Got me a lathe!

[RobCox]

It looks like I am screwed. The Motor is a Gryphon 400/440V only motor.

Not necessarily. My Elliott Omnimill has 440V only motors which I'm running on a 220V VFD. You'll lose a bit of power but you won't blow the motor up by running on a lower voltage. The VFD just needs its voltage vs frequency slope reprogramming so it reaches 220V at 31Hz rather than 50Hz.

https://inverterdrive.com/howto/240V-Supply-to-a-400V-AC-Motor/

 

[Smallfry]

Excerpt from Lathes UK.

One very unusual accessory - so far only one example has come to light - was a headstock spindle dividing attachment. Probably made as a one-off to satisfy an order from the Post Office Research Station at Dollis Hill in London, the assembly consisted a block, fastened to a machined surface on the face of the headstock, that contained an indexing plunger - this engaging in a ring of holes drilled into a large disc mounted on the end of the headstock spindle.

Wonder if yours is "the one" ?

 

[Seadog]

It may be worth sending Tony at lathes.co.uk, some photos. He's very interested in unusual modifications. Your lathe is clearly an earlier model.

 

[Pete.]

Yes, definitely send pics to Tony.

Your motor will run fine on the VFD, if under-powered. The easiest way out is to fit a newer dual voltage motor.

 

[DanClarke]

Excerpt from Lathes UK.

One very unusual accessory - so far only one example has come to light - was a headstock spindle dividing attachment. Probably made as a one-off to satisfy an order from the Post Office Research Station at Dollis Hill in London, the assembly consisted a block, fastened to a machined surface on the face of the headstock, that contained an indexing plunger - this engaging in a ring of holes drilled into a large disc mounted on the end of the headstock spindle.

Wonder if yours is "the one" ?

Hmmmmm.... Well I must take some pictures so folks can see then. mustn't I?
It is very well made. And there are engravings/punchings of all numbers 0....71 around the periphery.
maybe a youtube clip would be better to show it off, and someone may be able to shed some light on it. :-)

 

[Pete.]

72 is a handy direct indexing number because it has a lot of even and odd factors (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 12, 18, 24, 36 and 72) and can directly index a part-rotation to any multiple of 5 degrees.

 

[DanClarke]

OK, here is a picture or two of what's on there.
You can see that the stamped numbers are not all perfectly aligned (e.g. 23,24,25) where 24 is out of line with the numbers either side of it.
The backplate itself is very nicely contoured and well finished.
The spring-loaded plunger cone has to be held in by the thumbscrew (of course).

 

[Seadog]

That is identical, other than plunger position, to the VSL on Lathes

 

[arther dailey]

well bought , looks like a cracking good tool

 

[Agroshield]

...can directly index a part-rotation to any multiple of 5 degrees.

We should try to work out a way to put a five step vernier onto it somehow (like the 5C spin indexer), so it could index to degrees if required.

 

[RichardM]

You can see that the stamped numbers are not all perfectly aligned (e.g. 23,24,25) where 24 is out of line with the numbers either side of it.

Might be for easy identification, a lot easier to see which one is out of line than reading all the numbers to get to 24. Is 48 the same?

 

[Morris]

I learnt basic turning on Boxfords at school several hundred years ago.
Good machines, nice purchase.

 

[DanClarke]

Might be for easy identification, a lot easier to see which one is out of line than reading all the numbers to get to 24. Is 48 the same?

No, I checked it seems to just be a random misalignment. 48 is not similarly offset, nor is 71.
I'm still trying to find my way around it all. I know it's old, old, old but by golly it feels so solid.
Seems to be some backlash in the compound slide, but I can live with these minor issues.

Oh, and I wimped out on the motor rejig (utter cowardice).
A local motor rewind/repair company has offered to do the "Y" "▲" conversion for c.£45.
No angry pixies and no fried eyeballs, simples! :-D

 

[DanClarke]

As my lathe is a pre 1966 model with the external to the cabinet belt tensioning lever can anyone provide any help/guidance on the V-Belt sizes?
I think they are standard "V" 13mm x 10mm but what overall length? What is a modern equivalent?
The one's on there are a bit dry & dusty, the lathe has been sitting in a shed/wendy-house for 45 years so probably best to change them now.
I can (of course) measure the inside & outside lengths and see what's available in that ball-park, but I don't know how much adjustment is in the tensioning mechanism.
So any "been there, done that" advice is much appreciated. TIA Dan.

 

[Chippie]

So measure the dia of the pulleys, guesstimate the centre to centre measurement, then use an online calc to determine the length…and while your measuring, take a piece of string around the pulleys, as a comparison for length..,,

 

[addjunkie]

Itll be 1/2” and 3/8” if its a 1966 machine!…

nutlink belting or similar is the future

 

[Seadog]

Belt for Boxford Underdrive Lathes | store.lathes.co.uk

store.lathes.co.uk

 

[RobCox]

Nice to know 1st class post is included in the price!

 

[Agroshield]

Nice to know 1st class post is included in the price!

The lathes price looks expensive, but you get the correct length for the application (1.4m).

Everywhere else, it is only available in one metre increments, at average £60 per metre, so you would have to buy two metres.

 

[Seadog]

Pardon our interruption...