05-20-2017, 10:32 AM
(05-20-2017, 09:35 AM)Mayhem Wrote: If you move the tailstock to the chuck side of the carriage, you can drill the hole using the power feed (i.e. use the carriage to push the tailstock toward the drill. Depending upon the alignment of your tailstock to the ways, you may be able to flip it around and drill from both sides. It will depend on the configuration of the ways and whether they are symmetrical.
An excellent idea, I'll need to get or make some change gears first though.
I spent a fair bit of time the last few days back engineering the 1 change gear I have to find the diametral pitch and found it is 16, then used the information on the name plate to work out all the gear size blanks I need. Looks like an easy set up to cut the gears on the lathe with the gear cutter on a mandrel between centers. Just need to get my head around pressure angles to make sure I have that part right.
Reading up on information on the web it seems all kinds of materials can be used to make the gears and for practice and possible use I might make the first few from solid polycarbonate. I've worked in the plastics industry machining this material before so it should be ok.