Denford Software & Machines

Can anyone tell me how to reverse traverse please, i have read the manual and it says there are 3 positions on the lever, forward traverse, neutral, and reverse, the neutral and forward positions work ok but when its put into the reverse position nothing happens, any ideas please, is there a sequence to this, its all new to me.

You reverse the leadscrew drive using the tumbler gear, under the end cover.
(See pictures- Note-not my lathe)
If it only goes in one direction it might be because there is a problem with the drive train.
I think a pin can shear in such a way that it transmits the drive,but only in one direction.

dakes55 wrote:Can anyone tell me how to reverse travers please, i have read the manual and it says there are 3 positions on the lever, forward traverse, neutral, and reverse, the neutral and forward positions work ok but when its put into the reverse position nothing happens, any ideas please, is there a sequence to this, its all new to me.

its quite obvious when these gears engage, as everything is exposed to view. When you try to engage reverse, do the gears go into mesh, or does the lever seem to stick before engagement happens? Sometimes a little 'jiggling' of the chuck helps the gears go into mesh.

Richard

Thanks for your help and advice guys, yes the tumbler gears are working ok when forward-reverse and neutral are selected on the 3 position lever, and the gears turn in both forward and reverse, but the lead screw will only turn in the forward position, if a pin was broken i would have thought that it wouldnt work in either direction, it seems really odd, i dont know this lathe as i only just bought it. I also forgot to mention that the cross feed is only working in one direction, outwards towards operator, im wondering if this problem is linked to the lead screw. would the pin mentioned be inside the gearbox?

Curious. So what you are saying is that when you apply input to the gearbox in one direction, it works, but when you reverse the input, there is no output from the gearbox to either the leadscrew or the plain feedshaft. Yes, as the crossfeed is driven off the feedshaft, if that only works one way, then the cross feed will only be one way. There is safety pin or key, which in my later 280Synchro is in the hub of the gear driving the gearbox, but I don't know if its the same for the TDS1. if its actually in the gearbox, then I can't help you. Have you tried using the lathe and putting the gearbox under load to see if the drive slips.If so, its almost certainly a failed shear pin or key.

Richard

yes i have put it under load and tested it by turning a peice of steel and it was fine, I think i will take the cover off the gearbox and have a look whats going on

I ve got this sorted out now, someone had put a lever on wrong and it wasnt engaging, wrong position on the splines