Just bought a Fortis lathe

[Jelly_Sheffield]

Unlike the big gears on your headstock, those should be reasonably affordable to purchase replacements for from HPC Gears (in chesterfield), so if the repairs don't go your way, you can probably get a replacement pretty straightforwardly.

 

[mr_luke_too]

I'm afraid I didn't think to take any photos, but I fixed the apron on mine yesterday. It had gradually become more difficult to engage the cross-feed and then it got to the point where the feeds lever couldn't be moved in either direction. It turns out the feeds lever moves a quadrant inside the apron, which is very similar to a tumble reverse mechanism. Like the tumble reverse on this lathe, the gears turn on shouldered screws fitted to the quadrant. It turned out my problem was simply that one of these shouldered screws had worked its way out and jammed against the inside of the apron! Took longer to describe than it did to fix.

 

[GraemeVW]

I'm afraid I didn't think to take any photos, but I fixed the apron on mine yesterday. It had gradually become more difficult to engage the cross-feed and then it got to the point where the feeds lever couldn't be moved in either direction. It turns out the feeds lever moves a quadrant inside the apron, which is very similar to a tumble reverse mechanism. Like the tumble reverse on this lathe, the gears turn on shouldered screws fitted to the quadrant. It turned out my problem was simply that one of these shouldered screws had worked its way out and jammed against the inside of the apron! Took longer to describe than it did to fix.

That section of mine actually works!
The carriage handwheel is very loose on its shaft though, and the shaft sort of binds at part revolution, I am assuming a bent shaft.

What doesn't seem to work is the feed stop button thing. Not really sure how that should work, but it doesn't seem to do anything much.
Looks like there is a cone that fits inside the worm gear, might be jammed.

 

[Pete.]

Unlike the big gears on your headstock, those should be reasonably affordable to purchase replacements for from HPC Gears (in chesterfield), so if the repairs don't go your way, you can probably get a replacement pretty straightforwardly.

Do HPC make 14.5PA gears?

 

[Jelly_Sheffield]

Do HPC make 14.5PA gears?

They don't hold them in stock, but are able to manufacture them to order relatively quickly.

 

[mr_luke_too]

That section of mine actually works!
The carriage handwheel is very loose on its shaft though, and the shaft sort of binds at part revolution, I am assuming a bent shaft.

What doesn't seem to work is the feed stop button thing. Not really sure how that should work, but it doesn't seem to do anything much.
Looks like there is a cone that fits inside the worm gear, might be jammed.

Yes, the feeds clutch is just a cone which is drawn into the worm wheel when you tighten that knob. It's a very shallow taper, so I would think it's unlikely to be jammed mechanically, but the two parts could be rusted together? Having now seen how it goes together, I think you might find a tap on the knob with a rubber mallet - after it's been turned anticlockwise a few revolutions - may well free it off. Probably not much point if you're stripping it completely though.

As well as being bolted together, all the separate castings in my apron are pinned in place, so they need some careful wiggling and/or leverage to dismantle.

 

[GraemeVW]

Yes, the feeds clutch is just a cone which is drawn into the worm wheel when you tighten that knob. It's a very shallow taper, so I would think it's unlikely to be jammed mechanically, but the two parts could be rusted together? Having now seen how it goes together, I think you might find a tap on the knob with a rubber mallet - after it's been turned anticlockwise a few revolutions - may well free it off. Probably not much point if you're stripping it completely though.

As well as being bolted together, all the separate castings in my apron are pinned in place, so they need some careful wiggling and/or leverage to dismantle.

The shaft of that know completely withdraws though. I took the but off on the inside, and the plate with the Locating pin, then the shaft pulls out with the knob. Shaft of quite wobbly too.
I'm sure it will make sense when it's apart.

If the knob just pulls in a cone, how does it have enough friction? Should it be sprung?

 

[mr_luke_too]

If the knob just pulls in a cone, how does it have enough friction?

I don't know, but it does! No springs in mine.

It works quite well in practise. You don't have to screw the knob in particularly tight and 1/4 of a turn either way is enough to engage or disengage drive, meaning it's fairly easy to stop just where you want to.

I got a 3D printer for my birthday last week so it's busily squeezing out a spindle thread protector as we speak, and a carriage stop and a threading dial are on the to do list!

 

[GraemeVW]

I don't know, but it does! No springs in mine.

It works quite well in practise. You don't have to screw the knob in particularly tight and 1/4 of a turn either way is enough to engage or disengage drive, meaning it's fairly easy to stop just where you want to.

I got a 3D printer for my birthday last week so it's busily squeezing out a spindle thread protector as we speak, and a carriage stop and a threading dial are on the to do list!

Oh, you screw the knob!
I sort of assumed it was push/pull

I've not looked that close yet.

Congrats on the printer! Will be interested to see your results on the screw protector and thread dial indicator!

Do you want a load of pics of my carriage stop? Or are you just going freestyle.

 

[GraemeVW]

First raising block made. 6x4 timber, on edge, glued and screwed together than wrapped in 2mm steel.
The screw heads will be filled over, even though that pains me, as that's how fortis did it!!
There will be adjustable feet on these too but I wanted it to look reasonably factory and not like it was on stilts!
Raising it 7", which makes sense if the average height back then was 5'7, as I'm 6'2 or 6'3.
Sorry it's upside down!

 

[mr_luke_too]

Yes, you turn the knob to engage/disengage feeds. Either the cone or the plate (u can't remember which now!) is threaded and the nut on the end should be pinned on so it acts as a stop.

I think it will be a while before I'm ready to design a threading dial, but I reckon a carriage stop is within my current capabilities, so some photos would be great please.

The Boxford spindle thread protector I found on Thingiverse fits nicely. Bright blue so I (hopefully) don't lose it.

The raising blocks for your cabinet look good. Mine had unfortunately lost its original bed feet by the time I got it, and they have been replaced with much shorter fabricated items. It doesn't matter too much though, as the cabinet I bought for it to live on is ridiculously tall so they cancel each other out!

 

[GraemeVW]

Yes, you turn the knob to engage/disengage feeds. Either the cone or the plate (u can't remember which now!) is threaded and the nut on the end should be pinned on so it acts as a stop.

I think it will be a while before I'm ready to design a threading dial, but I reckon a carriage stop is within my current capabilities, so some photos would be great please.

The Boxford spindle thread protector I found on Thingiverse fits nicely. Bright blue so I (hopefully) don't lose it.

View attachment 401616

The raising blocks for your cabinet look good. Mine had unfortunately lost its original bed feet by the time I got it, and they have been replaced with much shorter fabricated items. It doesn't matter too much though, as the cabinet I bought for it to live on is ridiculously tall so they cancel each other out!

On mine there is a nut, retained with a split pin. Then a threaded plate with a pin. When you turn the knob the plate winds in or out.
By the sounds of it the pin should always be engaged in the cone then and it's just the pressure on the cone that is adjusted.

 

[GraemeVW]

Weather was decent so got some primer on most of this.
Haven't looked at the carriage/apron, tailstock, or gearbox yet. They will be done separately when the rest is back in one piece.

Put a coat of epoxy primer on it but my compressor wad playing up a little. Motor kept tripping the thermal switch. Not sure why, it's designed for spraying and is designed to run constantly.

The castings are very poorly finished but I tried to build it up as much as possible on the areas that face you.
It may well get a coat of red high build primer too anyway.

The stand isn't fantastic. Fortis's idea of screwing it together and then filling over the screws wasn't a good one. But it's smooth enough. It's not a car. The stand will get satin paint anyway.
Forgive the mess, but of an outdoor workspace this.

 

[GraemeVW]

Brazing is all done, no pics at the moment though. Need to dress back the cracked tumbler arm and see about shaping the new teeth on the gears.

In the mean time, I've been throwing some paint about.
Always stresses me out this, although ultimately, I do enjoy it.
I hate choosing colours.
I pick them, then when I start to put it on in no longer sure.
I picked quartz grey and wine red, but now I'm thinking the grey is greener and not as dark as I thought, and the red might be too light.
This is after I spent ages looking at the swatches too!
Still, it's too late now. This is how it is.
New paint supplier so I'm painting the inside of things to see how it goes on. They put some brushing additive in it for me too, and now I'm wishing I'd done that myself, but whatever. Will take a little while to get used to how to apply this particular paint.
I keep reminding myself though, it's just a lathe, not a vehicle. It doesn't have to be flawless (it wont be anyway as ive not put in the prep).
As long as it's tidy and doesn't look like it's been painted by a toddler, then all good.

The base is this colour, and will dry satin

The lathe is this colour and will be gloss. Semi gloss may have hidden a few more sins.

So far, for my preference, I'd say the grey is slightly too thin, runs a little too easy. The red seems a little too thick, not sure these first bits will settle properly or not. But we'll see.
I'm really trying not to worry too much about it.
It's not a car!

The paint seems good though, just should have set the final consistency myself.

 

[GraemeVW]

The brazed up gears are back out the citric and have been trimmed back to the same width/diameter as the other teeth.
I suspect this may take a bit longer to shape the teeth than I anticipated, but I'll get there.

Unless @Jelly_Sheffield, you did have a cutter and fancies doing it as a job?

Not the neatest brazing, but it was my first time!

 

[Jelly_Sheffield]

The brazed up gears are back out the citric and have been trimmed back to the same width/diameter as the other teeth.
I suspect this may take a bit longer to shape the teeth than I anticipated, but I'll get there.

Unless @Jelly_Sheffield, you did have a cutter and fancies doing it as a job?

View attachment 402927

Not the neatest brazing, but it was my first time!

I definitely have the cutters, might need to turn up an arbor to fit them.

Will be away with work next week, but could certainly sort you out after that.

 

[GraemeVW]

I definitely have the cutters, might need to turn up an arbor to fit them.

Will be away with work next week, but could certainly sort you out after that.

Thank you! I'll probably have a play with them over the next week, but if it ends up looking like I won't be able to shape them accurately enough with a file, we'll see if we can sort something out.

 

[GraemeVW]

For the first time since taking it apart, I'm getting excited.

It's exciting when you buy them, great fun when you take them apart and assess the damage, a pain when your doing the actual fixing, then onve the paint starts to go on and it's starting to look tidy, the excitement comes back.

It's not satin though!
Paint suppliers are ignoring my e.mails now.

 

[God mode restorations]

For the first time since taking it apart, I'm getting excited.

It's exciting when you buy them, great fun when you take them apart and assess the damage, a pain when your doing the actual fixing, then onve the paint starts to go on and it's starting to look tidy, the excitement comes back.
View attachment 402977

It's not satin though!
Paint suppliers are ignoring my e.mails now.

In a few months time it will get dusty and oily so you will not notice the gloss so much. But annoying when you want it a particular way

 

[Jelly_Sheffield]

Looks well either way!