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+--- Thread: New / Old universal dividing head (/thread-3198.html)
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New / Old universal dividing head - Pete O - 06-14-2016
As I mentioned elsewhere, I've given up the idea of picking up an original Elliott universal dividing head while we're in the UK this year as the shipping is a killer.
This came up near me on eBay and I went in hard. Wish I could say it was a bargain, but it was not. Someone else wanted it nearly as much as I did.
[attachment=13349]
It looks very similar to the Elliott but is of Italian make. I stripped it down last night, left most of the bits soaking in solvent overnight and spent much of today cleaning, lubing and reassembling it.
[attachment=13350]
[attachment=13351]
[attachment=13355]
Above the nameplate in the photo above can be seen the date 1951 stamped into the unit.
The azimuth and index mark for inclination is nice and easy to read with the red enamel in the stamped numerals.
There is a direct indexing plate on the spindle, engaged with the yellow knobby thing. 16 divisions on one side and 36 on the other, the chuck adapter plate has to be unscrewed from the spindle nose to swap it over- I'm yet to unscrew this, I was worried about putting strain on the worm but it occurs to me as I type that I can disengage the worm and try unscrewing the chuck adapter with the spindle locked via the lever on the back, will give this a try.
The chuck is a Pratt Burnerd, it's soaking at present and will be stripped down as time permits. The spindle has a Morse 3 taper in the end.
Has a handy chart affixed to it
[attachment=13353]
[attachment=13354]
The second part of that chart in particular may as well be in Italian for all that I understand of it. I think I have some reading to do to figure out how this all works.
It's a different centre height to my other so the tailstock won't suit (good news for Darren) so perhaps my first casting project has come along.
Missing the chuck key as well so will have to make one of those. Also missing the spring clip that holds the fingers still on the dividing plate.
Goes without saying that the gearset and banjo for driving off the table are also missing. I am yet to see a universal dividing head on the used market that actually has the gearset with it.
Anyway I'm happy with this, purchase price was roughly the same as it would have cost just for shipping if I had bought one in the UK. Seems to be a quality unit although I don't know anything about Italian machinery (the old timers used to say that their tanks had 1 forward and 24 reverse gears, that would have needed good manufacturing equipment, right?)
One project on my list is to make the 127-tooth transposing gear that is missing from my lathe, this thing has compound indexing capability so if I can just acquire said capability myself this should then be possible.
RE: New / Old universal dividing head - Mayhem - 06-15-2016
No excuses for not making gears now Pete
RE: New / Old universal dividing head - Dr Stan - 06-15-2016
Ya done good. Was in Italy about 10 years ago and the quality of the manufactured goods were very impressive. CNC VTL's with 10m swings, cut off saws as go or better than any other brand, etc. I'd say their equipment is currently equal to German or Swiss manufacture.
BTW, could you make a riser so your current tail stock would be on the same plain as the dividing head?
Do a Google search of the phrase "differential equations tutorial" as that should help understand the formulas.
RE: New / Old universal dividing head - Mayhem - 06-15-2016
(06-15-2016, 08:45 AM)Dr Stan Wrote: ...BTW, could you make a riser so your current tail stock would be on the same plain as the dividing head?
No - I'm sure that is simply not possible. It must be the pain in your foot playing tricks with your mind Stan
I think it is best to keep the tailstock with the dividing head for which it was designed. No point separating a matched pair.
RE: New / Old universal dividing head - Dr Stan - 06-15-2016
All I have to do is remember Minsky's the way it was in the mid 70's and all the pain goes away. :)
RE: New / Old universal dividing head - Pete O - 06-15-2016
Not only do I not have an excuse to not make gears, I now actually have another excuse to make some- in order to properly use this new gadget I need a whole mess of them. I just got hold of a set of charts for this dividing head that covers every number of divisions from 2 to 400 and of course it is all about gears. Also i'll need to make the banjo, stub axles and the drive shaft for indirect dividing where the spindle is driven from the rear. Think I'll have to retire to get time for all this.
I tried undoing the chuck plate with the spindle locked, no go- the friction lock is not strong enough and I don't want to use the worm gears for this. Does it sound reasonable to apply some heat to the chuck plate to loosen the thread?
We just need to get the Vertex unit (with tailstock) over to Darren's place now, we're both in Australia so shouldn't be far, right? I just had a bit of a play on Google Earth and the distance from my place to his is roughly similar to Los Angeles to Mobile, Key West to Nova Scotia, or for our UK friends Penzance to Constantinople
RE: New / Old universal dividing head - Vinny - 06-15-2016
Well in that case there's no need to ship it. You can drive it there in just a few minutes, half hour tops!
RE: New / Old universal dividing head - Dr Stan - 06-15-2016
(06-15-2016, 08:20 PM)Vinny Wrote: Well in that case there's no need to ship it. You can drive it there in just a few minutes, half hour tops!
You too must have visited down under and saw the way they drive. :) Wrong side of the street to boot!
RE: New / Old universal dividing head - Dr Stan - 06-15-2016
(06-15-2016, 06:54 PM)Pete O Wrote: I tried undoing the chuck plate with the spindle locked, no go- the friction lock is not strong enough and I don't want to use the worm gears for this. Does it sound reasonable to apply some heat to the chuck plate to loosen the thread?
How 'bout some high end penetrating oil and some way to vibrate the plate? Surely you have some stores that sell machines that vibrate.
RE: New / Old universal dividing head - Pete O - 06-16-2016
(06-15-2016, 11:35 PM)Dr Stan Wrote:(06-15-2016, 06:54 PM)Pete O Wrote: I tried undoing the chuck plate with the spindle locked, no go- the friction lock is not strong enough and I don't want to use the worm gears for this. Does it sound reasonable to apply some heat to the chuck plate to loosen the thread?
How 'bout some high end penetrating oil and some way to vibrate the plate? Surely you have some stores that sell machines that vibrate.
I wouldn't know anything about that.