Denford Software & Machines

Hi Guys and fans of the vintage Viceroy 280 VS lathe.
I am new in this forum and a model engineer since many years. I am from Germany.
In 1984, I purchased a brand new metric Viceroy 280 Manual VS Lathe from a big tooling shop, the version with the down-drive block mounted in the cabinet and speed control by hand wheel and long bed of 1 meter.
Copy of the original brochure and probably actual picture attached.
I use it now since more than 30 years and it looks and works like new. Also, it is fitted with probably all available attachments incl. imperial transposing set.

Unfortunately the machine came from the factory with a wrong set of drawings. they are for a Viceroy 280 VS with Top-rive and Joy-stick. Also, the gear wheels for the imperial transposing setup came with the wrong drawing for the metric setup.

Also, the date of manufacture is not stated on the name plate. I guess around 1980/81 ?
The Serial Number is 24917, some drawings mention 1980 as the latest date.

As a general description:
The machine is a mix of imperial and metric thread screws, the leadscrew has 3mm pitch.
The variable pulley system for the drive is made by a german manufacturer ( Lenze GmbH ).
Spare pulleys and belts for that are available, but not identical parts, modifications in the lathe are required.
Drive belts and ball bearings etc are standard parts and all still available.

Now I am thinking about replacing the Crosslide and Compund Nuts, since I have a lot of backlash ( However this does not affect the precision ). The problem is to find replacement parts for that and the spindles are unusual ( 12,7 mm dia x 2,5 mm square thread with 10 deg. ) Spindles can be turned, but the nuts are the real problem.
Does anybody have a good idea where to find such parts?

Also, does anybody have the correct drawings for my machine ? Especially the Headstock arrangement, the down-drive motor block and the cabinet?

I have read all of the postings in the last years and many details of these Viceroy 280 VS lathes are already discussed in the forum.
However, if I can help out with additional information or drawings, I will do my best.

Also, you can contact me by email: Juergencyranski@aol.com

Thanks and Regards
Hans

Hans
Welcome to the forum. If you can get answers to your questions, it will be here! Firstly I'm immensley impressed with the immaculate condition of your lathe, plus a carpeted floor in a workshop! They look like nice carpets too!
Now, have you looked on the www.lathes.co.uk website, in the Denford section. Theres a number of photos of your drive set up, and a little bit of description. You may find your lathe is a little older than you think, theres a photo of lathe number 30393 on there, with a date of April 1982, so I'm guessing yours is about 1977 or 78. I think 280s were made up to about 1984 or 85.
When Denford stopped making conventional lathes and were going to throw out all the old drawings, one of the members of this forum stepped in and saved a lot of them which he has scanned and put on here. Look in the upper part of the Viceroy section, labelled 'Announcements' and you will find a number of entries which include various scanned drawings. You may be lucky, or if Andy sees this he may be able to tell you if he has the drawings of the under drive system.

You say that you were given the wrong drawing for the translation set. Tell me what it is that you need and I may be able to help. I have a metric 280, and made myself an imperial translation set, using drawings I got off here, with some help from Andy. My lathe has dual dials, but the feedscrews are definitely metric. Denford were well known for using up old parts, so its possible that they fitted imperial ones to yours, thinking that no one would notice 0.04mm per rev difference.
If I was sourcing new nuts in the UK, I would try a chap called John Ward (www.latheparts.co.uk). Its worth contacting him to see if he can help. (he can be difficult to get hold of, because he works on his own, just keep trying). The wear is in the nuts is it, not just excessive end play in the feedscrew which can be adjusted out?

Good luck

Richard Wilson

Hi Richard,

thank you very much for the quick response and the interesting informations.
I have already reviewed all articles and documents as published in this forum, and a lot of them were quite interesting and I have downloaded a lot.
However, unfortunately the missing drawings for my lathe ( down-drive arrangement and headstock arrangement ) are not among them.
During the years I have more or less disassembled , cleaned up, maintained or modified all parts of the lathe. So now I
know more or less all construction details. But in the first years I was rather confused, because many details did not match with the drawings.
I could tell a lot of stories about the complete drive train from motor to spindle and its condition as delivered from the factory; and about the work I had to get it
running and working satisfactory.

However, to answer your questions:

Imperial Transposing Set: Denford correctly delivered to me all necessary parts ( Stud Wheels, Change Wheels, Quadrant with 135/127 gear wheel, small parts,
screws and nuts, assembly drawing and the plate showing the possible imperial thread pitches ). But the drawing is for the metric transposing set.
However, assembly and attachment to the headstock is essentially the same, everything matches perfect after slight remachining of the quadrant
and fabrication of a bushing for the stud gears. I have attached my drawing for info, I have included the parts for the metric transposing in blue color.

My lathe is fully operating in metric with precision spindles , leadscrew 3mm pitch, crossfeed and compound 2,5 mm pitch, metric gear box. Only metric dials.
I have checked the precision of all spindles with dial indicators or digital calipers, practically no deviations. I am very happy about that. However,
in the crosslide spindle/nut I have a backlash of 0,55 mm, which is too much for me ( compound 0,14 mm ). The problem is the bronze nut, this is quite normal
and so constructed that the main wear is in the nut. Just to say: in my milling machine I have adjustable nuts.......

The problem here is the unusual thread: 12,7 mm dia x 2,5 mm pitch left hand ( but special square thread with about 10° angle ( not ACME, not Trapez )
Also, if I with to use normal trapez thread, I could only get 13mm x 3mm, because this is standard. But I cannot use 3mm pitch.
So I have to buy or machine a new nut out of bronze and try to find a suitable threading tool ( or use a selfmade internal threading tool, spindle used as pattern ).
But I would like to find a professional solution. And I am not convinced about the delrin nuts , fabricated as described in this forum.

Best Regards
Hans