut translat...